Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-07-21
HANGED AT ANNAPOLIS
LEASER PAID PENALTY FOR PA
TRoLMAN's MURDER.
Special Dispatch to The star.

AI>NAfOllS, MD, July Zl--At exaCtiy ~
o'clock this morning William r. Leaser.
the colored murderer of Patrolman John
G. Mcnamara, was dropped into eternity
when Sheriff Samuel s. Hardy sprung the
gallows' trap in the yard of the Anne Arun-
del county JAIL on the corner of Calvert
and Northwest streets Fifteen minutes
thereafter Drs. ]. j. Murphy. r. II. Walton
and J. o. Purvis pronounced the man dead.
but his body was left hanging until 10:40
o'clock.
Death was due to strangulation, the muir
derers neck not being broken by fall
of nearly six feet. Although much affected
by the meeting with his brother Walter,
whom he saw at the short service before
the execution, Leaser later regained his
nerve and died gamely. He made no final
statement on the gallows, but to his guards
this morning and last night the murderer
still told the same story of the shooting
of Mcnamara, saying that the policeman s
death had not been intended by him. !.
He spent a quiet night retiring at
o'clock and sleeping until shortly before 8
this morning He ate only light break
fast, and spent the remainder of his time
reading his Bible Although witnessed by
one of the largest crowds ever present on a
similar occasion, the execution was car
ried out without a hitch. and the 500 per-
sons inside the jail yard we'll handled.
History of the Crime.
The murder of Patrolman John G.. Nc
Namara, for which LeaZer today paid the
full penalty demanded by law. was most
brutal and entirely unprovoked one.
On the night of March u last Leazer,
who was then employed at the plant of the
Maryland car works, at Curtis Bay. with
number of other negroes WAS stealing
coal from cars on the Fairfield siding of
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad In COM
pany with John LcaZer, David Horah and
William Harris, three co.oIcd men, Leazer
was returning to his home with a
bag of stolen coal on his ssoulder Nc
Nama,a, WHO was a member of the Fair
field police force, came up with and at
tempted to arrest Leazer, while the other
three negroes hid behind tree. Accord
Ing to the testimony OF his companions,
IeaZer had previously indie lted that he
had pistol and that he would shoot any
one who attempted to arrest him or inter-
feTe with him in any way Upon being
placed under arrest he went a few steps
with the officer and then drawing a thirty
eight-caliber revolver from his pocket fired
upon Mcnamara. The ball entered the Of
ficer's right breast, causing instant death.
A search was at once started and num-
bers OF suspects were rounded up in the
central police station in Baltimore by the
Curtis Bay police and Sheriff Hardy, Dep
uty Bryan and Chief George Hahn. Lea
was captured two days after the crime
upon the statements of Edward Harris.
the coal stealing.
AT first Leazer protested that he knew
nothing whatever of the shooting. but later
broke down and confessed saying that the
shooting was entirely accidental. This plea
he stood by when on the witness stand
during his trial.
Excitement was intense Immediately af-
ter the murder, and for this reason the au-
thorities, fearing a lynching. kept the ac-
cused man in the central police station in
Baltimore. He brought to this city
for hearing on March -, and was then
given preliminary hearing by Justice
John N. Davis, in the Anne Arundel county
Jail, where he executed today He
was then returned to Baltimore where he
remained until April IS, on which date he
was formally arraigned before the circuit
court for Anne Arundel. He entered a
plea of not guilty and was remanded to
Baltimore Jail until April -, which day
was set for his trial.
The trial occupied two days, but the YER
act was practically foregone conclusion
so damaging had been the testimony of all
the Witnesses
States Attorney Nicholas H Green con-
Quoted tho prosecution, while Ieazer was
defended by Ephriem Jackson of Baltimore
and George l.. Pendleton of this city, both
colored. The jury was out only about an
hour and late In the afternoon of April y
returned verdict of murder in the first
degree.
On Friday. May 8, the condemned MUIR
uerer was brought into court and SEN
fenced, the sentence of the court being
passed by Chief Judge l. Thomas Jones
me Following week Governor Warfield set
FRIDAY, July 81 as the date for the exc
cuton.
Since that time Leazer has been con-
hned in murderers' row in the third tier Of
cells In the county jail. He has been n
good prisoner. causing little trouble and
seeming to want but little. He has been
constantly attended by the Rev. J. NJ ST.
mons, rector of st. Philips z. F. Chanel
and several weeks ago protested compiete
repentance and was baptised in his cell In
the Jail. IA