Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-14
EXECUTION IN ALEXANDRIA
GEORGE MIDGETS HANGED FOR
MURDER OF c. T. SMITH.
Death Sentence Carried Into Effect
in Virginia City for First
Time Since 1873.
pecial Correspondence of The Star.

Special Correspondence of The Star.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. February IA. 1908.
| George Midgets, alias William Johnson.
colored, convicted of the murder of
! Charles T. Smith. October 20, 1906 was
hanged in the yard of the city Jail this
morning The trap was sprung at $40
o'clock and life was extinct at 6:oI
o'clock, death being due to stranSulation.
a, 7:29 O'Clock the body was lowered and
subsequently, was turned over to an I'M
dertaker. 1t will sent to- medical col
| lege in Richmond.
Midgets without faltering walked to the
scaffold. accompanied by his spiritual adj
wiser, Rev. Alexandria Truatt. colored. of
the Baptist Church. Warden William
Camden and Deputy Warden Edgar
| Padgett. The condmned man was asked if
| he desired to make a statement. and re-
| piled in the affirmative. He stated that
| his life was about to end and that he was
| innocent of the crime for which he was
| about to be hanged The people. he de-
clared had done him d great injustice
| and he had made an effort 10 make them
| believe his innocence without success. He
| concluded by saying: May the Lord have
| mercy on my SOUL
The moose was adjusted, handker-
| chief was waved as signal. the trap
| opened and Midgets' body dropped fully
| six feet. The rope was too slack and his
| feet touched the ground Three of the
| spectators grasped the rope and made IT
taut, while the 200 others for a moment
| were Mortified. DIR. S. B. Moore, coroner:
| DR.. Thomas Gibson, DR.. Walter A. War
| field and DIR. Julian T. Miller were in at
| tendance.
| AS Midgets. attired in black suit. with
one of the spectators had a fainting spell
and was quickly conveyed to the outside
/ of the crowd. Midgets kept his eye on
the man all the time.
The final words of Midgets on the scat
| fold were a surprise to many persons who
expected he would confess that he COM
mitted the murder. The accused, how
ever. from the first denied that he was
guilty.
Welcomed Hour of Execution.
Mdgets did not fall asleep until 3
o'clock this morning. While awake he
spent the time conversing with the guard.
Edgar Padgett. Shortly after o'clock
he arose and dressed for the execution.
He called for breakfast at 30 o'clock
and ate heartily. few minutes before
) o'clock Rev. Mr.. Truatt arrived and
the two engaged in prayer. Midgets
asked that his sins be made known to
him in order that he might confess them.
He appeared to be perfectly resigned to
his fate and welcomed the arrival of the
hour tor the execution. n deputy warden
early this morning pleaded with Midgets
to confess if he committed the murder.
Mdgets dropped to his knees and while
he held his right hand uplifted called
upon God to witness that he was inno-
cent
Shortly after o'clock Midgets re-
quested that two colored female inmates
of the Jail be asked to sing to him. His
request was complied with, and they
stood on the steps in the corridor oppo-
site Midgets' cell and rendered number
of gospel hymns. Warden Gambler then
read the death warrant. The warden
asked if the prisoner was ready, and re-
ceived an affirmative reply.
The hanging today was the first legal
execution in this city since June, 1873
when a colored man named Jackson was
put to death for the murder of his wife in
Alexandria county.
Details of the Crime.
The crime for which Midgets was exc
cuted occurred in upper King street, near
a circus. az o'clock in the evening, Oc-
tober 20. 1906. Midgets was suspected
of having been engaged in a murder oas
assault a short time before on Police
man A. j. Nicholson. while on the circus
grounds. Policeman Carney. it was testi-
fled. saw Midgets on the opposite side OF
the grounds, a. d, with Charles I. Smith.
went after him. Policeman Carney got
on one side. and Smith on the other, and
started toward the Hotel Jackson. half
square distant. where Midgets was stop
ping They had gone only few Steps
when Midgets produced a revolver and
fired al Smith. The latter died almost in
stantly. In the excitement Policeman Gar
vey's pistol dropped from his hand. Mid
gets ran away. crowd followed, and
several shots were fired. Only one struck
the fugitive. lodging in his leg.
The murder of Smith caused great ex-
element, and the news quickly spread.
Hundreds of men and boys armed with
pistols, guns and clubs searched through
out the night for the murderer. For sew
eral days clues were followed withou;
success, and .ur a time 1t seemed that
the mu: derer would not be apprehended
Midgcts was arrested at Harrisburg, Pa,
the early part OF last March on suspicion.
and Marrn 10. 1861. he was placed in the
jail at Fredericksburg, Va. the local Of
ficials deeming it inadvisable to bring him
here. owing to the feeling against him.
Midgets was kept in the Fredericksburg
jail until March 20, when he was brought
here under military guard. The follow
ing day, March p, he was placed on trial.
verdict of guilty of murder in the first
degree was rendered and Midgets was SEN
fenced to be hanged May -. He was re-
turned to the Fredericksburg Jail by coun-
Sci. May 10. securing writ of error,
which was dismissed by the state court
OF appeals last December. MidgeH was
again taken into court and January II
fixed for his execution.
About a week before that date his at
tOrney appealed to Gov. Swanson for COM
mutation OF sentence to life imprisOn-
ment. The governor granted a respite
of thirty days A few days ago he an
nounced that he would take no action in
the case.
The attorneys for the defendant con-
tended That il was another man who COM
mite the crime.
Midgets was born in Newborn. n. c..
and was twenty-eight years of age Last
night he wrote a piece of poetry entitled
"Midgets' Farewell Message" and left
with Warden Gambler q story of his Life