The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-02-11
THAXTON DECLARED HE WAS INNOCENT Hanged Yesterday for Murder
 of Hunstucker WAS CALM TO THE END Was One of Three Negroes Who Held Up White Man and Thaxton
 Was Convicted of
 Firing Shot.
WAS CALM TO THE END

At 11:01 o'clock yesterday morning Sher- 1 if Higdon pulled the trigger of the scaf-
 fold in the county jail yard, the body of l Henry Thaxton shot downward between 1 the iron doors, his neck was broken the
 instant the hemp rope pulled taut, and l the murder of w. E. Hunstucker was
 avenged Thaxton was swung into eterni- | ty without a confession. He was declared dead b minutes and 30 seconds after the 1 trigger was pulled.
 | The condemned man spent peaceful night Sunday night, and slept soundly
 until o'clock yesterday morning, when I he was called by the warden who kept
 the death watch. He got up shortly after l ward and was dressed in a black suit He 1 ordered for breakfast steak, eggs and l coffee, and ate heartily of his al. Shortly after 10 o'clock several colored
 preachers had arrived at the jail and the
 religious services, consisting of praying,
 singing, and reading from the Scriptures, were held, Thaxton taking manifest in
 terest in everything. The services lasted about half an hour and were concluded when Sheriff Higdon reached the room
 for the purpose of reading the death war rant.
 l When Colonel Higdon announced his
 mission Thaxton got up from his chair
 and walked to meet him, taking a posi-
 tion which enabled him to look over the
 document which the sheriff read to him.
 The warrant was the same which was
 read on December 27, 1907, when Thaxton was first sentenced to hang and when he
 was respited by the governor in order
 that he might have an opportunity to se-
 cure evidence that he might be entitled to
 a new trial. He had since been reprieved ] twice
 At the conclusion of the reading of the
 death warrant preparation was made for
 the death march. The march to the gall | lows began at 10:45 o'clock, the condemned negro being accompanied by Deputy Sher- | ifs George W. Courson and Gene Tomlin
 Thaxton walked out of the jail into the
 jail yard with a light, springy step and | smiled as the eyes of a number of wit nesses outside greeted him. The crowd
 present was possibly the smallest that
 ever attended legal execution in Jeffer- son county, the number including ten
 medical students of the Birmingham Col | lege Of medicine, deputy sheriffs, court
 clerks, physicians, preachers, newspaper
 reporters and few others
 Thaxton stepped up onto the gallows
 lightly, followed by Deputies Courson and
 Iomiin. He made talk of several min | utes, in which he stated his Savior wa 6 Wrongtuliy put to death and was infinite
 " superior to any human He said further that he believed that he was be- ing punished for sins he had committed and that he was ready to die He did
 not make confession of any kind. After
 ne had concluded his talk he reouested
 that the songs. "All Hail the Power of
 Jesus Name" and Dark Was the Niebt,,
 be sung. The preachers present complied with the request.
 Wlth View of ascertaining just how long the negro would remain conscious
 after he fell through the tran Den,,+,, ooursoh requested that he raise his right lndex hnger and hold it up as long as pos sioie Thaxton cheerfully agreed, but he never raised the finger.
 When the clock began to strike I, the women in the basement of tba lail began wailing and moaning and withseaeh stroke of the clock the noise increased until it could be heard for several blocks around. One of the den,- ties went inside and quieted them only with threats
 when the clock was striking Deputv Courson was adjusting the moose o, Thaxton's neck. It was about ready when the negro turned his head to Mir. Courson and asked him to draw the moose tightly around his neck and ,n- dicated where he wanted the knot placed. Deputy Courson drew the moose up tight and the black cap was then adjusted
 At one minute after II o'clock every thing was in readiness and Sheriff Higdon pulled the trigger. The body of Thaxton dropped and his neck was undoubtedly instantly broken. There was only one movement of the bodv after it shot through the trap. a heavy heaving of the breast-nothing more. Thaxton passed into eternity about 15 minutes later.
 The body was lowered to the ground and Dr. w. P. McAdory county physi clan, declared Thaxton dead. Among the other physicians present were Dr. Il. l. Martin, pr. w. A. Brown Dr. Hardis P. Wilkins and Dr. A. M. Brown. colored doctor. An examination of the corpse showed that the neck had been broken The body was turned over to the Gaudin Undertaking com pany for burial.
 Henry Thaxton was convicted on Mo- vember g, last year, of the murder of w. D. Hunstucker on the night of De- cember 22, 1906. It was charged that he, in company with two other negroes. held up Hunstucker and man named Boyd. It was said that Thaxton pointed a pistol in Hunstuckers face and that as the man turned the negro fired the pistol, the bullet taking effect in the heart and causing instantaneous death. Thaxton was tried, copvicted and con- demned to die for the murder, all, in less than four hours.
 On account of the speedy trial and upon the statement of the negro,s at- torneys that new evidence could be found, Governor Conner issued three different reprieyes, one for 10 days and two for IS days. No new evidence was ever found, however. Several letters from Thaxton to his sister, which were intercepted by the jail guards, were very unfavorable to his cause, and indi- cated very strongly that he was, all the time, in indirect communication with the negro Johnson, whom he al- Ieges actually fired the shot that