The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1906-09-04
WAS DROPPED
INTO ETERNITY
Bob Cotton Was Executed
at Noon TOday-Made a
Full Confession.

Robert Cotton, colored, was hanged
in the federal Jail here at noon today
for the murder of his wife, Cynthia,
near Wan the night of August 8, 1905.
Contrary to whaU was feared yester-
day Cotton did not collapse, but was
able to walk with fair degree Of
composure frem his cell to the scat
fold and up the steps to the trap.
1t was shortly before noon that the
little procession of which the negro
was the central figure descended the
steps from the cell in Which, Cotton
had spent his last days and proceed
ed down the corridor of the dollhouse
between the line of gaping prisoners
to the south corridor where the scat
fold stood, SO placed that the prison
ers in their cells were unable to see it.
Some thirty-five witnesses we're
crowded in the space to the east Of
the scaffold,
Cotton slowly mounted the steps to
the scaffold, supported by guards. AS
he reached the top he exclaimed,
''Jesus, save me-" He knelt while
Rev. Hawkins, the colored pastor, en-
gagged in a fervent prayer that lasted
several minutes. Then, as Cotton
rose to his feet and while the moose
was being adjusted and the black cap
was being put on, he kept repeating,
Lord. have mercy. ? Tins exclacaa,
Uion was onhis lips when the trap was
sprung at 1906. His neck was broken
by the fall, aud within six minutes
he had been pronounced dead by the
doctors present and lowered into the
waiting coffin.
The body was taken in charge by
the A. M. e. church, where services
were held this afternoon, after which
the body was inferred in the city
cemetery.
Yesterday Cotton made confession
to Rev. Mr.. Hawkins of the A. VI E.
church in which he gave what he
claimed to be the exact truth of the
tragedy, told in the full knowledge
that within twenty-four hours he
must die. The confession was written
out by Mr.. Hawkins at Cotton's dicta-
tion. Many of the details are revolt
ing and unprintable, but, purged Of
the worst, his story is as follows:
"My wifes name was Cynthia Cot
ton. / went in the room where she
was. / carried my knife and laid it
on the bed" They Quarreled, but
Cotton struck her over the head
several times and forced her to submit.
81 mentioned to her about Mcdonald,
the way she was doing with him. She
denied having anything to do with
him. She said to me, You told me
you would not treat me this way. II
said to her, i am going to kill you.
She began to plead and beg and said,
Mr. Cotton, 1 love you
sThen 1 reached and got the knife
of the trunk. It was already open.
1 tried to cut her throat in the bed
until the bed broke down. She got
the knife some way or other and it
got tangled in the bedclothes. did
not cut her while we were on the bed,
that l know of. We got out Of the
bed and got to the door and scuffied
at the foot Of the bed. Then 1 stab
bed her IN the neck. 1 don't know
1 cut her any more while she
was in that room or not.
I'VE got out of that room into the
big room. I cut her once while we
were there. I don't know how many
times 1 did cut her, but I know I cut
her once. We we're all tangled up in
there. My little boy Wisdom came
and was standing at my side, and I
said, Don't. papa. I did not stop.
but she got loose from me and went
in the room where we first started the
row and out the back door.
"She run and fell at the corner Of
the smokehouse. I cut her throat
there. Then she ran through the
yate. She stumbled over stump and 2