The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-11
Then Goes to the GaIIows
Without a Tremor.
FEW SEE HIM HANGED
To the CIergymen Who Attend Him in
His Last Moments He Confesses
His Crime and Admits That
the Punishment is
lust.
(By the Associated PressD

(By the Associated Press.)
Charlottesville, Va. Feb. 10
Without tremOr J. Samuel McCue
met death on the scaffOld at 7:35
o'clock this morning for wife murder.
Hardly had his struggles ceased when
his confession was given out by his
three spiritual advisers. Revs. G. L.
Petrie. H. +. Lee and John B. Thomp-
son. McCue listened calmly to the
death warrant and when Sergeant
Rogers asked: DO you think that if
| gave YOU my arm you would be able
to walk to the scalfold?" He replied
calmly, Il can walk without your
aid" On the way he stumbled once
or twice and the officers proffered as
sistance. 1t was not needed, however.
There was no weakness. McCue had
merely slipped on the frozen snow.
Watched by a silent crowd of per-
hans thirty people. McCue mounted
the scaffold. BY this time the sun
light was streaming across the house
tops around him. Not a muscle OF
his face moved. Rogers and two
guards ascended the scafoid with
him. The prisoner was placed over
the trap, his arms We're Npinioned ana
his ankles SIEappcu' ih'
gown was folded around hlm ana the
moose was adjusted.
All this while McCue stood without
moving. The hope that he might
make some statement before he dlcu
finally passed away. The cowl drop
ped over his head and he had seen ms
last of the world. Not a word had
he uttered.
Died of Strangulation.
Before he placed the rope about
McCue's neck, Sergeant Rogers put
his arm over the condemned man
shoulders and whispered something TO
him. Then everything was READY
Mr. Rogers again spoke to McCue'
asking him if he had any statement
to make "None at all, was ms
answer. The trap was sprung anu anu
nineteen minutes afterWard Mtcuc
was pronounced dead OF StrahSuldlloii' IL
His neck was not broken
The body will b taken TO BROOKS
VILE" near Alton. for burial.
In order to thwart the curiosity OF
the morbidly inclined the sherln kept
secret the time of the execution.
Many peonle believed that ii Wouid pe
close upon noon. yet as carry an 9,A
a. m. 4 well advised few were moEih"
in the direct on of the Jail. An hour
nassed and BY this time the few VINO
were to hc allowed to enter were
standing within the prison enclosure
huddlcd around a stove.
After the execution one of McCue
spiritual advisers said: go
"Nr, McCue left this world with {,
feeling of bitterness toward no hu-
man being in il. His heart was Won
derfulIv softcned. He was earnest ana
tender This morning in our presence
h. offered to God a ferVent PRAYER 10"
his family: for mis- brothers and thet
wives: for his sister: for ms uncles
and aunts and lastly and most ferVcnt-
IL for all OF his children. He called
tbrm each by name. He invoked the
hiessing of Almighty God upon them
ALI
NcCuc's Confession.
Immediately after the execution
NIrf'uc's three Sniritual ADVISERS rave
out the following signed statement;
II. Samuel McCuC stated this morn
iu.- i'm our presence and requested us
to make public that he did not WISH
To leave this world with suspicion
resting on any human being othef
than hisclf; that he alone was re-
spousiblc for the deed, impellcd TO II
hy an evil power beyond his control.
and that he recognized his sentence
as just
J. Samuel McCuc was IS years old
aud twice had been mayor of the city
of Charlottesville. The tragedy Tor
which he paid the penalty created
more interest than any other crime
that has occurred in the state in the
u.tSt quarter of Il century.
ON Sunday night, september /, Me-
cue accompanied his wife to church
and they returned home about 81,
O'Clock Within fifteen minutes after
tncv had repaired TO their room t'
retire for the night the city was arouS-
I'd by messages announcing the muir
der Of Mrs. McCue and friends. ply
efcianS and officers hurried 10 the Mc-
r'u,. home. Mrs. NcCue was found
dead IN the bath room and McCuc was
wing on the floor With an abrasion
ar his check and fCigninS Uncon-
seriousness. He later asserted that the
attack had been made by an unknown
white man who had climbed through
4 window Mrs. McCue had been dealt
a blow that broke her nose and hel
left ear had been almost severed by
"A second blow. Death Was caused by
a .-unshot wound Just above the heart
McCue never was able To explain
the presence in the bath room of q
small piece of cotton undershirt which
fitted exactly torn place in the shirt
which he had on when the officers ar
rived.
Two women figured in the reports
that circulated as to the cause of tn
murder and "A letter filled with en-
dearing language sent him by one o
his women clients was produced at tht
trial.