The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-02-17
HANGED AT CHARLOTTS-
WILLIE FRIDAY.
Told Spiritual Advisers That
he Killed His Wife Under
Evil Power-Famous Trial
and Subsequent Efforts to
Have Death Sentence Com
muted.

ginia, was hanged in the county
Jail there, at 1874 o'clock Friday
morning last, the 9th inst, for
the murder af his wife, Fannie
NJ. McCue, on the night of Sun
day, Septem Der 4, 1904. McCue
was pronounced dead Is minutes
after the trap had been sprung.
His neck was not broken, death
resulting from strangulation.
Immediately after the execu
ton McCue's three spiritual ad
viSerS gave out the following
signed statements:
81. Samuel McCue stated in
our presence aud requested us to
make public that he did not wish
to leave this world with suspic-
ion resting on any human being
other than himself; that he alone
was responsible for the deed. i'm
PEELED to an evil power beyond
his control, and that he recog-
nized his sentence as just"
The death warrant was read to
the prisoner in his cell by City
Sergeant G. w. Rogers at 40
o'clock and went to the scaffold
Immediately afterward. He asked
permission to leave his coat be-
hind, and went from his cell in
his shirt sleeves. His step was
firm, and not culver of muscle
was to be seen in his body.
McCue listened calmly TO the
death warrant. On the way to
the scaffold be stumbled once or
twice, and the officers proffered
assistance. 1t was not needed,
however. There was no weak
ness. McCue had merely slipped
on the frozen snow.
Watched by a silent crowd of
perhaps 30 people, McCue mount
ed the scaffuld. Not a muscle of
his face moved. Rogers aud two
guards assembled the Scaffold with
him. The prisoner was placed
over the trap, his arms were pm,
Toned and his ankles strapped. The
black gown was folded around
him and the moose was adjusted.
Before he placed the rope
about McCue's neck, Sergeant
Rogers put his arm over the CON
demned mans shoulders and wits.
pered something to McCue. Then
everything was ready. Mr.. Rogers
again spoke to him, asking him
if he had any statement to make.
"NOne at ALL" was his answer.
All this while McCue stood
without moving. The hope that
he might make some statement
before he died finally passed
away. The cowl dropped over
his head and he had seen the last
of the world.
In order to thwart the curiosity
of the mOrbidly inclined, the
Sheriff kept secret the time of
the execution.
The victim of the above trag-
edy and his murdered wife were
among the most prominent people
of Virginia, and it is seldom that
one so well born and so success
iul i'll life, is tried at the bar as a
murderer.
SO much feeling was engen-
dered at the time and so con
WINGED were the people of that
TOWN. and the entire State of
McCue's guilt, that the case was
widely read and great interest
manifested.
Another feature of the case was
that McCue was heavily insured
aud many thought powerful intiu
ences were at work to save his
life if possible. If they were
tried they were unsuccessful.
The confession made by Nc
Cue before his death certainly
justifies the jury, judges and
general public.
The McCue murder has been
one of the most sensational in
the criminal records of Vir
ginia. For years one of the lead
ing attorneys at the local bar
aud twice elected Mayor of Char
louisville, James Samuel McCue
was one of the most prominent
men ever tried for his life in the
Old Dominion.
Mrs. Fannie Nj. McCue was
murdered in the pretty McCue
home in the residential section
of Charlottesville on Sunday night,
September 4, last. She had been
to church and had just returned
with her husband from the even !.
ing service when she was killed.
McCue and a negro stable boy
were the only persons in the
house. DIR. McCue, the brother of
the former mayor, was one of the
first to reach the scene. He found
the ex-mayOr in a semidazed con
dition, and bleeding from a
wound on the face. McCue stated
| that burglar had attacked his
vile and wien the husband went
to defend her had struck him in