The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-04-26
BOB WATTS HANGS
 AT GUNTERSV|LLE
Makes Desperate Fight for His
 Life With Knife
OVERCOME WITH AMMONIA
Spends sIeepIess Night and Faces the Cell Moving Like a Wild Beast. Protests His Innocence of
 Murder to the Last.

Guntersvile, April 25.-(Special.)-Th execution of Bob Watts here today was one of those shocking events sometimes witnessed in connection with the carry ing out of sentence of criminal law against an unfortunate fellow, scene that the English language has no terms to describe except horrible.
 The condemned man told Sheriff Lewis last night that he never expected to leave his cell alive, and came pretty near mak- ing his statement good.
 Watts was very restless not having slept the entire night and refusing to eat except a little coffee at breakfast. With the coming of daylight and the bright morning sun his restlessness was greatly increased. He was moving ner- vously around his cell with the terrified look of some wild animal utterlng low moaning sound.
 About o'clock this morning Deputy Sheriff Eugene Gibson discovered that the condemned man was armed with large sized pocket knife. Fearing that the pris- oner would commit suicide Sheriff Lewis ordered his deputies to enter the cell and disarm him. Accordingly the deputies opened the cell door and attempted to get hold of him. He backed himself up into one corner of his cell and commenced cutting at them with his knife, all the time uttering that plaintive wild moan which he had been making all the morn- ing His resistance had the effect of bring ing the deputies to stand.
 Several shots were fire rto the pris- oner S cell for the purpose of frightening him and to draw his attention so others could seize hold of him, but the shoot ing never for one moment Frightened the prisoner nor did 1t draw his attention from those who were trying to lay hold of him. On the contrary he challenged and even begged his would-be captors to shoot him if they had nerve enough to do 1t.
 Ammonia Is Used. Seeing that it would be impossible to get hold of the condemned man without the danger of some of his deputies being seriously injured or perhaps killed Sheriff Lewis procured bottle of ammonia for the purpose of overcoming the condemned man with the fumes. All the other pris- oners in jail were renasved to the wom- ans department and Dr. Jordan satur- ated large wad of cotton in ammonia and threw it into the cell where the pris- oner was pacing to and fro uttering a moaning cry like some wild animal at bay.
 In ten minutes a second application of ammonia was made, the walls of the prls- oner cell having been previously hung with blankets in order to retain the fumes. This had the effect of so dazing the doomed man that Marshal Bob Amos Of Albertville rushed into the cell and drag ged him coughing and wailina into the fresh air of the jail corridor at five min utes past o'clock.
 Thus the prisoner had held at bay the sheriff and his deputies for more than one hour, during which time he was keen ly alert on the defensive and never ceased to utter his peculiar moaning cry.
 The prisoner having now been captured and brought fort> from his cell where he had said he would die, the death march to the gallows, which had been erected In the jailyard was at once commenced.
 The condemned man struggling, cough ing and vomiting from the effects Of the fumes of the powerful drug used to over come him, surrounded and supported by deputies and now crying out "Oh, Lordy, Oh me-" was led and pushed upon the scaffold.
 The Drop Falls.
 The condemned mans cries and moans can only be compared to the note of some fierce wild animal surrounded by It's cap tors and face to face with death
 By the time the trap was reached Watts ~ was provided with char.
 Sheriff Lewis asked him if he had any statements or requests to make, and he said yes a message to his wife and chil- dren.
 Sends Message to Wife.
 Your correspondent was requested by the sheriff to take down the mans last words.
 He said. ",rell my wife if she cannot ft,ta m nOn1a somewhere to leave the community in which they have always lived. as l do not want them raised up here
 He also requested the sheriff to send his clothes home to his wife. He was ask ed by several present to tell them all about the crime of which he was con victed. and for which he was about to die. The sheriff told him he should have plenty of time to make all the state ments he desired to and said, Bob tel. us all about it."
 eTell you all about what Johnnie" re- piled he
 ..Who killed old man Wlnkler?" said John Lewis.
 .,I have told you all I know about it. I am innocent of this crime, l did not do It."
 Your correspondent asked him if he had any idea who did do it. and his reply was T do not, and gentlemen l did not do it.''
 The Rev w. B. Hope came forward at this time and offered a short prayer, the condemned man kneeilng on the scaffold, supported by deputies and a chair. At the conclusion of the prayer Watts was again asked if he had any further state ments to make, and he said no and re- quested the sheriff to so ahead and fin- ish up his work, and put him out of his misery.
 His hands and feet were made fast, the black cap pulled over his face and the moose adjusted by Deputy Gibson.
 As this was being done he cried out. Farewell friends, l am going to leave this world.
 He was assisted to rise from the chair where he had been sitting and as his form stood erect on the gallows. with head slowly turning as If to see through the dark fabric shutting the world out from view. Deputy Gibson said ready.
 At s23 there was crash like door slammed by some sudden gush of wind. the dull swish of the rope tightening and the body of Bob Watts shot down and for a short time swsyed to and fro.
 There was heaving of the chest. twiching of the muscles of the hands and lower limbs. vibration of the entire form then all was still. His neck was broken by the fall, and at the end of 13 min utes he was pronounced dead by the att tending physicians.
 The body was cut down at $40 and pre- pared for burial by Sheriff Lewis, the L.