The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-21
Governor Declines to Com
mute Sentence of Either
or Grant Respite to
Birmingham Men
BRILLIANT APPEAL
is MADE FOR LIVES
OF CONDEMNED MEN
News Is Not Broken to Men in the
County Jail--Both Talk Freely.
All Arrangements for the
Execution Made-To
Baptize Jones

Montgomery. March 2o.--( Specially.
die tomorrow. Governor o'Neal this
afternoon declined TO commute the
sentence of either or to grant them u
respite.
recommend TINT the sentence he COM
n,utcd. although Its members testified
to the governor that they would not
object were he to grant them "A respite.
Governor o'Neai. after his ordeal with
the mother and wife and children of
Jones, announced that after all the re-
sponsiibIity WIS his shoulders and
that he owed duty 10 society.
Mrs. Jones, the aged mother, begged
that Arthur be permitted to live until
April 4. in order that he and his brother
might enter the great beyond ON the same
day This, however. the governor declined
to permit
Mrs. Watson and two little children.
Mrs. Jones, the mother. and Mrs. Jones,
supported by Attorneys Feagin, comstock
and Davidson, made a brilliant appeal for
the lives of their loved ones. The tears
of the women and children and their half
stihed cries touched the heart of every
man who witnessed the spectacle. The
governor was ysibly affected and gave
indication that the ordeal was more terri
bic than that through which he has been
dgayged as a result of he scandal Of the
convict department
The men who viii die on the galowe in
Birmingham tomorrow were convicted os
numbering negro, John Holland Wat
ter Jones will yield his life April 4. in
expiation Of the murder OF Lawrence E.
Evans
Ignorant of Doom
VIII Watson and Arthur Jones. wso viii
die on the gallows at the county Jail AT
II o'clock this morning, were not told
last night that the governor had refused
to interfere In their behalf. They viii be
notified as gently possible this morn
ing by attaches of the sheriffs office
Buoyed up In the hope Of a reprieve,
Arthur went to bed early and immedi-
ately fell into calm slumber. When the
news of Governor O'Neals refusal to re-
prieve either man reached Birmingham
Warden Gilbert did not awaken the Sleep
er. deeming it best to let him pass the
night quietly.
The attitude of VIII Watson was In
sharp contrast To the dereaHai at
man who Will be his eoi aall .fat
With faltering steps and Ht5ae 1anaE
mutterng snatches of pr uN wis,
eyes wildly rolling he pa ba nnt
forth in his cell awaitins asna lfaN1
the only man who. could seks ,iu .r9fa
mis- impending doom.
In order not to needlessly excite him
he was left in ignorance OF the fact that
Governor O'Neal had declined to POSTPONE
the execution. Back and forth four steps
and a turn; back and forth. four steps
while the death watch looked In relent-
less vigilance on his every movement.
Hour after hour he kept up his seem
ingly tireless vigil. At last worn out
by the strain of alternating hope and
fear, he flung himself on his cot and fell
into troubled slumber until the dawn
that ushered in the last day of his life.
Jones Makes Statement
When seen late last night by an Agel
Herald reporter both men talked freely
all questions asked without
any hesitation.
There IS not much that / can say at
this time" said Arthur Jones' Il hope
that trere will be more mercy shown to
the next fellow that gets in trouble than
they have been to me. I am ready 10
die, If 1t is so decreed. but feel that
/ am entitled at least 10 some considera-
ton on the part of the authorities It
might seem strange and my motive might
tContinued ON Page Elesen)