The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1905-01-07
ED GAMMONS MUST HANG
FOR DOUBLE MUROER.

'SUPhEMF COURT RAFFIRMS THE
DEATH SENTENCE OF LOWER
COURT "B7oKE DOWN. AND
WEFT BITTERLY IN HIS CELL
WHEN TOLD OF THE DECISION
4 HISTORY OF THE CRIME.
-, 81
Ed. Glmmons, the Yaliowbusha
county double murderer, convicted Of
killing his sweetheart, Miss Fanny Kim
sey, and her father, Jacob KImsey, broke
down and cried Monday afternoon when
told that the Supreme Court had az.
frmed his sentence and fixed the date Of
execution tor Saturday, February iith.
Gammons has been confined in the
jackson Jail ever since his conviction
in the circuit court Of Yallobusaa county.
For several weeks he has been feeling
blue and respondent, and evidently en-
tertained very little nope OF securing
reversal from the Supreme Court. But
the news was depressing, nevertheless,
and he wept bitterly for several minutes.
The crime for which Gammons was
convicted was one of the most atrocious
and cold-blooded in the history OF the
State. The young mamie Is hardly
more than twenty-s six years OF age was
born and reared near Water Valley. A
year or SO ago he became deeply iniatu-
ated with Miss Fannie Kimsey, the at
tractive daughter Of prosperous farmer
living near that place. Gammons had
been employed in the Illinois Central
shops at Water Valley, and the father
OF the girl, having heard several stories
to the discredit OF the young man, dis
couraged his attentions to the girl and
finally forbade him to call on her.
| After brooding over his love affairs
for several days Gammons borrowed a
shot gun one morning and started of
for the Kimsey residence. In the field
he met Jacob Kimsey, who was powing.
What passed between the father OF the
girl and her suitor will never be known,
as there were no eye witnesses, and the
story told by Gammons is very much
garbled. The result, however, was the
killing of Kimsey; Gammons shot him
twice with double-barreled shotgun
and five times with revolver. The con-
demned man acknowledges that after ne
had fired the shotgun twice Kimsey ex-
claimed "Ed, don't kill mel | have
done nothing to be killed forl"
After completing this bloody work
Gammons again mounted HIS horse and
+rode to the Kimsey residence. lie en-
tered the house and appeared few mo-
ments later dragging Miss Kimsey by
the arm. The girl was crying bitterly,
Gammons having told her OF the murder
OF her father, and was trying to per-
suade her to leave the country with him,
which she refused TO do. He dragged
the girl distance Of about fifty yards
from the house, and passerby, who at
tempted to interfere, was threatened
with death by Gammons and promptly
disappeared. Miss Kimsey finally sue
ceeded in elG4ing the grasp Of her cap
tor and started to run, whereupon Cam
mons fired three lines, the charges TAX
ing effect in her back, and death re-
suited instantly.
Gammons succeeded in eluding tho
sheriff's posse for about twenty-four
hours, but was finally captured at the
home OF his uncle in Pontotoc county
and brought to Jackson to escape mob
violence. AT the Yalabusha county cir
cult court term, when the case was
called for trial, his attorneys based their
chief defense on the insanity plea,
claiming that the prisoner was unbal-
anced from smoking TOO many cigar
cites; that he had an aunt who had
twice been confined in the Scate insane
hospital that he was addicted with a
prediction for shooting at dogs, cats,
negro cabins, sign boards, ETC., and was
| III kcu6idi utSui ibhhiAou oOoVS VI AhOh-
tality. The evidence supporting this
plea, however, was fragmentary and in
conclusive, and Gammons WAS sentenced
70 death.
Associate Justice Truly read the opin-
ion Of the court affirming the death sem
tence, and it was lengthy and mastery
deliverance, the chief points involved
being based on suggestions Of error re-
garding. combetency Of certain jurors,
who, it was alleged, had previously ex-
pressed opinions concerning the case.
After setting forth the opinion OF the
court on essential qualifications for jur-
ors In criminal cases, Justice Truly fixed
the date OF execution for the 1lth 0,
February. An appeal for Communication
will probably be made to the Governor
by the counsel for Gammons. The
prisoner has not been in good health for
several months.
An Alphabetical Tale.
1