The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-03-26
TWO NEGROES PAY
PENALTY FOR CRIME
ERs BADLY CUT ACCIDENTALLY
JUST BEFORE TRIGGER ON CAL
LOWS is PULLED

With scarcely tremor and amidst a
silence overawlng. Jim Powell and Joe
Rodgers. negro murderers of Lawrence
Sims a negro merchant at Ensley, were
hanged together yesterday morning in
the county jailyard. The smallest crowd
which ever attended a legal execution In
Birmingham was present. while a crowd
of several thousand people assembled
around the courthouse and Jail and wait
ed for a long while in the hope that
the condemned negroes might appear In
view. The gallows, however, is so placed
that it cannot be seen from adjoining
| houses.
The two negroes displayed wonderfully
| cool nerve and assisted the officers as
much as possible in preparing for their
| execution. Each made a short talk, say
| ing he had brought the fate upon HIM
| self and hoping his death would prove
| a lesson to others to remain good. Rodg-
| ers stated that his people attempted u
| keep him at home, make him good and
| educate him, but that he had persisted In
| being bad and deserved the end to which
! he had come. Powell stated that he had
been bad; that he had committed many
| crimes and had made many man look
| down the barrel of his gun, but that he
| had never killed one.
| After tho negroes had finished their
| talks they were asked If there was any
thing else they wished to do and Rodgers
| said he would like to shake hands with
| Deputy Sheriffs Ernest Robinson and Joe
| Lantznester and thank them for the
kind treatment which they had shown
to him. Powell made the same request
and the two deputies shook hands with
them. The black caps were then ad-
justed. Deputy George Coussun ADJUSTED
the ropes Deputy Robinson dropped a
white handkerchief from the gallqws and
Sheriff Higdon threw the trigger from
below.
The two negroes shot down side by side,
the neck OF each being broken. Rodgers
never made movement, while PoWell
gave two conclusive shudders, the hrst
one being about two minutes AFTER inc
drop and the second few minutes later.
Powell expired in II minutes and Rodsefs
In 10 minutes. The trap WAS sprung at
II :O2h O'clock the tones from the bell
of the courthouse clock having scarce
ly died out from the striking of IL o'clock
Sheriff IIigdon received two severe
cuts one on each f0refinger, moment
before he threw the trigger. The trigger
was held back against the framework OF
the gallows by piece OF heaVy tWine
and Deputy Sheriff Percy Higdon, MS
son, was assigned the task of cutting IL
yyhen ,he handkerchief was dropped. He
used n very sharp knife and in cutting
the Irvine went too close to his iather
hand. The flesh on one finger was ialo
back to the bone, while a deep cut was
made on the other. With the flesh hang
ing from his finger Sheriff Higdon the>
threw the trigger The wounds we
bleeding greatly and County Physician
DR. n. H. Hambrick was compelled 10
take his attention from the hanging forms
~ tba neoroes TO dress Sheriff Higdons
cuts. The wounds are very bad ana VIII
probably require some time TO neat
Sheriff Higdon adhered strictly TO the
r,Ile regarding the allowing of persons 10
witness the execution and only authorized
nersons were allowed in. Even the -FOUR
newspaper men present had first TO De
sworn in as special officers by MIN. Less
than 40 persons were allowed In. All prls-
oners were locked in their cells and or
ders given for strict silence during .he
execution.
In addition to DR.. Hambrick there were
present State Physician DR.. w a. Burns
and DIR. r.. O'Connell. Rev. Brown, ne
FRO preacher held prayer service IN the
condemned mems cells at O'Clock ana
also on the gallows. lie also paptizeu
them In the bathtub in the jail.
The two negroes arose early ana were
given a splendid breakfast, being given
whatever they wished. They ate heart-
ly. leaving nothing on the plates. Iheir
demeanor to the end was one OF extreme
GOODNESS.