The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-10-07
DEATH SENTENCE
 GIVEN ID NEGRO
Extreme Penalty Imposed for
 for MurderOuS Assault
BOY ATTACKED AND ROBBED
First Time In History of County That Sentence of Death Has Been ln- posed for Assault and Rob-
 bery of the Person.

Talladega, October 6.-(Specal) i've, the jury, find the defendant guilty as charged in the indictment and sentence him to death," was the solemn verdict read out by Clerk McNeel this morning at Il o'clock in the city court in the case of George Watson charged with the assault and robbery of Clarence Dombey, 14-year-old boy of Avondale.
 The history of the case of George Watson is as follows: In July of this year Clarence Dombey, white lad, slight in figure, and only II years of age, decided to visit family named Wood whom he had known in his infantile years, and who had been kind to him in his youth and poverty. His loving mother packed his grip with his few simple belongings, not forgetting to tenderly place bible among the articles and the lad started for Childersburg. Ala, where he arrived with S1.75 in his poeketbook. Inquir- ing the way to the Wood farm at Chil- dersburg he was heard to ask the di
 rection and George Watson. negro boy weighing about 125 pounds, and probably 20 years of age, agreed to carry the lads grip for a quarter. On the way the negro picked up a piece of iron along the railroad track. remarkng that it would make good chop ax, and further along at clump of briers he pretended to see rabbit in the patch of briers. and induced the boy to pick up a stone to throw at the rabbit and while the lad was intently watching the bushes he
 II, iron. knocking him insensible and frac- turing his skull and robbing him of his money and grip, he fled. passing wagon, loaded with brick picked up the half dead boy, and upon the alarm be- mig given citizens pursued the robber and captured him under the creek bank five miles away with the grip and pocket book in his possession and the bible on top of the clothing in the open valise.
 At the trial five or six reputable wit nesses, two of them being white ladies, identified the negro as the boy seen with Dombey, and the chain of evidence was perfect in every link Frank L. Vance and Graves Embry, attorneys, were ap- pointed by the court to conduct the de- fense. The trial began at p. m. Monday and by p. m. the following jury was selected: w. A. Cook, Sr., foreman; w. N. Stone, L. M Campbell, w. D. Par sons, J. N Green, G. w. Reeves, J. w. Johnston, J. w. Miller. c. M. Kelley, John w. Hackney T. D. Green and i John T. Baxter At the hour for adjourn | ment of the court all the witnesses had been examined-the defendant having no
 witnesses and not being put on the i stand In 30 minutes after the charge of the court this morning the jury returned
 I1..f |. 1fxr al tn ! gether the trial not occupying five hours. ! It is likely that Judge Miller will inn 1 pose the sentence and fix the time for i it's execution during the closing days of | this week. The hanging, it is presumed. ] will occur within a month. In some
 counties of the state it is next to impos- ! sble to induce to infict the death penalty i but this cannot be said of Talladega, as within the past ten years there has been
 a number of hangings for murder, but l this is probably the first sentence for rob bery in the history of the county.