Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-10-20
HANGED At ELKT0N
John M. Shippers Paid the
Death Penalty
FOR CONSTABLE MURDER
EXECUTION TOOK PLACE IN JAIL
YARD THIS MORNING.
Protested His Innocence to the Last
Last Words "Give My Love
to Mother"
FOR RCONSTABLEM MURDER

Special Dispatch to The Star.
ELkTON, Md, October 2O-With a smile
actually on his lips John NJ. Shippers, the
young man convicted of the murder of AL
bert Constable, the prominent lawyer of
this town, was hanged in the Cecil county
jail yard here this morning.
The drop fell at 9:53 o'clock, during a
drizzling rain and in the presence of forty
persons. The execution was-conducted sue
cessfully by Sheriff George c. Biddle. The
body was cut down at 1890 O'Clock, death
having been caused by broken neck.
The condemned man declared his inno-
cence up to the very last. The Rev. Will
lam Schouler, rector of Trinity Episcopal
Church of Elkton, visited him in his cell at
o'clock this morning, and again asked
him II he wanted to make confession at
the same time producing statement which
he the minister) had written out
The statement was to the effect that
Shippers admitted the crime. When the
young man was asked to sign it he refused
and repeated his declaration of innocence.
The clergyman then knelt and prayed for
the soul of Shippers. The latter also knelt
which We're identical. to his mother and
sister, the contents of which were given out
after the hanging.
The remains will be buried in the Sim
peiS Idlliy lol DIT SneTry Hell, cecil c0un-
ty, Md, tomorrow. the body being taken
In charge by Undertaken Clark S. Grant at
that place and placed in an ordinary dead
box. The mother and sister of the mur-
derer. who are still here, and probably
others will attend the interment The
service will be conducted by the Rev. Mr..
Schouler
The body was examined by Drs. W. u.
Gawley and Arthur Mitchell of Elkton and
r. II. Darrah of Baltimore. They stated
baa IN 81
twelve minutes after the drop fell. No
pcSt-mortem was held. None of the men,
bers of the family of the late Mr.. Con-
stable was present at the execution At
man they all left Eiiston for the day. in
Guiding Mrs Constable herself. The fam
lily dispersed and went to Wilmington.
Newcastle, Delaware and Baltimore.
March to the Gallows.
The march to the gallows was begun at
$50 o'clock, and the condemned man as
cended the steps without tremor Sherin
Biddle asked him If he had anything to
say, and after shaking his head in the
negative he replied, Don't forget the let
ters,' meaning the missives to his mother
and sister Then looking toward the crowd
the doomed man espied a newspaper man
and said. with a bright smile on his face,
Goodbye, old man."(The reporter replied
with nod
After the black cap had been drawn over
Shippers face he said "Good-bye' to the
sheriff and the deputy. The sheriff, with a
culver. replied, Goodbye, old man." and
the deputy also bade the man farewell. SIM
pers then said in a firm voice, Give my
love to my mother" These were his last
words.
Sheriff Biddle cut the cord and the con-
demned man dropped to his death
The letters which he left to his mother
and sister read: October 90 1905 My
dear, beloved mother and sister I send you
this to let you know that I am perfectly
happy, for l have made my peace with God,
and hope and pray to Him that He Will
grant US that we may meet in heaven, and
l pray to Him to keep you from worry, and
that you may enjoy life in this world and
when we meet again there will be no sor-
row there. Amen" (Signed) From your
beloved son and brother.
The scafold was erected by Calvin Mitch
ell, aged seyenty-one years, who has per-
formed this grewsome task at every hang
ing in Cecil county since 1855