davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1906-03-30

When last seen in this city Mr.
Taylor was in his buggy and had
turned into the street which led 10
the Boyce road This was about .
O'Clock in the afternoon He was then
going in the opposite direction 70
his home. and the object he had in
view when starting on this trip which
had such a tragic ending will never
be known. He was seen going east
on the Boyce road by a number of
farmers who lived on that highway.
He was then by himself There had
been a rain the day before and a
AkhI shower had fallen that day
about noon. resulting in the roads
being quite muddy in places. Where
the road was not too heavy Taylor
was observed driving in a trot The
last time he was seen going in an
easterly direction he was passing the
house Of Win Keplinger about three
miles from Waxahachie 4 few
minutes later he turned and started
back toward town When he re-
The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1906-03-30

He died about o the next morning
He never uttered word Was not
conscious al any time think one
finger was cut another broken
On cross examination Or. Stacey
gave It as his opinion that one blow
produced the fracture of the skull
Did not think such wound could
have been caused by man falling
out of buggy and striking his head
against the wheel or axle.
The testimony given by Or G. w.
Simpson was practically the same AZ
that of Or Stacey He testified thar
both layers of the skull were frac-
tured and mashed in This wound
was sufficient to produce death.
Several other witnesses testified TO
facts of minor Importance connected
with the case, but all intending to
identify Johnson with the crime The
finding of Taylor's hat and the club
with which he was assaulted and the
discovery OF Johnson's coat in the
murdered mans buggy We're recited
in detail by officers
VIII keplinger. who then lived
about three miles east of Waxahachie.
came to his house the morning of
July 3 and applied for work He gave
Johnson employment at chopping
cotton and he worked part of that
day. The last time he saw johnson
was between 3 and 4 o'clock of that
afternoon
J. A. Brock and j. D. Duke, farm
ers who live on the road between
WaXahachie and the Keplinger place.
testified to seeing TAYLOR pass their
homes the afternoon of July 8, go
ing toward Boyce. Later they saw
him returning 10 WaXahachie and a
negro was in the buggy with him
The negro was sitting on the right
side of the vehicle and was driving.
He was in his shirt sleeves. Wit
nesses said the defendant filled the
description of the negro in the buggy
with Taylor
The first witness of the most i'm
portance placed on the stand by the
state was Andy Taylor, colored, who
lives on East Jefferson street, near
the city limits, Taylor was at home
late in the afternoon of July 8. and
saw Taylor and the negro pass his
house in a buggy. His testimony in
part was as follows:
My house is just across the Cen
tral switch on the OUT edge of town.
saw the defendant that day He
was in buggy with a white man.
never saw the white man any more.
They We're in buggy and were driv-
ing bay horse. There was top to
the buggy. They were going east and
the negro was driving The negro
was in his shirt sleeves. He ha -Aon
black shirt and a black ha
saw him again after that i SAD
in an alley as he was comip -
toward town. He was the seX -
saw in the buggy with the white
man He had bottle in his hand
la had something in it chat looked
like whiskey. He was walking fast:
was going north | saw him next day
at the sheriffs office. The white
man looked like he was drunk.
Bill TAYLOR. colored. lives Just out
side the city limits. He knew J. II
The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1906-03-30

! credence is given the negros story
concerning the whiskey According TO
| the evidence adduced in the trial sew
| eral parties saw Taylor and the negro
| in the buggy together They were
coming toward Waxahachie and the
negro was driving The negro was
sitting on the right side of the bug
gy and where the road was not mud
dy he drove the horse in a trot
Negroes who reside at the head Of
East Jefferson street saw the two
pass through that section of the CITY
and turn down the Ennis road A
white woman who lived in that part
of The city testified in the trial that
the buggy was stopped almost in
front of her house She was sitting
on her front porch. She observed
that the buggy contained a white
man and a negro The negro was
driving, She heard the white man
pleading with the negro to bring him
to town and saw him try to wrest the
lines from the negrO's hands. She
heard the negro say. II am not
through with you yet; You will &c
With me- The negro then applief
lhe whip to the horse and continued
in the direction of Ennis. After pass
ing the house of Bill Taylor, colorcd.
the two We're not seen together again
II was then between ) and o'clock
in the afternoon The next time
Johnson was seen he was in Freed
man, fleeing from the scene of his
crime. Facts which developed after
his arrest indicate that when John
10. al.
lor S house he was still driving. Soon
after passing the home OF W A.
Briggs a long locust stick was seen
lying near the road by Johnson The
buggy was stopped and Johnson got
! out to pick up the stick Placing it
( in the vehicle he resumed his seat
/ and continued on his maliciously
J planned errand. Just after crossing
a bridge about two and half miles
| from town Johnson again alighted
from the buggy. this time on pre-
/ text of cleaning mud out OF the
I wheels. This was only a ruse. and
| passing around the vehicle he struck
| Taylor a terrific blow on the fore.
/ head just above the left temple
(, which crushed the skull in "a fright.
\ tul manner Two Iicks We're struck
but the first was delivered with fore,
enough 10 render the victim OF the
uegrO's assault limp and unconscious
Il AFTER yObbing The seusclcss man of
aN his money with The exception uf
one silver dollar. Johnson folded M,
lines across the horses back. tool
"a bottle of whissey from thp bugg
and fled from The scene of his iIend
isb assault upon defsuscle-s old
man. whom hr 'rfr for dead
The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1906-03-30

! Never in the history Of the courts
OF Ellis county was more intense pub
! hc interest displayed in criminal
/ TRIAL than was shown in the case Of
/ The state against Albert Johnson
r. is was also the first time in the
/ history Of he county when a criminal
twice arraigned before the bar
"a justice at one term of court for
! al on the same offense During
tie two trials. which were only a
- days apart, the district court
I @oifi Was crowded with spectators.
j OF whom listened intently TO an
ray OF witnesses detail before the
| Y he facts and circumstances con-
! eeung the defendant with one of
the most atrocious crimes ever COM
] mitted in the county
! Johnson was indicted by the grand
! jury on October 49, Four DAYS later
his case was set down for trial on
November /, and a special venire of
SIXTY men ordered summoned from
which to select the jury
The trial of Johnson began at 10
O'Clock Wednesday morning, Novem-
Der l. Very little trouble was eX-
perienced in selecting a jury and by
go in the afternoon of the first day
the last juror had been sworn in
y large number of witnesses We're
on hand to testify in the case. all
| OF whom had been summoned by the
| state. The defendant had no wit
| nesses, but went on the stand in his
| own behalf.
| The first witness called was Al
| | vim NcManus, who testified TO the
| 4 AL,
| Taylor in the road a short distance
east of Waxahachie The witness de-
i scribed The position in which the vic
tim of Iohnson's assault was sitting
in his buggy. that he was uncon-
scious and that there was blood on
, the mans face and head
VIII KENNEDY who was with
the rit~t witness when TAYLOR
was found. next TOOK the stand
. hi, testimony was iu line with
, iir Ihoughl be- saw TWO knots
ou Taylor's head ana three was
blood ou hc laff side OF his head
. The witness spoke to the injured man
several times aud hs>appareutly tried
to speak. but groan WAS the only
response Nf Kennedy observed
that me lines bad been folded across
fh" horses back
g. T.. Davis testified to briuglus
, ihe Injured mau to town aud placing
hlm in charge ot physicians.
br Ii % Stacey testified in pbI
a. follow.
am physician Na. u towu
au iaIs knpa q "a Tayiof. Saw
H.W tha. dat hstWten and e
The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1906-03-30
Tii, Family Notified.

When il became apparent that Mr..
TayIor's condition Was critical and
that there was no chance for his re-
covery efforts were made 20 commu-
nicate this intelligence 10 his family
A neighbor who lived mile or two
from them was found 10 have tel
ephone. and he kindly consented to
convey 20 the family the news OF Mr.
raylors condition. Three sons ar
rived late IN the night, and ali pres
The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1906-03-30
| somewhat abated.

had somewhat abated
He was brought back TO Waxa-
hachie few weeks before the burn
ing OF Steve Davis near Maloney
While preparations for dispatchins
Davis We're being made there were
more threats of lynching John
son. Sheriff Minnick was APP
pTlsed of the threats by tel
ephone and that night Johnson
was again transferred to the Corsi-
cana jail. He was not returned to
axahachie until few days before
district court convened the fourth
Monday in September.
The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1906-03-30

After nearly three DAYS were
consumed and three special We
hires of one hundred men
each were exhausted the follow
ing jury was secured which as I
sessed the death penalty against 4
Johnson
A. r. Rosson. Milford
J w Larkin. Midlothian
r. II Floyd, Ennis I
NJ j. Delk. Saralvo.
X A Workman. Waxahachie
a NJ Roberts, Grandview.
\, b. Pittman, Ennis
j B. Wright, Ennis
w. w. Smith, Howard
w r. Woods, Howard. 4
G. n. McAlister, Waxahachie.
r. Reidenbach, Bardwel. I
4 q q q q 4 a 4 4 4 a a a a a a 4
The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1906-03-30

Threats ~ iayusf1iag
when he fact became known that
an arTasi bad isssu made ia connee-
lion wiJh the death of ] II TAYLOR
feeling became intense and public
Indignation ran hiEh The crime
waa condemned in strong terms and
threats Of lynehing Johnson were
openly made Little groups Of men
could b. setsn on the streets that day
and The orninons manner of their con
yegss}ion indicated that they meant
business When night came an ef-
f9ft WIS made 20 form a mob for the
purpose ~ taking Johnson from the
jail and dealing ont summar. justice
"a him but the attack on the prison
was abandoned after the crowd had
reached the public square, Sheriff
Minnick and all his deputies were on
guard az the jail determined TO pro-
tect the prisoner as far as was in
their power The next day Johnson
was removed TO the jail at Corsicana
where he remained until the feeling
The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1906-03-30

chased several small articles la
'sf 10 tb@ Highf h. visited stores up
town ana made = tew purchases
y hfrh included a white sasrl Tie
sl~sns the Night al Charley Miller
aud ~hen arrested by Deputy Sheriff
Forbes The naxt morning he was
spending more ~ his ill gotten money
~ Durham DRY goods store
The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1906-03-30

8 We. III jury. fsaa the defend Z
. ant. Albert Johnson, guilty OF Z
. murder in the first degree and 4
. affit his punishment at death Z
Q A f. RoSson. foreman. Z
. . . Q . Q . . . . . . . . 4
The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1906-03-30

e1si club These we're also offered
- evidence and were fitted on the
s'lck ia the presence III The tury
The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1906-03-30

wzs drinking WHEN killed
, Mr. Tayius. bat knew what |
, was doing NAiskey was not
responsible FOR the crime. II
, Was desire TO have his money
Albert Johnson
The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1906-03-30
The First Jury,

After being out three days 4
and nights the jury selected TO
decide the fate OF Albert John 4
son In his first trial failed to 4
agree upon verdict and was 4
, discharged The jury was hung 4
by one man who wanted To as 4
sess the defendants punishment 4
al a life term in the peni- 4
} tertiary The list is as follows.
r. G. kearse, Italy.
j. A Storey, Ennis 4
j. b. Cheatham. Italy. 4
r. \ Couch, Waxahachie. 4
]. IL Mathis. Waxahachie. 4
T. L. Futch. Italy.
j. T. Murphy. Italy. 4
, c. A. Miller. Waxahaehie.
], ~ Thomas, Bardwell. 4
W II. Davis, Waxahachie. 4
G. w Lintop, Waxahachie
r. W. Bryant, italy. 4
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-20

to their nostrils. Perhaps some of their
friends remains were In them Who
knows? What goes into sausage is known
to no one in the world, much less to two
silly, ignorant little pups like the ones sniff
fling the air and looking SO longingly at that
artistic string of sausages, so far above
their reach on the kitchen table.
''Norah, Norah," called the voice of the
mistress.
Yes, ma'am, I'm coming" answered
Norah. Before she left, however. Norah
turned her eye on the pups, and in ter
rible voice said:
"If ayther of you bastes touch them sau-
sages while I'm gone I'll cook ye for lunch
yourself"
This dreadful threat made Salt and Pep
per tremble in their boots, if they had them,
and Norah went upstairs leaving them alone
with their temptation.
You don't suppose that Salt and Pepper
were going to let such chance go by. do
you? They had determined from the min
ute their eyes had fallen on the sausages
that they were to be theirs somehow, any
way-hut how? That was the question.
At first they tried jumping up to the table,
but it was no use. Next they tried knock
ing the broom down, hoping that the han
die would shove the delicate morsels their
way 1t did not. Instead ii fell the other
direction, and the sausages remained mad
deningly near but hopeessly far away.
Breathless and almost discouraged the
two puppies sat down to think. This Is al
ways a good thing to do, even If one IS
puppy and supposed to be trifle foolish.
Salt was the quicker witted and usually the
leader in all sorts of mischief. This day
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-20
Tattooed Silt Walkers.

The first travellers who visited the Mar
quesas Islands lin the Pacific ocean, found
them peopled with magnificent race OF
athletes. Their clothes lasted until death.
for their costume was the skin with which
their Creator covered their bodies. These is
landers beautifully decorated themselves
with tattooing, from the crowns of their
heads to the tips of their toes. AS they are
an enormous race this was no small under
taking. Their chiefs were chosen on account
OF their size and several of them have
measured six feet ten inches in height.
These people are the greatest slit walkers
in the world. This seems strange, for they
are big enough without the aid of stills.
On stills they execute performances which
would drive the stilt-walking clown at the
New York hipprodrome out of his mind
with envy. On them they run races, jump,
dance, and a great mark of politeness in
the Islands is for one stilt-walking savage
to trip another one up. One should say
down, for the tripped person usually comes
down with a vengeance.
The stills the MarQuesans use are a little
different from those of our boys. In place
of straps, the block of the Marquesas silt
curves over so as to hold the foot more Sc
curely.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-20
In a Royal Nursery.

There are three little ones in the nursery
of the King and Queen of Italy. The ED
est child, Yoiande, is four years Old, her
sister, Mafalda, three, and the little heir
to the throne one year. The name of this
little chap is not at all in keeping with his
size but when one is heir to a throne he
must be burdened with a great number of
titles. This toddling baby is called Urn-
berto Hichola Tommaso Giovanni Maria
Prince of Piedmont
The children are ali pretty. and what IS
still better, not at all spoiled, for their
mother, Queen Elena, is very wise She
says 1t is very hard to keep the children
good and loving, for people give them such
mechanical toys which they could not ap-
preciate. One thing which would seem
rather funny is that the present they liked
the best Of all is a rag doll which was
brought to them from America.
Prince Umberto has an English nurse so
he will learn to speak our language before
his own. He will thus be spared the trou-
BILE of learning without a troublesome
grammar. All the furniture in this royal
nursery was made by English workmen.
If any of you children should be taken by
your mothers to visit this queen you would
find her Just like any other motherhood
of talking of her children and OF asking
questions about you, whether you have
had the measles" or What grade you are
In in school," This is one reason why she IS
popular with all classes of people
When the little prince was born there was
great rejoicing at the summer castle near
Turin. The event was announced by the
ringing of bells at the town hall. and in
Rome salute of 101 guns was fired
The king issued various pardons on the
occasion and gave $500 eco to the working
people in honor of his little son. who, if he
lives, will some day be King of Italy.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-20
The ocuya or Giant Dance.

II you look on the map of Africa just be-
low the equator you will see the country
where the merry black Aponos live. They
are an honest, light headed set of savages
who for several months of the year do
nothing but dance. sing and drink palm
wine. When the season is over they settle
down to their ordinary pursuits. They
have many dances which would seem very
strange to an American girl or boy but
tie weirdest dance of all is performed upon
stills and is called ocuya or giant dance
The ocuya is an object made of wicker
work with an enormous head of wood. There
is no word hideous enough to describe the
ugliness OF this ocuya. 1t has outstretched
wooden arms and monkey skins form the
hair and beard, while a long skirt of grass
cloth hides the stiit-walker who places this
grotesque monster over himself. The arms
are kept outstretched, and thus eostumed
the dance proceeds, sometimes hundreds of
the Aponos taking part in it at once Amer
lean children, even those advanced enough
to have forgotten all about the hobgoblins
of their youth, would be terrorstruck at
meeting a single one of these ocuyas The
children of the Aponos don't mind them
Bit. They laugh and clap their hands at the
antics of the giant dancers with as much
merriment as you laugh at the wit of some
Punch and Judy show.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-20
The Patron Saint of Foot Ball Players.

Perhaps you boys who kick the foot bail
are not aware that you have patron saint
Well, you have one, nevertheless. If a story
is to be believed.
In the year 1920 at Lincoln, England,
there lived youth whose name was Hugh
who was a champion foot ball player or
his time, and met his death from kicking
foot ball through the open window of
Jews house An old verse describes this
deed as follows:
Four and twenty bonnie boys
Were playing at the ba',
And by it came him sweet Sir Hugh,
And he played DER them a.
He kicked the ba' with his right foot
And catched WI his knee,
And thlock and thro' the Jews window
He gard the bonnie ba' fee.
It seems that the Jew did not take the
same interest in the game that we do. He
or his daughter enticed the Sweet Sir
Hugh" into the house, ard, after the fash
ion of the day, cut him up with big knife.
After the crime was discovered Sweet Sir
Hugh" had a great funeral and he was
made a saint. According to the old story
or legend, miracles were performed at his
tomb"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-20

His brother had however. told Pepper that
all he had to do was 20 grab the sausages
when he reached the table and jump down
with them. These instructions sounded
very easy. Salt pressed the button and
Pepper was expected to do the rest. The
box was one known in the nursery as 4
"Jack-iu-the-bOX, and was a splendid
strong fellow He had cost so much money
that the baby's mother had sCoded the
babys father for his extravaganza when he
had brought it home to the baby a short
while before
When Jack bobbed up sereHely Pepper
rose at the same time. He was scared
almost to death at this unexpected happen
ing, but was quickly Gained when he saw
that he was actually on the Kitchen table
a few inches from the coveted SIuSages.
In an instant the string was on the floor
and Pepper beside it, Salt made a hasty
attack also, and then both pups did what
in the country is styled pitching in" They
gobbled and gulped and strangled in most
unhygienic fashion until not a Vestige of
the sausages was left.
When Norah returned she searched high
and low for the dainties She could not
blame Salt and Pepper for, they had been too
far beyond their reach. When she
searched for the rascals twho had had the
decency TO hide under the table, she had
no doubt of the thieves, Their stomach5
stuck out Ike POUCHES and Norah declared
that a sausage mounted on the end OF each
stubby tail Not having seen them | can
not say that Norah exaggerated, but j
can vouch for the statement that there
never were two sicker pups than Salt and
Pepper before many hours had passed.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-20

was exception. 4 smile came over his
face. and, bending over TO where Pepper
lay. he whispered:
i've got it. old fellow. Don't lose heart.
Where there's Will there's a way. Do
you see that object lying there?"
what ohject?' replied Pepper. Il don't
see anything but that box. I don't Ike that
box. anyway. The baby has already
scared me- To death with II twice and
never go near 1t II | can avoid It,
Well. you will have 20 do 50 now-that
is, IL you stili have any appetite for those
sausages"
The mention Of sausages spurred Pepper
on to inquire what plan Salt had thought OF
whereby the sausages could be transferred
from the table to the stomRchs OF two
greedy little dogs.
Salt did not waste any time I'm useless
conversation. He pushed the box = little
nearer the table and ordered Pepper to get
up on it. Pepper did so in fear and trem-
bling, but Salt encouraged him by telling
him that he should have an extra share
of the sausages when that happy time ar
rived.
Trembling as IL ne were standing on
lighted firecracker, Pepper mounted the IN
nocent box. At this time he had no idea
what his clever brother intended to do next.