The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1910-02-03
SLEW SEVEN
NOW HE MUST DIE
SUPREME COURT SAYS NO TO
BUCHANAN MURDERERS.
.BL MES FAIR SEX
Denies Hideous Crime That Shock
ed Southwest Virginia, But Ad-
mits He Was Something of
Don Juan-Giant
in Figure.
RICHMOND. VA sneciaI


Unless Governor Swanson sees fit TO
interfere. Howard Little, the sextupIe
/ murderer" of Buchanan county, will
die in the electric chair at the State
ruary 18th.
This fact became known today when
II was announced that the Virginia
supreme Court OF Appeals had refused
10 allow the prisoner a writ of error.
The action of the appellate tribunal
shuts on all hope for Little. and he
has been appraised of the awful fate
that awaits him. So far as courage
is concerned, he is holding up pretty
well, though he is far from cheerful
When his attorney and Policeman
Long Tom" Haines, of the Capitol
constabulary. called to break the ter
rible news to the prisoner, he re-
marked that he would rather die than
serve life term behind the bars.
Little expressed some anxiety about
the disposition OF his body. He wants
his corpse TO rest under the sod of
his home In Mcdowell county, w. Va
ana the $b1 he has at his disposal is
being reserved to further this end.
has Killed Seven.
Strictly speaking. Il is inaccurate to
apply the term ''sextuple murderer
10 Little. To be absolutely accurate
he should be called a 'septuple muir
derer. for the aged Mrs. Betty Justis
v.
were not the only people he has
killed.
Little slew a man OF the name Of
George McKenney ct Dorton. w. Va.
and was sent 20 prison for life. Ac-
cording to information received here,
for that offense. At the time OF his
first homicide, the prisoner was a
United States marshal.
This deep-dyed criminal with the
bloody record behind him, is a pic
turesque character, though he does not
ly built and tips the scales at some
thing like ESQ pounds. One of his
eyes is smaller than the other and
this gives him a beIlicose air. To
quote the words of Long Tom
Haines, he would be a bad fellow 10
turn loose In a crowd II he got mad"
Was Fond OF "GentIer Sex"
If the "reminiscences OF condemned
mon may ever be used to point a
moral or adorn a tale. the remarks of
Little as to his own career may serve
a good purpose with those whose
weakness is women.
The 'septuple murderer" in dis
cussing his checquered life with his
attorney and the amiable Long Tom"
declared that the eternal feminine"
had been his ruination- He has been
a kind OF bucolic Don Juan, and this,
too. despite the fact that he has a
wife and several children.
His first scrape was attributable to
a quarrel about a woman, and his sec
ond and more atrocious offense also
involved female of no enViable repu-
tation. Indeed, it was a person of
this sort who gave the most damag-
Ing testimony against him.
Little does not desire his wife to
the door" He cannot bear
the thought of seeing her now, and
prefers to hght out MS few remaining
hardly probable that he will lose his
courage before the day Of re-
tribution comes. for ne is the product
of section where men, though some
times brutal, are for the most part
It would be difficult, however, to con-
ceive of a more monstrous or remorse-
less crime than that which has sent
Little TO the Virginia penitentiary. His
hand stayed itself neither in
mercy to women nor to children.
Some four months or so ago the
members of the Meadows family. which
was located at Hurley, Buchanan coun-
~, was found in ashes one morning
Grated remains Of the dead met the
eye on almost every side. The vic
Tins tin, Of the crime were found in va.
the terrible struggles some of them
had made to. save themselves. Close
observation showed that some had been
shot and that others had been hit with
an ak or Ratchet. The children, per
haps, were left to the flames. At any
rate, all persisted.
Robbery the Motive.
The county officials were quick to
begin an Investigation, and it did not
take long for them to see that an
incendiary had put a torch to the
house, and that some of it's inmates
had probably been struck down as they
to make their escape.
Robbery was the motive for the sex
tuple homicide. 1t was known that the
Inflated family had a good deal of
money in the house, and Little after
wards appeared flush" IT is believed
that 20 intended TO leave Virginia for
good with his paramour.
At one time there was much talk OF
ynching the accused. but better judg-
nent prevailed, especially as he was
fuickly convicted and then sent to Roa-
1oke for safe keeping.
Originally the man was sentenced TO
30 TO the chair January 9TH but the
Executive respited him I'm order thai
he case might go to the Court of
Appeals That tribunal now announces
nat the trial OF the lower court was
Little vigorously denies that he is
my. a-i-iAe Ssb-1lAA