Evening journal., 1905-10-20


Stan Correspondent The Evening Journal.
Elkton. Md. oct. 2O.-with a smile ac-
tualy on his lips. John NJ Shippers. tho
young man convicted OF the murder OF
Albert Constable. sr. a prominent law
yer OF this town, was hanged in tho Cecn
county jail yard here this morning. The
drop fell at 9.53 o'clock during a drizzlinr
rain and in the presence of forty per-
sons. The execution was conducted sue
cessfully by Sheriff George c. Biddle.
The condemned man declared his inno-
cenoe up TO the very last. The Rev. Will
liam Schouier. rector OF Trinity Episco-
pal Church, OF Elkton. visited him In his
cell az nine O'Clock this morning and
again asked him II he wanted to make a
confession az the same time producing a
statement which he Cthe minister. mad
written out. The statement was to tho
effect that Shippers admitted the crime
when the young man was asked 10 sign
II ne refused and repeated his declara-
tion Of innocence.
The clergyman then kneit and prayed
Tor the soul OF Shippers. the latter also
knoellng beside the rector
Shippers wrote letters. which were iden-
teal. TO his mother and sister. the con-
tents OF which were given out after the
hanging.
HIS NECK WAS BROKEN
The body was cut down at 1890 o'clock.
death having been caused by a broken
neck. The remains will be buried in the
Shippers family lot az Cherry HIN. Cecil
county. Nd, tomorrow. the body being
taken in charge by Undertaken Clark S.
Grant. Of that place. and placed in an
ordinary dead box. The mother and sister
Of ths murderer and probably others viii
attend the interment. The services win be
conducted by the Rev. Mr. schouler.
The body was examined by Drs. w. ID.
Cawley and Arthur Mitchell. OF Elkton,
and r.. II. Darrah. Of Baltimore. They
stated that the victims heart had stop
ped beating twelve minutes after the drop
fell. No post mortem was held
Two hundred people stood outside OF
the Jail while the execution was being
conducted, but the only persons other
than those I'm the jail yard who saw the
hanging we're a couple OF boys who had
climbed tall trees overlooking the high
stone wall.
CONSTABLE FAMILY LEFT TOWN.
None of the members Of the family OF
the late Mr.. Constable was present at the
execution. At the request OF the widow OF
the murdered man. they all left Elkton
for the day. including Mrs. Constable
herself The family dispersed and went
TO wilmington, New Castle and Balti-
more.
The march to the gailows was begun at
$50 o'clock Shippers. who had been hand
-
Biddle and Deputy Sheriff McAllister the
officials linking arms with the prisoner.
The Rev. Mr.. schouler walked beside the
deputy sheriff.
When the gallows was reached. the
preacher dropped back and shippers ana
the two officials mounted it. The con-
demned man ascended the steps without
a tremor. sherin Biddle asked him il he
had anything TO say and after shaking his
head in the negative. Shippers said:
Don't forget the letters" Cmeaning the
missives to his mother and sister).
SMILED ON THE sCAFFoLD.
Then looking toward the crowd the
. doomed man espied a newspaper man who
had spent several hours with him last
evening and said with bright smile on
c his face: Goodbye, old man." The re-
y porter replied with a nod.
The sheriff adjusted the moose and after
j. the black cap had been drawn over Sim
pers face he said: Good bye" to the
sheriff and the deputy. The sheriff. with
q a culver. replied: Goodbye. old man."
n and the deputy also bid the man farewell.
Z. Shippers then said in firm voice: Give
f my love to my mother" These were his
r last words.
y Sheriff Biddle. at this juncture, cut the
cord with a new hatchet and the con-
: demned man dropped to his death. He
q was hanged with a half-inch hempen
"a rope.
CONTINUED on Page Five.)
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