The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-03-10
WILL STOUDENM|RE
HANGED IN AUTAUGA
Was First Execution in County
Since Civil War
KILLED HIS FATHER-lN-LAW
The Case Was Passed Upon BY the
Supreme Court, and the Governor
Declined at the Last Mo-
ment to Interfere.
KILLED HIS FATHER-lN-LAW

Prattvine, March Especial --Win
staudenmire. a negro. was hanged here
today for the murder OF his father-in-law.
Lin AIeBrill in 1904:
This is the first hanging in Autauga
county for forty years. The only hanging
In the country prior to this was that of
white man before the civil war.
After strenuous efforts on the part of
some good citizens to save Stoudenmire
from the gallows Governor jerks wired
to Sheriff MeWiliams late yesterday at
ternoon to let the sentence of the law be
| executed There was no general move
in his behalf but quite a few prominent
citizens Interested themselves in having
the sentence of death committed to life
Imprisonment. But trial Judge l.. Brewer
refused to recommend any change in the
sentence of the court and the governor
accordingly let the sentence of the lower
court and affirmed by the supreme court
stand.
VIII Stoudenmlre, who was today hang
ed in the new Jail of Autauga county, was
tried at the spring term of the circuit
court in 1905 on an indictment charging
murder IN the first degree for killing Sim
Mcbride fatherAin-law to the condemned
man, some time during the previous year,
1904. The jury gave a patient trial and re-
turned a verdict of guilt of murder in the
first degree and awarded the death sem
tence which was passed on the condemned
man for June % last year. The attorneys
for the defendant carried the case to the
supreme court and the case was affirmed
last January and the 9th day of March
set for his execution. His friends had
hopes of saving him from the gallows un-
til late yesterday afternoon when the
governors message came
The condemned man appeared to have
rested well last night and this morning
received several callers and talked very
freely concerning his own execution lie
said he was ready to die, that he had
made peace with the Almighty, that he
felt when he crossed over the river there
would be a man there to meet him. While
his friends have urged his weak mind as
a reason for committing the death sem
tence his calm and serene mood has inl-
pressed those who have talked with him
as having about as much sense as the
average negro. Ill ldihluB VI hht oNetNiA
of the murdered man Sim Mcbride the
condemned man said that was the way
he had to die and that the Almighty did
not hold him responsible for this killing.
and that he himself would die today as
the Almighty intended he should lie
referred to his wife and six children,
saying the Lord would take care of them
in some way.
At noon today the condemned man was
placed in the transfer al the old jail where
he has been confined for one year and
was driven to the new Jail, a block away.
where the new galows had been recently
finished. among a crowd of perhaps two
hundred people. mostly boys and negroes.
The new trap was sprung by Deputy
Sheriff MILAN Mccain, Sheriff G. A. Nc
Williams being confined to his home sick.
Chief deputy Mccain was assisted by
six other reputies The condemned man
was attended by the Rev. G. A. May,
pastor of the A. NJ, f. Zion church of
this place as his spiritual adviser, and at
the request of the condemned man sang
two verses of the song, 81 heard the voice
of Jesus say come unto me and rest.
The prisoner in clear musical voice
joined in the song. Deputy Wiley Bridges
adjusted the moose and black cap Chief
Deputy Mccain pulled the trigger and
the prisoner was dead in fourteen minutes,
according to DR.. NJ. d. Smith and DIR. ].
f. Wilkinson. Although his neck was not
broken he died without a struggle. The
body was taken down and delivered to his
aged father for burial.