The Washington herald., 1906-11-16
NEGRO READY FOR GALLOWS
Charles Grant Will Be Hanged at
District Prison.
Execution 20 Take Place Between
4 and . O'Clock This Morning.
Guilty of killing Woman.

Charles Elwood Grants last night on
earth was spent in silent prayer, and
with this fortifcation against collapse
mans moose with courage this morning.
Last night the death watch took their
stand near the doomed mans cen in the
District prison and began their restless
pace. which will not cease until the
death warrant is read this morning Yes
terday Grant was removed from the cell
he has occupied for over a year to One
which stands but a few yards from the
gallows, so the prisoner Will have only
step 10 walk TO the trap. A heavy cur
tain shuts from his sight the bare boards
OF the gallows. and although the con-
demned casts frequent glanees in the d.
rection Of the dreaded instrument of exc
cution he can see no sign Of it. Yes
tevday the other prisoners. including
Burge. who on December (. will suffer
the same penalty, were allowed TO say
"Good-by'' 70 Grant All bade him be
brave. and promised their prayers
during the night To-day those prisoners
kept near the gallows viii be removed 70
another part OF the jail, where no sound
OF the execution can be heard.
The relatives Of the man visited him
yesterday morning, and Grant seemed
the most contained person In the group.
His mother. a woman of nearly seventy,
had % be carried from the cell. and the
prisoner then gave the first signs Of break
down.
A strange nervousness seems to peTvade
l-1. az he
cials. who have hopes that the hanging
viii be free from unnecessarily unpleas-
ant incidents. Rev. John Roberts. the
condemned mans minister, was with him
most % last night Offering all the spirit
Ual consolation III his power. and he viii
accompany him to the scaffold to-day.
Warden Harris does not propose that
there be any delay in the execution Of the
sentence II is not probable that Grant
viii have more than enough time to say
good-by to the witnesses before the trap
is sprung. Owing TO the fact that no one
can be found who cares TO spring the
trap. an arrangement has been made
whereby two ropes are pulled al a given
signal from the warden. and neither of
( the operators know whether or not he
/ caused the death.
But few people viii witness the hang
I ing The doctors. undertakers and news
paper men alone have been allowed ad-
mission, besides the jury, who will be
the official witnesses. The man has been
measured for his coffin. and by O'Clock
/ tomorrow the body win be in the posses
sion of his relatives.
The crime for which Grant gives his
1 life was the brutal mugder CT Eva Blag-
/ den. on December I6, 1905. He entered a
Z plea Of self-defense, but was condemned
to die. and the date of the execution of
the sentence set for October 80. The Court
I of Appeals granted reprieve until to-day,
I in order that his lawyers might take fur
I ther action in the case, but their efforts
were of no avail and the date was not
changed.
The gallOws were tested yesterday with
a 200-pound bag of salt and found to be
satisfactory. Because Grant weighs only
| 130 pounds. a drop of twelve feet has been
arranged The hanging viii take place
/ between and O'Clock.