The Waxahachie daily light. [volume] (Waxahachie, Tex.) 1894-current, 1916-08-30
Benefit OF DOUBT
CHIEF Executive Gives Condemned
Negro Benefit OF Doubt In
Acting Upon Petit
ton Filed.

life imprisonment When notified
CT the governors act Johnson just
grinned and said BOSS, | sure is
glad of that" ~
Johnson, as most of our readers
are aware, was charged with partici-
pating In the brutal murder OF Jack
Jones. young garage man. here on
the night OF February 81, 1915, and
was given the death sentence. Pc
tition was filed with the board OF
pordons setting forth the possibility
cf insufficient evidence to warrant
such drastic punishment and the gov
ernor and board OF pardons have seen
fit to give the negro the benefit OF
| the doubt by committing the SEN
telce. Johnson was to have been
hanged on August IL. but Governor
I Ferguson granted respite of thir-
| ty days, but having failed to fix a
date upon which the negro was to
have been executed it is very proba-
bic that even withou. further in
reference it would have been nee
essary to re-sentence the negro.
Notice of the communication of the
death sentence was received by wire
by Sheriff Dearborn late Tuesday
and Deputy George Sweat convey
| cd the news to the negro. johnson
was arrested in April of last year
after zig-zag chase over the state.
He was implicated by Joe Larkins
who was hanged on April q OF last
year for the crime. Larkins had
ted different story about the muir
der of Jack Jones and people were
divided In opinion as to the guilt Of
the johnson negro. His conviction
was secured on testimony of negro
who affirmed that Johnson had con-
fessed to him before leaving Waxa-
| hachie on the day following the
murder.
Jack Jones was night man and
collector at the garage and slept
there. He was attacked and most
b.utally murdered on Saturday
night, February 81, 1915. Employ
ees of the garage who came down
early on Sunday morning found his
| crumpled body on the floor OF the
sleeping room with the bed clothes
| pied upon it. Blood stained floors
and walls bore testimony to the
fierce conflict that waged while the
young white man battled against
odds. The murderer used drive
shaft of Ford car and great jag
ged holes were left in the boy $
| skull.
Soon after the alarm was spread
something like 1000 people gather
ed at the garage for look at the
mangled form of their friend and ac-
fuuaintance, and then a man hunt
| was inaugurated which led to the
| arrest of Joe Larkins, a big husky
negro who had been hanging about
the garage for some time. A visit
10 Larkins' home disclosed the hid
Ing place of bloody clothes. Lar
kins was not to be found, but was
| arrested about / O'Clock at the home
of another negro. For two hours
after the arrest surging mass OF
| erraged citizens held him prisoner
| in the vicinity of the compress with
| evident purpose of lynching, but
| when it was learned that there was
| possible accomplish the angered
men allowed the negro to be LED
away to Jail 20 let the law take It's
| course.
| Larkins told a story connecting
another young negro with the crime.
| Officers hurried TO the community IN
which this negro lived and ascertain
ed from white people that the negro
named by Larkins was at home on
tho night before. After few days
| in the county Jail Larkins began 10
| lnIOlu HIS StoiS VI thN ~N'~f
first where the watch and money
taken from Jones room could De
found. Officers made investigation
and found watch and blood-staineo
Gems. Next the negro told his story
duplicating Johnny Johnson, whohi
it was found had left Waxahaehie
on the night following the murder OF
jones. Then came the long marc
chase prosecuted by local otilcefs
and the Johnson negro's final ar
rest at Kaufman. After the Negro
was brought back the grand Jury
undertook to secure bill. In theii
first investigation the evidence wa'
insufficient. Johnson was taken pc
| fore that body two or three times