South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-06-04
While Thousands Protest,
Three American States Are
Preparing to Execute
Women.

Four women are imprisoned in
gloomy death cells in the United States
today. awaiting their execution. Three
states are preparing to make these
four women's children motherless, by
, legal murder!
While sympathetic people-mothers,
preachers. reformers-are petitioning
that no woman be put to death, what
ever her offense, the hangman's moose
is being made ready for two Of the
murderesses, and the coils and straps
OF the electric chair are gaping for
the two others.
Sister Mary Johnson, who will be
the first woman ever executed in sTlor-
Ida, is the fourth and latest in the list.
The other three are Mrs. Bessie
NaKeheld, condemned in Connecticut,
ana Mrs. Cynthia Bunum and Mrs
Magdalena FerOla, upon whom the
state of New York has pronounced the
death sentence.
As emotonless as the walls that
mold her captive, Sister" Johnson
mother of several children, waits in
the calhoun county Jail at Blouns-
town, Fla, for the execution.
Twice she has been convicted of
numbering an aged, defenceless man.
Hot words between Monroe Bess. a
sOn-in-law TO sis" Johnson and
James Wilmington, on the latter
farm, several years ago, was the be-
ginning of the trouble.
Bess is said to have left the field
and reported his troubles TO his moth
er-in-law. Sister Johnson then armed
herself and went to the Wilmington
home with Bess, her two sons, Johnnie
and Zeke, and her daughter, Mary
Bess.
Killed Wilmington.
Monroe Bess, the prosecution claims
stepped onto the porch of the Whit
tingtOn home and shot John Whiting
ton TO death. AS Wilmington fell he
hred on Zeke Johnson, who was in
stantly killed.
1t was then that Sister Johnson fired
load Of buckshot into the breast OF
James Wilmington, aged father Of the
family, as he started TO rise from his
chair
Bess made his escape and was at
liberty for two years. He was cap
tured in Missouri and, on pleading
guilty TO manslaughter was sentenced
TO twenty years in the state prison.
Sister Johnson faced trial first in
the spring of 1911 and was convicted
Of murder, the jury recommending
mercy. Her attorneys won an appeal
for a new trial; but when the case was
brought up the second time the intro
duction of the dying declaration Of
the wOman's victim convicted her of
murder in the first degree, without
Recommendation for mercy. Under
the laws Of Florida this calls for the
extreme penalty of death.
Sister Johnson sits in her cell today
sullen and apparently Indifferent to
her fate.
While few persons sympathize with
her any more than she seems TO with
herself thousands have lifted their
voices in appeal for the pardon Of the
other two murdereSses.
Mrs. Magdalena Ferola, now in Sing
Sing, occupying a death cell which was
especially constructed for her, will be
the first woman executed in New York
in fifteen years. Ministers and wom-
ems clubs are pleading with Dist.
Atty Martin TO prevent the killing of
Mrs FerOla, on the ground that no
woman ever again should be put to
death in that state.
Mrs. FerOla has a little daughter Il
years old and a son % years old. 1t
Will be the tragedy Of the daughters
life when she grows old enough to
realize il, that il was she who iden-I
titled the butchers knife with which
Mrs. Ferola is said TO have killed Car
mellO CanestranO, the lover who Tilted
her
For Mrs. Bessie Wakefield, sentenced
in Connecticut for the murder OF the
husband who mistreated and abused
her and her children, there has been
the greatest campaign of sympathy
ever aroused in this country for a
Two little babies Will be
left unotherleSs If she is hanged.
The last on the list, Mrs. Cynthia
Buffum. OF Little Valley, y. Y, is OF
a different sort. She is charged and
convicted with having fed her whole
family poison with their food. in order
that she might be freed from them and
give her love wholly 20 a handsome
farm hand employed by her husband.
{er husband and two OF the chill
dren died. and for their murder Mrs.
Bunum herself must face death in the
electric chair.