The Paducah sun. [volume] (Paducah, Ky.) 1898-1906, 1906-04-09

case on record where a hanging was
delayed to let the condemned man
make a two hour speech and also
stayed that he could then eat his din
ner. The facts are more fully told in
a Danville, Ark, telegram, along
with the conviction of the man and
his crime. as follows:
81. w. Inee, twice sentenced to die
on the gallows for the murder of his
wife and three children near White
ly last spring was Wednesday execut-
ed. The news had spread that Ince in
tended to make speech on the gal
lows and the largest crowd in the
history of Danvllle was present to
hear what he might say.
'He was led to the gallows short
ly before IL O'Clock and talked in
rambling sort of way till after l
o'clock. He stated among other
things he was prepared and was glad
the governor had refused tocommute
the death sentence to life imprison-
ment, because all that he had dear
on earth, his wife, and three babies,
were gone. and there was nothing
left to live for.
"He said he could not tell why he
had committed such horrible crime
then spoke feelingly of how well he
loved his wife and children and said
some evil influence had hold of him,
which he could not resist.
''Ince appeared to be in the very
best of spirits, and occasionally smil-
ed broadly at some seeming hit
which he had made in the course OF
his speech. During his speech he re
ferred to the political situation in
Arkansas.
after concluding his speech lnce
requested that he be permitted to eat
dinner before he died, and Sheriff
Briggs took him back to the jail, ad-
joining the stockade, and gave him
his dinner, which he heartily ate, as
IL nothing was wrong, After eating
dinner, he was taken again to the
gallows, and at 1880 o'clock the
blackcap was adjusted and he was
hanged without a hitch.
"Ince will be buried in the ceme-
buried beside his wife and children,
terry at Danville. He requested to We
but this request could not be grant
ed on account of objections from her
relatives, and during his speech on
the gallows he said he regretted this
very much.
"The crime for which Ince was
hanged is without parallel in the
criminal records of Arkansas. On
the night of March 5, 1905, in his
home, near Whitely,Ye county.with
an AK Ince split the skulls OF his
sleeping wife and three children, the
latter ranging in age from 4 months
to four years, killing them instantly.
The crime was not discovered until
the next morning. Meanwhile lnce
walked to Danville, distance OF IL
miles. and told the authorities of the
murder. He was taken to the scene
of the deed, and he then admitted
his guilt. but gave no explanation OF
his brutal act.
"Great Indignation was caused by
the quadruple murder. and after
Ince was taken into custody and pla-
ced in Jail at Danville. there was
much talk of lynching him. A spe-
cial tern of circuit court was speedi-
" called, however. and Ince was in
dicted and tried at Danville within
three weeks after the commission oil
the crime. A plea of insanity was pre-
sented in his behalf and expert testi-
mony was adduced along this line.
"In the opinion OF the jury, how
ever, Ince was sane when he COM
mitted the crime, and he was convic-
ted and sentenced to be hanged on
NAV A. His attorneys then took an
appeal to the supreme court and that
tribunal remanded the case for new
trial and a further inquiry into the
question of sanity.
"Ince was kept in the Danvilie jail
and came near escaping twice. pend
;ra h,s anpeal to the supreme court.