The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-03-25
NEGRO DIES
 ON GALLONS George Calhoun Hanged For Wife Murder. HANGING WAS PRIVATE Crowd of Morbid Persons Around Montgomery Jail. Condemned Man Made Customary Haransue of Doomed Negro Crim-
 final, Urging Ills Hearers
 to Lead Better Lives.

the penalty of his crime and was hung by the neck in the Montgomery County jail according to the sentence of Judge William H. Thomas of the criminal di- cry.
 At 11:22 o'clock Sheriff Waller pulled the trigger of the steel trap on which Calhoun was standing. His neck was broken by the fall and in eight minutes he was pronounced dead by attending surgeons.
 inally passed. provided that Calhoun should be executed between the hours intention of Sheriff W. R. Waller to give the negro every minute on earth possible. as there was much sympathy for the wretched man.
 Many Morbid Persons.
 The morbid curiosity of Montgom- erians, white and black, was practi- cally the cause of the execution before noon. As early as 9:30 o'clock yester- day morning country negroes and town negroes crowded Washington Street in front of the jail and although they knew there was no possibility of wit messing the hanging, they fingered there to get a glimpse of the unfortu- nate negro. The throng was joined by a number of white persons, seeking admission to the jail. Sheriff Waller had orders from the court to execute the sentence strictly in private and these orders he carried out. Requests were so frequent and so insistent, how ever. that the sheriff decided to go ahead with the execution before noon.
 Throughout the morning Calhoun had been in close conference with Rev. A. J. Stokes and number of other negro preachers in his cell adjoining the steel scaffold He had previously been baptized. He spent the morning in reading the Scriptures. praying, singing and exhorting.
 Calhoun slept but little Thursday night. Yesterday morning he was pro- vided with new suit of black clothes, a soft black shirt and black tie. His last breakfast was especially prepared for him.
 Negro Made a Speech.
 When the call came for him to leave his cell forever, Calhoun seemed per- fectly calm and reconciled to his fate. He was handcuffed by deputies and was led to an upstairs room facing Wash ington Street. where at his own re- quest he was allowed to address the people on the street below.
 Calhoun spoke for about ten minutes. While he was now evidently excited, his knees trembling perceptibly. his voice was firm and resonant. He gave the usual harangue of the doomed peace with the world and with his Maker. He knew his sins had been pardoned and that he would soon be in heaven. He pleaded with his friends to join him there.
 He advised the negroes to cease the practice of carrying concealed pistols or firearms of any kind. He denounced IL .A-- key drinking and told his hearers to work hard and study hard and to re- spect the law of the land.
 When he had concluded he signalized to the sheriff his readiness to proceed.
 The death procession was then formed. Two deputies mounted the scaffold. They were followed by Par son Stokes and two more deputies led the handcuffed negro up the steel steps.
 Calhoun's courage had failed him. He trembled violently and appeared to be almost in a state of collapse. On reaching the platform Parson Stokes read a passage from the Bible and invoked Divine forgiveness for the un- fortunate man.
 Ready on the scanold. Calhoun. at command, stepped for ward. The moose, with which Toney
 
 several months ago, was adjusted and the black cap was slipped over his head.
 We are ready" said Deputy Sheriff Nat Waller, who was on the platform. Are you ready?" George Calhoun was asked. A mufied reply was heard from beneath the black cap.
 Sheriff Waller pulled the trigger. The trap opened The body of George Calhoun shot through the opening. It fell five feet and stopped with a jerk. There was a kick of the legs. a culver of the body. And all was still.
 Dr. w. F. Sadler and Frank Caffey, negro physician, pronounced the ne- gro dead in eight minutes.
 A moan came from the crowd and a negro made his way to the body as 1t was let down by Deputies Waller and George Lamar. It was the brother of George Calhoun and he came to claim the body. According to instructions of the court and on request of Calhoun, the body was turned over to the negro.
 The execution certificate was signed by Sheriff Waller. Deputies N. N. Wal Ter, George Lamar, George Powell, M. McLemore, Justice of the Peace w. M. Browder and Drs. Sadler and Carey.
 History of the Crime.
 The crime for which Calhoun yester- day suffered the death penalty occurred on Christmas night of 1903 at the home of his wife's brother on the old Wire Road. Calhoun had been a hard work Ing railroad fireman in the employ of the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. He had the reputation of being a steady negro and an honest workman At the time of the tragedy he was employed by a blaming min.
 A few days before Christmas, he had been deserted by his wife. He brooded over this and Christmas day became in- toxicated. With intoxication came bloodthirstiness and on Christmas night he armed himself with a double barreled shotgun Proceeding to the home of his wife's brother, he gained admission and in the presence of an- other negro woman and a negro boy he threw his gun to his shoulder and emptied the contents of his gun into the body of his wife, Fannie Calhoun. She died instantly.
 Calhoun's blood was aroused. Crazed with drink, he turned the gun on the fleeing negroes and fired at each wounding the woman severely. He then fled down the Wire Road. Three negroes gave chase, but a couple of shots from the deadly weapon of Cal houn stopped them.
 Calhoun escaped, but was captured in New Orleans. brought back to Montgomery, condemned to die. and re- fused assistance by the Supreme Court and the Governor
 Sympathy for the negro was based