Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-04-20
Buxton Murderer Pays the Pen
atty Of His Crime at
Noon Today
VICTIMS HUSBAND WAS THERE
e;annady Calmly Watches Shutting Out
of the Man Who Murdered His Wife
Smith Displays Remarkable Nerve
on the GaIIows-Jokes With the
Hangman.
Special to Times-Repubiican.

Special to Times Republican.
Fort Madison, April 20.-On the first
stroke of -, noon, today. Joseph c..
Smith, colored, paid the maximum
Penalty for the murder of Mrs. Mary
C'annady, also colored, of Buxton, Iowa,
while r. c. Cannady, the husband of
the murdered woman, stood calmly by
laws revenge. Smith was nervy to
the last, and joked with Sheriff Will
lam Caldwell of Monroe county, as the
moose was adjusted. The fall broke
his neck, and he never moved muscle
after the slack was taken up. You are
now doing what the old man (meaning
The deceased sheriff of Monroe county,
told me he was going to do" said
Smith, turning to Caldwell with smile
as the rope was put over his head.
Caldwell performed his grewsome task
in silence, while the forty men, with
uICONSIeu lCddS, SlOuPSSi ooONS SAAS
scaffold shuddered The long death
cloak was adjusted first. Afterwards
the rope and last the black cap. Thru
out the ordeal Smith was unmoved.
He had been brought on to the scaf-
.old at SO and had bowed to the
men below him and said: "Howdy,
gentlemen" But after the rope and
cap were on, he remained silent. He
had only an instant to wait, for the
clock and the sheriff struck at almost
the same time, and Smith pitched into
eternity. He weighed 210 pounds, but
the rope stood the JAR
HE got what was coming to him,
said the husband of the murdered
woman, to the silent group about the
stark, dark figure, ''but he didn't get
it quick enough He died quick today,
but no quicker than she did two years
ago"
At the end of thirteen minutes Drs.
G. N. Hyatt and T. E. Clutch, declared
life extinct The body was cut down
and shipped to Keokuk, to be used for
dissection.
Eats Hearty Dinner.
"I want one more good square meal
before / die lMr. Sheriff said Smith
to Sheriff CALDWELL when asked at 10
o'clock this morning what he wished
for dinner might as we'll die on
full stomach"
Cali right, Joe," said Mr.. Caldwell,
.what will you have, we will give you
anything you want"
81 want porter house steak for one
thing. and some custard pie and some
mashed potatoes and some coffee and
some bread and butter and jelly and
something else that's good"
Smith was served with just what he
ordered and made a clean sweep Of the
dishes at II o'clock, despite the fact
that he knew he had but an hour to
live.
Smith slept soundly last night and
ate a hearty breakfast of bacon, eggs,
hot rolls and coffee at six o'clock this
| morning.
He spent the forenoon in his cell,
where he was visited by Chaplain Jes-
| sup and Rev. Joseph c. Reid, the col
| ored Baptist preacher of Fort Madi-
son. Chaplain Jessup says he was un-
| able to convert Smith to christianity.
Rev. Reid says Smith repented and
prayed for forgiveness, maintaining,
however, that he was justified in kill
ing Mrs. Cannady.
No relative or friend of Smith was
even heard from and the dead man
| never revealed his past history or COM
municated with any one outside the
prison. He said he did not want his
people to know how he died.
Story of the Crime.
The crime for which Smith today
paid the maximum penalty was the
murder of Mrs. Ida Cannady at Buxton,
Oct. 16. 1903 Smiths motive for kill
ing Mrs. Cannady was revenge.
Years ago. way back in old Virginia
Smith and Mary Cannady We're sweet
hearts; lovers quarrel separated
them and she came west. She married
Cannady. a coal miner, and went to
Buxton to live. A few years later
Smith came west and after drifting
about the state short time went to
Buxton. where he secured employment
as miner
In the spring of 1903. Smith went
to Cannadys home to board. Early in
the summer Smith and Mrs. Cannady
had quarrel. 1t resulted in the
woman filing q charge Of assault