Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1905-02-10
McCUE HANGED.

4
September 4, 1904. The condemned
man confessed his crime. The news was
received at this office few minutes
after the execution and was promptly
bulletined.
The U. s. Supreme Court had refused
to entertain an appeal from the State
Court, aud Governor Montague declined
to interfere. This was the state of the
case last night and all hope for the con-
demned man had vanished by midnight.
Despite the prisoners eft-repeated as
sertions of confidence in bis salvation
and despite the fact that he said every
day brought him nearer to Jesus" it
was obvious that the unhappy man did
not wish to die. He had reached that
normal animal state when he even pre-
ferred life imprisonment in the peniten-
tiary to death OH the gibbet. McCue
said as much when he heard of the i've
year sentence imposed on young Fish
burn, the slayer OF DR.. Lefew, at Roa-
noke. On that occasion he remarked,
with touch Of pathos, that he wished
his fate had been similar; that If he were
sent to prison for life he would do all he
could for the welfare OF his fellow-con-
victs
The cssket in which the body was to
be placed reached Charlottesville at 4
o. clock yesterday afternoon from Waynes-
boro, accompanied by Undertaken @. W..
Alexander, of that town.
The grounds upon which the Governor
was asked to interfere were:
First--Circumstsntial evidence should
not be recognized to justify capital punish
ment.
Second--That in this particular case
the evidence is insufficient to support a
verdict of guilty.
Third-That premeditated and deliber-
ate murder was not proved beyond a
reasonable doubt.
"These questions" said Governor
Montague Last night, "not only belong
to judicial determination, but have
actually been disposed of by the lower
court aud twice approved by the Supreme
Court of Appeals after exhaustive ex-
animation. | am unauthorized to re-
verse this procedure aud these judg-
ments."
In regard to the insanity plea the
Governor said: Nothing whatever has
been presented to me tending to estab-
lish the insanity of McCue."
Justice Harlan. Of the United States
Supreme Court last night denied an ap-
plicatien for writ Of error in McCue's
case. Justice Harlan based his denial
on the ground that no federal question
was presented in the application for the
writ. His formal Endorsement on the
application was as follows: 1.-The re.
cord presented to me discloses no ground
whatever for review of the judgment
Of the Supreme Court Of Virginia by the
Supreme Court of the United States.
The application for writ Of error is,
therefore. denied"
Counsel Tor McCue-Marvin Smithey,
Of Richmond-was at the Supreme Court
early vest srday in his efforts to secure
the writ, but as the court was not in
session he was compelled to make APP
plication to an individual Justice of the
court. He then eought Chief Justice
Fuller, and went to the latter's house at
3 O'Clock. When he reached there he
was informed that the Chief Justice was
ill. Mr.. Fuller referred Mr.. Smithey
to Justice Harlan. The ground of the
application for the writ presented by
McCue's counsel was that McCue did
not have fair trial, rs guaranteed by
the constitution:
Charlottesville, Va February, TO-
j. Samuel McCue, former mayor OF this
city, expiated she crime of wife murder
on the scaffsld in the Jail here this
morning, after oonfessing his guilt. He
refused the offer of assistance of the
guards. walking erect and hurriedly to
the scafOld. McCue left bis cell, where
he had spent a slcepless night, few
minutes after seven thirty O'Clock this
morning accompanied by his spiritual
advisers. He kept his nerve to the last
The drop fell at 1856 and he was pro-
nounced dead 1854.
The execution was without hitch
Immediately after the execution the
ministers who had attended him, Rev.
G. L. Percie, Rev. John B. Turpin and
Rev. H. B. Lee, made this statement to
the newspaper men :.
at Car,uoi Mon,,o .oo,o.toI a.. %
make public his statement made TO US
just before he went to the scaffoId that
he did not wish to leave this wnrld
with suspicion resting on any human
being other than himself; that he alone
was responsible for the deed, impelled
to it by an evil power beyond his con-
troll, and that be recognized his sentence
as just"
McCue's last night was one of distress.
he was extremely nervous and repeated
ly asked for his children. Despite his
earnest pleadings that be be allowed to
have them with him during the night his
relatives denied him this. His brother
was with him for short time in the
early evening, and then. during the long
night the ministers who had been with
him since yesterday prayed constantly
with the murderer.
Early in the morning the twenty. i've
persons, mostly newspaper men and ply
sicisns, who we're to witness the execu-
ton, were admitted to the prison. Out
side we're gathered several hundred people
and despite the chilling air they stood |