The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1910-02-10
TO PAY PENALTY
FOR fIENDISH
MURDER OF SIX.

HAYWARD LITTLE WILL DIE TO-
MORROW IN THE ELECTRIC
CHAIR AT RICHMOND - STORY
OF THE CRIME.
RICHMOND, Va, Feb. 10-Unless
Governor Mann sees fit to interfere,
Howard Little, "the sextuple murder
er" Of Buchanan county, will die in
the electric chair in the State peni-
Tertiary here tomorrow morning. The
condemned man has abandoned all
hope of receiving a respite. He is
chiefly concerned about the DISPOSE
ton of his body. He wants to be bur
led at his old home in Mcdowell Co.,
West Virginia, and has received as
surance that the small amount of
be has left will be used to carry
cut his wish.
The crime for which Little is to pay
the death penalty was probably the
most fiendish in the criminal records
of Virginia. For the purpose Of rob-
berry he wiped out an entire family
Of six persons and then sought to con
ceal the crime by burning the bodies
of his victims.
The scene Of the tragedy was the
little town of Hurley, Buchanan coun-
". The victims were Aunt Betty
Justis. an aged woman who was gen.
orally supposed to keep a large sum
of money about her her son-in-law,
George Meadows, his wife and their
three children.
On the morning of September %,
last, neighbors discovered Meadows
mutilated body lying in the yard OF
his destroyed home. Two bullet holes
through the body and a gastly wound
il the neck, which almost severed
the head from the body gave the dis
coverers their first evidence of the
extent of the tragedy.
A search of the ruins Of the house
disclosed a sickening spectacle. The
blackeped masses of half burned flesh
and charred bones of two women and
three children were found beneath the
debris. each body bearing evidence
Of murder committed before the
house was destroyed by fire.
Bloodhounds were rushed to the
scene and a posse at once started in
pursuit of the murderer. Many signs
nojnted to Howard Little as the muir
derer and within a week after the
tragedy he was taken into custody
Titles wife confessed to having
washed his bloody clothing the day
after the murders. She stated also,
that he had left their home about
dark the night of the tragedy and
,eturDed the next morning with his
clotbing all bloody and torn, and tod
her he would kill her if she told
ANYTHING about his condition. 1t was
ascertained that he had borrowed
- caliber revolver a few days be
fore the crime was committed, and re
turned it the following "Wednesday
with TWO char 3ers empty. The BODY
of Gorge ,dows was eXhumeo
and two bullets taken from It were
almost identical in weight with the
halls taken from the shells belonging
70 the weapon Little had borrowed,
Little's trial took place last NoNem
her and resulted in a verdict OF guilty
and a sentence Of death. January
was the date originally fixed for the
evecution. but Governor Swanson
Granted a stay Of thirty days in ordei
that the case might be taken TO the
higher courts. In the meantime LII
+1o wae taken to Roanoke for safe
keeping. as threats of lynching were
made in the county where the trla
had taken place. Two weeks ago LII
ties last hope OF escaping the eIec
trio chair was destroyed when th'
State supreme court Of appeals re
fused to grant a writ Of error IN Ms
/ ~oco