Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1905-07-21
patch with which the unpleasant duty

/ USTtAkSF u. AlDeEt Auatus ANA AhNSA-
| ment in the colored cemetery outside
of Annapolis, where it will rest.
In addition to the unusual crowd in
| the Jail yard, the houses in the neigh
| borhood overlooking the Jail yard
we're filled with curious ne rsons. Gran
| ing their necks TO get glimpse of the
gruesome sight. Calvert street. from
the corner of Northwest street 60 a
point some yards above the Jail in the
other direction. was packed with n
| crowd, composed largely of members
| of the murderer S own race.
Among those who witnessed the
| hanging were q party of ladies, friends
of one of the Jail officials. who came
| to Annapolis from theiI county home
/ this morning for the purpose. They
were given a place of vantage, view
| ing the execution from window In
| the end of the second story corridor.
From here they had good view and
were only few feet from the mur-
derer' head rs he stood on the trap of
| the scaffold. Detective James Arm
strong. of Baltimore, who assisted in
| the capture of Leazer, Immediately
after the crime. was also present.
The hanging was also witnessed by
q famous character and we'll known en-
thusiast on the subject of executions,
who has witnessed every hanging IN
this state and nearby ones for years.
This was Mr.. George Mantz, of Balti-
more, VINO after today's hanging, tai
lied up to No. 4S on his list of exeeu-
tions Witnessed. He has been attend
ing hangings for years and has wit
messed nearly every important exeou-
tion in this section of the country for
years, including the hanging of Guiteau
the murderer of President Garfield.
From all of these he has gathered a
souvenir. and today he took portion
of the gallows step to add TO his col
lection So far as is known this was
the only act of this kind at the hang
ing, Sheriff Hardy taking care that
the rope was not cut or any raid made
by souvenir seekers.
Some of the former executions in
Anne Arundel county were:
Ernest Forbes. executed April 3, 1891
Robert Wyatt, executed July q,
1900.
"Froggy" Johnson was to have been
executed January Is. 1901, but was
reprieved at the last moment and sen
tence commuted to life imprisonment.
Julius, alias Tots Cooper, execut-
eel January u, 1910.
This is the first time in the history
of Annapolis that there have been two
hangings in less than six months, IL is
an unusual coincidence.
HISTORY OF THE CRIME.
The murder of Patrolman John G..
McNamara, for which Leazer today
paid the full penalty demanded by
law, was most brutal and entirely
unprovoked one, growing out of the
propensity of members of the muir
derer's race for carrying concealed
weapons.
On the night of March 81. last. Lea
ger. who was thea employed at the
plant of the Maryland Car Works at
Curtis Bay, with a number of other
negroes, was stealing coal from cars on
the Fairfield siding of the baltimore
and Ohio Railroad. In company with
John Leazer. David Horah and Will
lam Harris, three colored men, Lea
ger was returning to his home, each
with a bag of stolen coal on his shoul-
der. McNamara, who was member
of the Fairfield police force, came mp
with and attempted to arrest Leazer,
while the other three negroes hid be-
hind tree.
According to the testimony OF his
companions, Leazer had previously
indicated that he had pistol and that
he would shoot anyone who attempted
to arrest him or interfere with him IN
any way. Upon being placed under
arrest he went few steps with the
officer and then drawing a 3S-calibre
revolver from his pocket fired upon
Mcnamara. The ball entered the Off
GERS right breast, causing instant
death. A search was at once started
and number of suspects were rounded
up in the Central Police Station in
Baltimore by the Curtis Bay police
and Sheriff Hardy, Deputy Sheriff
Bryan and Chief George Hahn, of the
local police force.
Leazer was captured two days after
the crime upon the statements of Ed
ward Harris, who had met The mur-
derer shortly after the coal stealing.
At first LeaZer protested that he knew
anyEing whatever of the shooting. but
later broke down and confessed. say
ing that the shooting was entirely ac-
cidental. This plea he stood by when
ON the witness stand during his trial.
Excitement was intense Immediately
after the murder, and for this reason
the authorities. fearing a lynchinR.
kept the accused man in the Central
Police Station in Baltimore. He was
brought TO this city for hearing on
March 20, and was then given a pre-
| liminary hearing by Justice John N.
| Davis, in the Anne Arundel county
| Jail, where he was executed today.
LeaZer was then returned 70 Balti-
more, where he remained until April
/ is. on which date he was formally
arraigned before the Circuit Court for
/ Anne Arundel county. He entered a
| plea of not guilty and was remanded
| To Baltimore Jail until April n, which
/ day was set for his trial. The trial
/ occupied two days, but the verdict was
| practically foregone conclusion, SO
| damaging had been the testimony OF
| all the witnesses. States Attorney
| Nicholas ii. Green conducted the
prosecution, while Leazerwas defended
| by Ephriem Jackson, Of Baltimore,
and George l.. Pendleton, Of this city,
both colored. The court was out only
about an hour and late in the after.
noon of April % returned verdict Of
murder in the first degree. On Friday.
| MAY ), the condemned murderer was
brought into court and sentenced. the
sentence of the court being passe1 by
Chief Judge l. Thomas Jones. The fol
lowing week Governor Warield SCI
Friday. July q, as the date for th'
execution.
| Since that time Leazer has been con
fined in Murderer IS Row, in the thir,
tier Of cells in the county jail. He ha
been a good prisoner, causing little
trouble and seeming to want but little