The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1917-12-11

San Antonio, Tex ll.-Thir
teen of the negroes Twenty
fourth infantry, United ~ army
found guilty of completely /. lot
and mutiny at Houston. on Au.
were hanged on the military reser>
at Fort Sam Houston at 7I7 Och
this morning.
Announcement of the carrying out of
the sentence was made at headquarters
of the southern department at a. m
Only army officers and Sheriff John
Tobin OF Bexar county were present
when the sentence was carried out by
soldiers from the posts. No newspaper
men or civilian spectators were allowed,
the time and place of execution having
been kept secret.
OF the sixty.three men tried by the
same court martial. forty-one were sem
fenced to life imprisonment. One man
was sentenced TO dishonorable discharge
from the army, forfeiture of all pay and
allowances and to be confined at hard
labor for two and half years. Three
were sentenced TO be dishonorably dis
charged from the army. forfeit all pay
and allowances and be confined at hard
labor for two years. Five were ac-
quilted.
Those Who Were Hanged
The negroes who paid the death pen
atty We're
SERGEANT WM. c. NESBITT.
CORPORAL LARNON j. BROWN.
CORPORAL b. AMES WHEATLYE.
CORPORAL JESSE MOORE.
CORPORAL CHAS. w. BALTIMORE.
PRIVATE VIM BRECKENRIDGE
PRIVATE THOMAS c. HAWKINS.
PRIVATE CARLOS SNODGRASS.
PRIVATE IRA Il. DAVIS.
PRIVATE JAMES OWNS.
PRIVATE FRANK JOHNSON.
PRIVATE RISLEY w YOUNG.
PRIVATE PAT McWHORTER.
Goodbye Boys.
Goodbye boys of company c." We're
the last words uttered by the condemn
ed men as the traps were sprung and
they dropped to their death on the
scaffold which had peen erected Mon
day night. Men of company c. Nine
teenth infantry have been guarding the
negro prisoners since they were brought
10 San Antonio to stand trial before
courtmartial for completely in the riot
at Houston on August % last.
The execution took place in an arroyo
about two miles east of Camp Travis on
a great scaffold which had been erected
during the night by engineers from the
post
a column consisting of approximately
1925 cavalrymen and 100 infantry sol
diers assembled at $50 "A. m. at the cav
airy guard house where the negroes
were confined Trucks were provided
to convey the prisoners to the scene OF
the execution
Colonel Millard F. Waltz. post com
mander, was in charge of the column
and led the way to the scaffold
Needed Artificial Light.
Tho column arrived at the ScaffOld
at $40 a. m. A flood light had been
arranged to give light for those in
charge of the actual work of preparing
the nooses and adjusting them at the
necks of the condemned men. The cav
airy and infantry guard assembled in
hollow square formation around the
scaffold. and the prisoners were given
the order to march upon the death
traps.
They stepped out with soldierly tread
and singing a hymn, they walked 10
their places Prayers were said by "A
negro minister and by two army chap
lains. and then the men were ordered
to stand on the traps. Resuming their
song, they stood erect while the ropes
We're adjusted.
Thirteen Drop at One Time.
At 7I7 the major in charge of the
execution gave the order to spring the
one for each drop. and six men were
assigned to each one. At the word of
command they pulled the triggers and
thirteen negroes dropped to their deaths.
Eleven of them died almost instantly,
the other two quivering a moment or
two after the ropes became taut.
Sheriff John Tobin and several of
his deputies helped TO adjust the
nooses, they having prepared the hang
80. L., g. 81,
Recalls Gen. SCOTS Executions.
No such wholesale execution in the |
army has occurred within the memory |
Of the present generation. The last of
its kind was the execution Of members |
of the socalled "St. Patrick's battalion"
by General Scott during the Mexican |
war. Members Of the battalion deserted. |
Joined the Mexican forces, later made
their homes in Mexico. marrying ma
tive women. and many OF their descend |
ants now are found there, natives o:
that country in all respects. but bear
ing names quite foreign to the Ian
guage they speak.
a large number OF them were ex- |
ecuted by General Scott at the battle |
of Chapultepec, and their last glimpse 1
of life was the sight OF the American |
flag breaking out to the breeze as
Scotts legions stormed the ramparts.
Official Statement.
Following the hanging of the thirteen /
men the chief Of stan OF the southern |
department gave out a written state
ment. at the same time refusing TO an
swer any questions. The statement fol
lows:
THE proceedings. findings and SEN
tences OF the general court martial
which tried sixty-three members of the
Twenty-fourth (negro) infantry for their