The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-11-26
To the Last He Says He
 is Innocent.
On the GaIlows, Duacan DecIares that His rersecutOrs Have More to
 Answer for Thai He--Body
 to Re shipped te ohio.

Birmingham, Nov. 25.-(speciaI. )-- Frank Duncan. safe blower. condemned for the murder ot Police oaicer c. W. Kfrkley, was hanged in the jail yard here today in the presence of 15o per sons. ,-s Y
 The drop fell at 1i:ss o'clock. and in twelve minutes he was pronounced dead. The mans neck was broken by the drop The body was turned over to an undertaken. and Is being pre- pared for shipment to ohio. to a point near Portsmouth. his old home.
 On the gallows Duncan made talk of a few minutes. in which he declared his innocence of the murder of Kirk ley. Threes thousand men and boys stood around the streets and alley sur founding the jail More than twenty police officers and deputy sheriffs were on duty. s9sTs
 The death warrant was read to Dun can at II o'clock. Dr. J. W. Stagg. pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, attended the condemned man to the moment he left the cell for the gallows. Handcuffed, Duncan walked up to the gallows briskly. There was no one with him as he mounted the steps and went up on the gallows Turning towards the crowd he said: Duncam,s Talk Om GaAlOwa.
 'T am glad to see so many brave policemen here. It takes brave men to witness this scene. thank God that I am ready for anything that comes. I am innocent but everything has been against me. The officers who worked mp the case know I am inno- cent God knows 1t. I, am satisfied the people of Birmingham believe it. | have not as much to account for today Iaa v,aty .e
 Sheriff Burgin asked the man on the gallows if he had anything more to say and he answered with a nod. As Deputy Sheriffs C6usson and Love be- gan preparing the rope for the hanging and tying the legs of the condemned man together. Duncan said: T hope that the good people of Birmingham will sympathize with me in this. my unmerited fate" Just before the black cap was adjusted, Duncan looked up- ward and said:
 May God forgive me for what have done"
 The Trap Sprung.
 When Sheriff Burgin pulled the lever the floor gave way and Duncan's body shot downward turning half way round as the rope frightened. There was no movement of the limbs, not a convulsion. r H1 a'se "'-t
 When newspaper reporters sought in- terviews with the condemned man this morning. he was very friendly. He knew all the reporters by name. He begged to be excused from giving a biographical sketch of himself. He said that he wanted ito keep the hang, ing from his old mother. My father is a farmer and owns his farm. My mother" he said, lis a dear old woman. have been engaged in various occu- pations. rai1roading among the rest. For a time I was fireman on the Puget Sound steamers. I don't care to talk about safeblowing or anything like that I have said over and over again that I am innocent of murder. Why, I never saw KIrkley in my life. have been persecuted by the police and I know that they know it is wrong. The police have bounded me to death and never a voice has been raised against it. My treatment has been awful"
 Sorrows for His Wife.
 Poor woman" he saiCh referring to his wife, "how she has worked to save me. My only regret In this thing Is having to leave her God bless her. Yes, she will take my body to Ohio and will live with my parents"
 A short time before the march from the cell to the gallows began. a teIe- gram was delivered to Duncan. It was from Guntersville. Ala, and signed by c. S. whitaker. It read: Have wired Governor not to hang you. Don't think you guilty" When he read this Duncan said T don't know him
 While preparations for tho hanging were going on, Mrs. Duncan applied at the sheriff's once to be permitted to see her husband for the last time. This request was refused. She saw him last afternoon. She went to the residence of pr. J, W. Stagg, on Fourth Avenue, across the street from the rear part of the jail. There she wa smet by Captain and Mrs. Boucher of the Salvation Army, who accompa- nied her to the Army barracks on Second Avenue. followed by a crowd of men and boys. The woman was in tears. For an nour she knelt In prayer