Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-04-16
Three. Different Days for Bectocu'
tIoD Of PoWhalan Mu'defers.
GOVERNOR REARRAAeEs PROGRAM
Two to Meet Their Fate on April 80;
Two More on May S and the Ffth
Man Two Later-superintendent
Request the Change.

RICHMOND. VA. April l5.-Gover-
nor Swanson has decided to so divide
up the execution of the Powhatah
murderers as to ltevent the electrocu-
ton Of all Ave Of the negroes on the
same day.
Judge Hundley, of the Circuit
Court. for reasons which were good,
deemed 1t his duty to decree that all
of the condemned men should go to
the electric chair April Goth. though
he. as well as everyone else. realized
that this order. II literally carried out
would mean a grewsome days work
at the penitentiary. where the prison
ers are now confined.
The news Of the terrible duty i'm
posed on him brought feeling of de-
cided discontinue to Captain Evans
F. Morgan, the superintendent OF the
penitentiary, for while his duty. he
felt that such wholesale killing
would make the atmosphere of the
prison decidedly DEPRESSING on the ap-
pointed day.
Major Morsan's Letter.
He accordingly had conference
with Governor Swanson about the
matter. and this was followed up by
the explanatory letter of April 18th,
which appears below:
You will recall the talk had with
you several DAYS ago in conference
TO the electrocution OF the five men
from Powhatan county. 1t is absolute
ly impossible to electrocute all Of
these men on the same date.
II would be glad to have you re-
spite Joe and Isham Taylor until the
5th of May and Lewis Jenkins until
the 7th Of MAY.
Il am afraid to undertake the exc
cutiOn Of more than two men on the
same day.
Hoping that this will meet with
your approval. and that you can re-
spite the men until the above dates
for the reason given. am. etc"
Dates Of the EIectroeution.
According to the Encouragement OF
lions. John and William Brown, father
and son, will die at the hands OF the
law April 3Oth. the date originally
fixed.
Joe and .Isham Taylor will follow
the Browns TO the chair May 9Th. and
May 7th Lewis jenkins, in a similar
way, will expiate his offense Of par
ticitating in the dastardly murder OF
Mrs. Mary Skipwith and Walter q.
johnson
Jenkins will have a companion In
misery on the day he dies. for on the
same date another negro, Howard
Toler, of Pulaski. is also to meet his
doom. Toler had no part in the Pow
hatan crime. His offense was crimi-
nal assault.
The executions mentioned in the
foregoing paragraphs are double
only in the sense that they will take
place on the same iates-that Is to
say, no two men viii be killed sim
ultaneously.
The chair accommodates only one
occupant at a time. Therefore the
murderers will have to take turns.
A. ret none Of the detailed plans
for the terrible WAX have been an
nounced, tut 1t is to be assumed that
the doomed men viii follow quickly
after each other when their final hour
comes.
Berry Seaborne. q Greensvhie
county negro. convicted Of robbery.
.ape and assault. will die in the chair
tomorrow morning. II can, therefore.
be seen that It's deadly engine OF
destruction Is ., lain seven victims
between now and Nay It'll. e.
Today's action Of the executive Is
not designed to show clemency to any
OF the five Powhatan negroes, but 10
taken in order to relieve the electric
chair. as far as sossible, Of It's odious
significance. and to relieve the .peni-
Tertiary officials from . duty which
necessarily would greatly tax their
nerves and sympathies.
By the change Of program the two
Taylors gain Ave days Of life. while
Lewis Jenkins has q whole week ad-
ied to his troublesome existence.
It is not explained AZ yet Why Major
Morgan fixed the dateS>in the order
he did. though even the Browns, VINO
are to die first. will hardly think thar
those to follow them have much the
better of the situation.
II is said that the most 1ieht-hean-
&c OF al the seven doomed men %
Berry Ssaborne. who 10 to be shock
ed to death tomorrow. Berry mas
been consistently cheerful since hts
incarceration. and his main object IN
life nov seems TO La to eat. He mas
fattened considerably since he was u
ken to the penitentiary.