The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-03-11
TWO NEGROES PAY
 THE DEATH PENALTY.
Alex Robertson and Jud Braham
 Hanged Yesterday
BOTH NECKS WERE BROKEN
Braham Declared From GaIIows He, Was Not Afraid to Die and Was Ready to Meet
 His Maker.

Alex Robertson and Jud Braham, two negroes, were hanged in the Jefferson county jail yard yesterday for murder The necks of both were broken.
 Both men were convicted in the erim- iral court of this county on the charge of murdering their sweethearts. Both ne- groes died game.
 Robertson was executed first, the trap being sprung at 1o:sO o'clock. One hour afterward Braham ascended the scaf- fold.
 Thursday night wac spent by the ne- groes in prayer Yesterday morning they were removed to one of the rooms on the first floor of the old county jail. They were met there by half dozen or more negro ministers. and for several hours religious services were held. Both Rob ertson and Braham joined in the praying and singing.
 Robertson was hancuffed shortly be- fore 10;30 a. m. and lead to the gallows by Deputies Courson and Kerr. In tie absence of Deputy Sheriff Love, who is very i'll, the string was tied around the legs of both of the condemned men and the moose fixed about their neelxs by these deputies.
 Prayed For Mercy.
 As the moose was being fixed about tEe neck of Robertson he only murmufed Lord, have mercyF The black cap was then fixed over Lis head and sheriff Andrew " Burgin, who stood below, was given the signal to pull the trigger b the trap. The body shot downward and In fifteen minutes the physicians pro nGnnced the negro dead. His neck was broken. The body was cut down and taken in charge by a local undertaking establishment.
 Braham seemed to give way to some extent early in the morning, but he vas steady when he mounted the seaffold. He was accompanied by the Rev. J. R. Sanders, teacher in the Selma uni versity and class mate of the negro and the Rev. w. R. McGnl, local ne- gro preacher.
 While the deputies were tying the cords about Braham he commenced to talk On the gallows he declared he was nOl dldliu u anu eiih AI W"9 AAe'fS to meet his Maker.
 T am not one of those kind who got religion while in jail" said Braham as he stood on the dath trap. "I have had religion for a number of years, and l fear not death. I want to thank the county jail officials for the many nice little things they have done for me while I was prisoner in wonder for fourteen long months. You have all been good to me. and I appreciate 1t more than I can tell you Good bye to everybody. I do not hold any malice in my heart toward anyone"
 Sheriff Springs Trap.
 The trap was sprung by Sheriff Bur gin at II ;45 o'clock and in fourteen min utes Braham was dead and his body was cut down. The body was shipped for interment
 Braham made all of his own funeral arrangements several days ago. He pur- chased his own coffin and his death shroud.
 Braham was convicted of killing his sweetheart Minnie Crenshaw, at Pratt City, fourteen months ago last night He was an intelligent negro and was we'll liked by the prison officials. An earnest effort was made to have tEe sentence commuted to life in the peniten- tIary.
 Crowd Throngs Streets.
 Several hundred people witnessed the executions. while three or four hundred Tired Twenty-first street from Third to Fourth avenues during the hours of ex- ecution.
 Just before he was carried to the gall lows Braham turned to the newspaper men who stood near, and said:
 T am ready to die. l killed the person nearer to my heart than anyone living and want to meet her in Heaven today. Good bye to you all. Please thank the good people of Birmingham and of Sel- ma for what they have done for me-"
 COUNTY JAIL IMPROVED.