The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-01-10
AL ADAMS PAYS FOR FUNERAL
or THE NEGRO, SPENCER, WHO
WAS PUT no DEATH AT SING SING.
Spencer shot an ANTHOLOGY Detective
Dead and Held Up tho King OF the
Game for Decent nurial-Thousand
View the Body-Widow In Mysteries.

u
View the BOdy-WihoH In Mysteries
wiIhRrn Spencer the negro policy writer.
was killed by electricity in Sing Sing yes
terday morning for the murder Of Charles
s. MacFarlane, detective for the Anti
Policy League. in the corridors OF the
Criminal Court House. June 10, 1908. Spen-
GERS body was brought TO this city yesterday
by his widow and a committee OF colored
men and women There will he an elabo-
rate funeral II will be paid for by AL
Adams. who has for years been known az
the policy king and who has but recently
finished term in Sing Sing for his con-
neotion with the policy game
spencer's murder Of MacFarlane had not
one relieving touch Of warm passion in it.
The negro was being taken TO trial Tor
policy selling; he was guarded by two
policemen Almost at the door of the
court room he broke away from his guard,
pulled revolver from his pocket and shot
MacFarlanc dead. MacFarlane had been
10 considerable pains 10 convict Spencer
OF policy writing.
When Spencer. after a trial for murder
quicker than any known TO this county.
was sentenced TO death and was taken to
sing Sing prison, Al Adams was still pris-
municate with Adams in the prison That
he was not able to do so may be attributed,
perhaps. not 10 much TO the effectiveness
Of the prison regulation as 10 the fact that
Adams was not over anxious TO receive the
communications
Meanwhile, Spencer's wife, Violet, and
his two children, Magnolia and Floribel,
were quite penniless Some Of the negroes
who had been associated with Spencer in
tho policy business helped them a little
from time to time. She made appeals to
Dolph Jansen who was Al Adarns's manager
while the king was absent from the city.
Jansen. she says. drove her from his office,
saving ain these days we have not enough
money TO live on ourselves; we can't be
giving money to niger beggars.
OF late Spencer had been worrying
great deal about his funeral. He did not
want his body TO go to the potters field.
Nothing is quite 80 important TO a certain
sort of negro as the funeral. Spencer
wrote repeatedly TO his wife and asked her
10 40 10 Al Adams and get him to promise
her a Christian burial for her husband.
Mns. Spencer says that she could not reach
AL Adams Then Spencer wrote to Hattie
Rosa who was ouce as bsd as anybody In
the Tenderlcir eva was, out who has been
a missionary - the oolored prisoners in
jefferson Market curt for seven years;
Hattie sat her down one day last week ami
wrote a long letter to Mr. Adams explain
ing how Spencer felt. In the course OF IL
she made use Of the following somewhat
significant language:
am going to Ossinng on Friday TO see
Spencer, and l hope TO have the privilege OF
showing him a letter from you assuring him
that YOU have not forgotten his faithiulness 70
you and that it was that same taithiuineiss
10 the last TO his employers that brought
him TO this uDtimey end
Immediately there came back TO the
missionary this response.
Please call at my Office at o'clock p. NJ.
Friday Jan. Q. 40 West 3fth- A,
Mrs. Spencer went around instead of
Mrs. Ross, and came back rejoicing with
fifty-dollar bill. She took the money
TO j. c. Thomas, the Seventh avenue negro
undertaken, and there has not since been
any doubt as to the splendor oil the funeral
which Spencer will have next Thursday.
There has been some little friction re-
garding the funeral. Spencer belonged
10 "A negro club which had its headquarters
In a saloon at Seventh avenue and twenty
seventh street. The negroes OF this club
gave a cakewalk and ball not long ago
months Of course before the actual death
of their friend-to raise money Tor MIS-
funeral Mrs. Spencer made application
for some Of this money to apply 1t to her
immediate necessities, but the club held
out that il was Tor funeral services only
Until the arrival Of the tangible evidence
Of the generosity OF Mr.. Adams on fTlday, |
the undertaken seemed TO be in some doubt |
as to who had the voice OF authority IN ar
ranging for the funeral.
Yesterday after the execution when |
the body was brought down to the train |
at Ossining. Mrs. Spencer went into re-
peated paroxysms Of hysteria. She ran
iip and down the platform OF the station
alternately raving and faintng while
Hattie Ross made vain efforts 70 que
her The body was 10 have left sing sing
on the llOe train in the morning but be
cause Of the state of Mrs spencer It was
an hour later before a start could be made.
Mrs. Spencer gave way again on the ar
rival at the Grand Ceatral station. She
seemed possessed Of an idea that the men |
Of the Seventh Avenue Athletic Club were |
going TO try to take the body away from |
her and refused 70 get into carriage unul |
the windows could be let down so that she |
could keen close watch upon the Under
takers wagon carrying the coffin. She !
saw il conveyed safely to her home |
in the fiat house at l0t West Twenty-siXth |
street The arrival of the body was awaited |
by a crowd of several hundred coloIed |
men and women, which grew 70 number
a thousand before the undertaken had made
ready TO admit any one to tho room oil
death Then began procession through !
the rooms which was still going on at mid
night last night. Women and men. young
and old. fled past the body. which was lald
On a plain bier and hung over with black
canopy. There was a constant murmuf
,f prayers for the dead and mercy on the
living. with reflections on the benefits of
a virtuous life. %,
The arrangements for the funeral will
not be completed until late to-day
The execution Of Spencer was earned
through quietly and without any accident
Principal Keeper Connaughton took Spen-
cor 10 the death chamber at ten minutes
before O'Clock. The condemned man
was accompanied by Fathers C. '. Mahoney
and p Martin OF the Ossining church II
was remarked that Spencer had dressed
himself with a care altogether unusual IN
a prisoner on the way TO the death char.
The apparatus was adjusted and current
Of I $50 volts and anperes was turned on
Spencer was n very large man and for that
reason the current was made more than
usually strong. Six minutes after the
starting OF the first current the physicians
said that Spencer was dead. Drs. Z: +.
Sptzka and NJ d. Linderman OF New YORK
performed the autopsy. The body was
then turred over 10 the New York Under
taker
COLLEGE STUDENT SUICIDE.