The Newark journal., 1904-06-17
VOWEL HANGED.
All Efforts to Secure Communication
to Life Imprisonment I'm
sue :essful.

Mart Vowel was hanged at Far
agould on the 9th inst. for the muir
der of William Lovejoy August II,
1908.
Vowel remained cool to the end
and died game. The trap was
sprung at 5 40 P. m.
The condemned man spoke in a
clear voice to those present, as fol-
lows:
@This is the first and last speech
of my life I am ready to die. l
will prove that l am courageous. l
did not sleep last night, but will
soon reach place where sleep is not
necessary. Friends, my death is
physical, not spiritual. If you want
to meet me again, do right, live right
and meet me in heaven. | do not
blame the officers they have treated
me right. | hope my execution will
benefit all who are leading wild lives.
Farewell to this earth and good-by
to all. y
1t is probable such strong pres
sure was never before brought to
bear upon chief executive of this
state to save the life of a condemned
man as was brought to bear upon
Gov. Davis in Vowell's behalf.
Vowel was an ex-Confederate sol
der under Gen. Forrest, a Mason
and Odd Fellow. Friends In Clay
and Greene county, after the su-
preme court had approved the yer-
diet of the lower court, presented
a petition to the governor with
1900 signatures praying that his
sentence be committed to life impris-
onment. Vowell's wife, daughters
and brothers begged that his life be
not taken under the law, and thous-
ands of old veterans added their
prayers and appeals for mercy, but
the governor, after hearing all these
pleas and reviewing the case as pre-
sented by the court records and the
friends of the murdered man, re-
fused to interfere, and the mandate
of the law was carried out.
Vowel and Loyejoy lived in the
same neighborhood in Clay county,
near Rector. While Constable Vow
ell and Lovejoy became enemies,
and on August II Vowel armed
himself and went in search of his
victim. When he came upon Love
JOY, Vowel shot him down, appar-
emily without giving him a chance
to defend himself.
Vowel was taken before Justice
of the peace and released on $4,000
bond. \ few weeks later, when
Clay county circuit court met, the
grand jury returned an indictment
against Vowel for murder in the
second degree.
The presiding judge, Hon. Allen
Hughes, refused to accept this ac-
ton of the grand jury, and after
their refusal TO indict for a higher
offense than the second degree, the
body was discharged. Judge Hughes
then ordered the sheriff to summons
another grand jury, and this body
returned N Indictment against
Vowel for murder in the first de-
gree.
Vowel secured change Of venue
to Greene county, and at his trial
last fall he was convicted and sem
fenced to be hanged. Vowel APP
pealed to the supreme court, and
that tribunal sustained the verdict
of the lower court.
After reviewing the case and hear
ing arguments of counsel for and
against Vowel, Gov. Davis decided
not to interfere, and last May issued
proclamation fixing June as the
day of execution. The condemned
mans friends did not cease to exert
themselves in his behalf until with
in a few moments Of his execution.
Mart Vowel was born in Tennes-
see April 16, 1874. He enlisted in
the Confederate army when he was
10 years old and served until the
close of the war. He was a member