Bisbee daily review., 1911-12-21
ID DIE AFTER
 THREE DELAYS
TrippIe Murder Will Be Ex- plated on GallowS To- morrow by J.
 C. Hunter
VAIN FIGHT FOR LIFE

Savannah. Ga., Dec. 20:-Only a respite from Governor Slaton can save ] from the gallows J. C. Hunter, the ' triple murderer whose fight for life [ has been the most remarkable in the ! criminal annals of Chatham county. ' For nearly two years Hunter has been
 confined in the Savannah jail while
 eminent legal talent has worked to have the verdict of death set aside. ! Three times he has been granted a respite when almost ready to mount the gallows. Meanwhile the case was carried to the supreme court of Geor. gia, which body by a unanimous vote refused to interfere with the verdict
 of the trial court. Hope that Govern or Slaton might grant a respite is now
 practically abandoned and 1t is gener. ally believed that the condemned man will be executed day after tomorrow.
 Hunters crime was the murder Of three women in a house on Perry street in this city on December 10,
 1909. One of the victims was his
 wife. from whom he was seperated.
 The other victims of the mans jeal- ous fury were Mrs. Eliza Gribble, 70
 years old, and her daughter. Mrs. Carrie Chlander. The three women
 were literally hacked to pieces witn an axe.
 A peculiar feature of the case was the general assumption that the crime was that of a negro assailant. Following the statement of the neigh bors that a negro was seen to leave the house occupied by Mrs. Gribble and her daughter, where Mrs. Hunter
 was living temporarily. the police be- gan a roundup of negro suspects. Within twenty four hours 150 negroes were taken into custody.
 Hunter the husband of one of the victims. was arrested a few days after toe crime. At midnight he was taken to the morgGs to lcolS upon the dead face of his wife. He was asked if he desired to kiss her and did SC. Throughout the terrible ordeal he showed no signs of fear or emotion other than sobbing.
 Hunters trial resulted in Q verdict of guilty and a sentence of death, Then began the long legal bastle to save the life of the condemned man. In February, 1910, Bingham Bryan, . negro, made his entry into the famous case. with the result that public opinion as to Hunters guilt was con- siderably divided for a time. Bryan had been arrested in the general raid made on the negro quarter following the Perry street murders. lnvestiga- ton brought to light nothing to con meet him with the triple tragedy, but he was held in jail on a minor charge. Several months later he 'confessed'' to having murdered Mrs. GTibble, Mrs,
 Chlander and Mrs. Hunter. According to his statement he entered the house bent on robbery and carrying ham mer as 9 weapon. Mrs. Gribble caught him in the Kitchen. He said he struck her several times with the hammer be. l fore she died. Then, be declared the daughter ran in and after striking
 her down with his fist. he beat ner
 with the hammer As he was trying to leave the house The third woman
 came in and grabbed him. He said | he caught her by the throat and choil. ! ed her and struck her with the ham her.
 Bryan's confession was made in de | tail and at the time was generally ac- cepted as clearing up the mystery of | the murders. For more than year 1 the negro was kept in jail while a l legal controversy waged over the ques- tion whether he or the convicted bus band ot Mrs. Hunter was gdi!ty of ] the three murders. The battle ended i finally in the release Of the negro
 and confirmation of the verdict of ! ,1';ity found agsiasJ IIuu;er.