The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-12-28
SAVED IN THE NICK OF TIME, Dramatic Scene in Jad
 Yard. TELEGRAM STAYS EXECUTION Fellow Prisoners Send Up a Shout
 of Joy. Condemned xesro Was waits.s sss the Black Cap to Re Aaisstes
 whe. Governor. TeIe-
 gram Arrived.
TELEGRAM STAYS EXECUTION

Birmingham. Dec 27.--fSpeciai.)-- Within one minute of the time that the lever would have been jerked by the sheriff and the body of Henry Thaxton. the negro convicted of murder. would have shot through the trap to hfg death. a telegram was delivered hasti- ly by John Jeilison. messenger boy No. 14. of the Western Union Telegraph Company. ordering Sheriff HiBdon to suspend the execution for fifteen days
 A loud shout went up from the pris- oners in the Jail. when the reading Of the telegram was heard. The con- demned man on the sallows. his hands handcuffed and his arms bound with stout cords. waiting for the black cap to be drawn over his head, raised his head upward and exclaimed. "My God.r The sheriff immediately dismissed the crowd in the jail yard the smallest in number ever permitted to witncss q hanging iu this County. and Tod the prisoner back to the jail. In q few minutes the telegram was verified
 Thaxton was tried. convicted and sentenced to death for the killing of white man named s. T. Hunstucker. rolling mia operator, on December 22. 1906. The latter and a friend, were on their way home whom three negroes held them up and Hunetucker was killed. Thexton was the only ono arrested and he was convicted. An attorney was appointed by the court to defend the negro. The prisoner di<7 not go on The stand. Since the trial Thaxton claims that he did not receive fair trial, that while he was present when the killing was done. he aid not Ire the shot. ncr did he have anyfhlnr to do with it. -
 Negro preachers. together with the condemned mans sister and a cousin. were with Thaxton before he was taken to the scaffold. and sel vices were con ductsd. The cousin kissed the con demned man and the death warrant was read to him. Ther came the march to the gallows in the jafi yard Tho sheriff had only admitted deputy sher. tffs. physirtans. jdrymen court attend. ants and newspaper men 10 the 3aii yard, less than seventy-five people n all The negro preacher mounted the galfcws and ied In prayer. Then Thax. ton made q talk in which he thanked sherif Higdon for his Kindness whiie he was in jail. told of not getting what he thought a fair trial. Then Deputy Sheriff Courson began tying the ne- gro's arms Tho preachers led in a song and sang one verse. Deputy Cour- son had not finished tying the arms and second verse was started on and finished Just as Deputy Courson reached for the black cap to slip over the negro's head. Deputy Sid Cowan rau towards the gallows crying at the top of his voice: Hold. colonelt Hold. Colonel"
 ' TheHslegram was then read and the execution was suspended and the crowd dismissed from the jail yard.
 10 Is understood that number of prominent officials ministers and oth- CTS have taken an interest in Thaxtcn's case and have been asking the Gover- nor to change the sentence to that of life imprisonmen. in the penitentiary. For the purpose of a further invesffga- : tion' the chief executive of the state wired the sheriff here to stay the exe- cution for fiften days. Never before has such a dramatic scene been wtt- messed here, plays on the rneiodrama stage being brought up true to life In this case.
 The messenger boy who delivered the Governors telegram, made cracking good trip. the distance being covered In just one minute. the space covered being five blocks.