The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-12-05
J. C. RAWLNS SWINGSATLAST End of Noted ValdoSta
 Case. ALF. MOORE ALSO HANGED Neither Man Showed Any Signs
 of Fear. Preacher Father of Family That sfur- dered Carter Children Declares on Gibbct That His Offspring
 Are Innocent.
ALF. MOORE ALSO HANGED

ius and Ali Moore, a negro, were hanged here at 1855 o'clock this morn ing for the murder of Willie and Car- rle Carter in July, 1905,
 Both stepped upon the scaffold with out a tromor and neither showed signs of nervousness. They stood on the trap together and fell together. Rawl~ ins died instantly, but the negro show ed signs of life for twelve minutes,
 Rawlins in his last statement de- clared that he had told the truth and that his sons had no connection with the crime Moore also declared that he had told the truth. agam insisting that Milton Rawlins had fired the fatal shots.
 Mrs. Rawlins and her two daughters visited the husband and father during the morning They remained in the jail but did not witness the execution.
 The expectation that Moore would make a statement on the scaffoid exc onerating Milton and Jesse Rawlins. whose execution has been fixed for Friday, was disappointed. Such a f statement, 1t was argued, would have had great weight with the delibera- tions of the Prison Board, which will meet Thursday to consider the commu- tation of sentence for the boys.
 The crime for which J G. Rawlins and Ali Moore were executed here to- day and the prolonged litigation which followed in tine attempt to save them from the gallows, have been almost without precedent in the criminal hiss tory of Georgia.
 Was Cold Flooded Murder.
 The killing of Willie and Carrie Car ter. on the night of July 12, 1905, was regarded as particularly eold-blooded. Leading up to this crime was a fsud between J. q. Rawlins, formerly Baptist minister and W L.. Garter, 5 Methodist minister, which originated in Coffee County, Georgia. and which was renewed when the two men found | themselves occupants of adjoining farms in Lowndes County, of which | Valdosta Is the county seat. ! e. Cvl the night of July i2 a asdisturbance 1 outside the Carter home -bronghs AtiiiSa 1 Cartel Into the yard to investigate. Immediately shot rang out and ha l fell mortally wounded. His sister, 1 Carrie. ran to his side and two shots { brought Instant death to her. The elder Carter. opening the door, saw | that an attack was being made on hls home He barricaded the house, fear | ing even to so to the aid Of his chill | dren.
 Later Willie Carter dragged himself to the door and was taken in. He died a few hours later. The body of the little girl remamded in the yard until | daylight During the night occasional | shots rang out bringing added terror | to the besieged home.
 | A recital of the crime the following day brought intense indignation to the l citizens of Valdosta and of LoWnoes | County and for time violence was feared when the crime appeared to be l fastened on J. G. Rawlins3 his sonss Jesse, Milton and Leonard, and the ne- gro, Ali Moore
 Negro COnfesses.
 The five were arrested and the negro confessed. saying that the elder Raw lins had hired him to kill the entire Carter family and had sent his three sons to assist in the job. The negro said RawIlns had told him to kill Car i ter and his wife, and as the children ran out of the house to kill them
 According to the confession. neither the negro nor Leonard Rawlins fired a shot but the bloody work was done l bv Jesse and Milton. It appeared thai l l. G. Rawlins had not been at the scene 1 of the murder. but certain remarks by him Implicated him as having guilty l knowledge of the crime. The result ] of the trial which followed speedily | was the conviction of J. G. Itawllnss | his three sons and Ali Moore. All re- eeived the death sentence. excepting | Leonard. for whom the jury recom- mended clemency. and his sentence was l life imprisonment.
 Then began the fight for life. con- ducted by John k. Copper of Macon, at torney for the Rawlins, which has lasted until the gallows has claimed | two victims. Twice has the case been re-opened in the Lowndes Superior Court. rhe court of original jurisdic- | ton: three times has it come on ap- peal to the Supreme Court of Georgia; once a motion was filed in the United State District Court of Macon and l twice has the case reached the Supreme l Court of the United States, and m ev- l cry appearance in a higher court has the decision of the lower courts been sustained.
 Asks for Communication. l once Attorney Cooper filed a petition | wit hthe Georgia Prison Commission, | asking clemencs for J. G. Rawlins, and once before the. same board has he asked communication of sentence for Jesse and Milton and pardon for Leon7 l ard Rawlins New trials have been l asked on the ground of newly -diseOV- cred evidence, embodied in confess sion of J. c, Rawlins, admitting his 1 guilt and that of Ali Moore. but deny- l ing that of his sons
 X petition for habeas corpus was de- manded for the defendants on the around that the exclusion of preachers from the trial jury under Georgia law~ 1 was class legislation and unconstitu- 1 tional As a final effort in behalf of j. C. Rawlins, the question of sanity was raised last Saturday, and Govern or Terrell was asked to defer the exc | cution until this matter could be le- | gally settled
 ' The Governor declined yesterday to interfere and Mir Cooper confessed that | the limit of his resources had been
 reached Five times has the date of execution been set for the father and
 three times for the sons.
 The fate of Jesse and Milton Rawlins
 remains Co be settled. Next Friday
 has been set for their execution. but
 the petition for communication of the death sentence to life imprisonment win be heard by the prison commission | next Thursday, and what that decision
 may he win not be known until within | t,vop+v- four hours of the tfuas fixed fop