Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-07-28
HER HOPE IN TAFT WILSON ON CRUISE
Matte Lomax to Hang Next Governor Aboard Private
Month Unless Reprieved. Yacht Off Jersey Coast.
OTHERS IN DEATH CELLSl SPEECH MAY BE FINISHED
Except
Gallow August Family Private Secretary.
FIFTEEN AWAITING TRIAL VISITORS ARE DISAPPOINTED
andS to
N Candidate
of Murder m Misn
Matte Lomax to Hang Next
Month Unless Reprieved.
OTHERS IN DEATH CELLS
Arthur H. Johnson Condemned to
Die on Gallows August %.
FIFTEEN AWAITING TRIAL
Eight White and Seven Colored
Prisoners Indicted on Charges
of Murder.

Unless President Taft interferes with
the sentence of the court and extends
clemency Matte Lomax. the negro wom-
an who has been in Jail since December
16. 1910. will be executed August 10 for
shooting and killing Cecil Lomax. her
husband, from whom she was separated.
the shooting having occurred in her hus-
bands room at 1888 18th street north
west.
The Lomax woman accepted an invita-
ton to call and see her husband. and
while there early in the morning she
shot him. She would have paid the
extreme penalty Of the law long ago had
1t not been for the action of the President
in staying the execution. plea of in
sanity was the last resort.
Representative Caleb Powers OF Ken
lucky and several mission workers took
an active interest in the woman's case
and several months ago called at the
White House. They saw the President
and obtained a stay of execution, but the
President, 1t is said, did not Indicate
what action he will finally take.
Arthur n. johnson to Hang.
Arthur H. Johnson. colored. another OF
the quartet of prisoners in jail con-
demned to die. is to pay the penalty on
the scaffold August IS. nine days after
the time fixed for the hanging OF Matte
Lomax. Johnson, a wagon driver. killed
John Ofenstein, a blacksmith. several
days before Matte Lomax murdered her
husband.
Johnson was at the blacksmith shop OF
his victim, at go New York avenue
northwest, waiting to have his horse
shod- He became involved in fight with
the man and fractured his skull with
q bar OF iron. A petition asking Tor a
Communication OF sentence to life imprison-
mcnt has been flied at the White House.
and the case is being Investigated by the
Department of Justice.
Andrew Gonzales, negro, Is under sem
tence to be executed September 13. He
killed his wife, Madeline Gonzales. by
slashing her throat with razor near
the home of her parents in Anacostia. The
murder was committed year ago. Con-
zales admitted his guilt and begged that
he be executed without delay. entering
plea of guilty when arraigned- His
plea was not accepted, and his case was
regularly tried.
The only white member Of the quartet
of condemned persons is Willie H. Sabens.
u former soldier, who was convicted OF
the murder of Ada Haynes, inmate OF
house 1920 D street northwest. He shot
her the afternoon of August II OF last
year, and made pretense of attempting
TO Kill himself. Sabens was q soldier at
Fort Myer when he killed the girl.
Prisoners Awaiting Trial.
Fifteen prisoners are in Jail awaiting
trial or Indictment on charges Of having
taken human life or of having taken some
part in murder. eight of them being
white and seven colored. Six OF the white
ones are John J. Patten. Joseph ODon-
nell. Albert Na,ly, William p. Connell,
Joseph Needham and Robert Maxwell,
who were arrested for alleged participa-
ton in the murder and robbery of John
Spencer, a negro, on Bennlng road TWO
weeks ago.
Tony Milano, TONY. shoemaker by
trade" and Samuel w. Rauen are the
other white prisoners charged with
murder. The former has been In jail
since September II of last year. having
been arrested after Harry Elton Smith.
la small boy. had been killed In his
shoe shop at 403 H street northwest
and the torch applied. 1T is charged. to
destroy all trace Of the alleged crime.
Samuel w. Rauen is charged with
on the porch in front of her home near
7th and * streets southwest the night
| of March 90. He had been in the work
house, and while in prison. 1t Is
and kill his wife. His brother was
talking to her when he shot her.
Two colored women are in jail
Belle Mills, who is charged with hay-
ing killed John Mills. her hus band.
and the Other Is Louisa Powell, charg-
ed with the murder of her husband
Herbert Powell. 1t is charged that
Belle Mills and her husband engaged
in a row on q lumber pile near 9Th
and K streets northwest one night
produced by the husband, it is claimed
and the woman got the knife from
him and is charged with having
stabbed him in the heart
Police Say She Confessed.
Louisa Powell was arrested after
her husband had been slain with
razor Her statement was that Her.
bert had tried to kill her and that he
had afterward taken his own life. The
condition of the bed in the Powell
home suggested to the police differ
ent state OF affairs. and the woman, 1t
is claimed admitted she had inflicted
the wounds.
Other prisoners in Jail awaiting trial
for murder are William Nixon, John
Lee Henry Johnson, John Johnson and
Richard Warren. Henry Johnson is the
only alleged wife murderer in the party
of five negro men. 1t is charged that he
fractured the skull of his wife. Mar
Johnson by throwing her down flight
of stairs. John Johnson Is charged with
having killed Lille Straightner. u
negress, by fracturing her skull with a
stone.
1t is charged that Richard Warren cut
George Reeds throat with razor. Nixon
and Lee are charged with having used
revolyers in the preparation OF the muir
ders charged against them. Lee Is
charged with having shot Nelson Con-
way in Anacostia nearly year ago.
while Nixon is alleged to have shot
William Stewart on Gordon avenue in
August OF last year.
Decay in the trials of some of the cases,
it Is said, resulted from the delay in get
ting q decision of the higher court upon
the question of the right of jury to
fix life imprisonment as the punishment
for murder in the first degree. 1t is prob
able that the trials of the alleged muir
derers will be taken up AS soon the
fall term OF the Criminal Court convenes
Provides Labor Day Holiday,