Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-12-12
IS NEGRO |NFANTnYMEN
EXECUTED BY HANGING
All round Guilty OF Completely in
hiot and Nutiny ut Houston
ON August 23.
TO DEATH WITHOUT TnEMon
|ohIF Army Officers and Texas Shcr.
Ut Present When Sentence Is Car
rted Out by Soldiers From
the Post.
BY Associated Press. !


SAN ANTONIO. TEEAS. December II.
"A 'rampied clearing in "A lonely mes
auto thickot on the government rcscr-
walton here. except for tho ashes of two
huSc boniires. showed no signs tonight
that 1t vas the execution place Of ;hir-
fourth Infantry to-day. The negroes,
convicted OF participa Ting in the riots
at houston. Texas. August %. last. were
hanged at ono minute before sunrise.
After dark last night motor trucks
carried the lumber fer the scaFolds
ana company of engineers to tho
clearing. The scanolds were built by
hrelight. Motor trucks shortly after 8
o'clock this morning carried the con-
dcmned negroes and tho officers and
military guard TO the place Of cxecu-
tion The trucks later carried the
oodics TO place as indistinsuishable
as the execution site where the burial
LOOK place. Then they hauled back TO
rort sam Houston every piece of lunl-
Der used in the scaftold. SO that the site
was clear before formal announcement
Of the executions had been issued by
the Southern Department headquarters.
The condemned negroes had known
or their fate since Sunday. Twelve OF
them sought spiritual counsel OF Army
J. NJ. G. y. workers. The thirteenth.
whosc name has not been disclosed
gave no inkiinG tina. nc knew. Out
Wardly all were stoiLal. They did not
know the date OF the execution. but
Ilsk t,-t..
Euardhoure where they have been
prisoners more than Il month. and
placed in separate barracks
TIME AND PLACE
OF EAECI TIoN SECRET
Aside from less than dozen officers
of the Southern Department and the
sheriff of BcXar County. no one in the
city or tho army camps knew OF the
execution. date or place. The other
defendants were ignorant Of the fate OF
their companions until after the formal
anno""romens had been nada.
The condemned men were aroused
this morning fcw minutes before
regular arm" rcvciilc. The military
guard had been summoned silently, and
no sound was heard In the camp where
nearly 10000 men were Sleeping. OK
motors awaiting their loads. The
negroes dressed in their regular uni
form AZ carefully as for inspection.
They displayed neither braYado or
fear. They rode to the execution sing.
Ing suthyiirn, but the singing WIS that
or soldiers. on tho march. Arrived at
hc clearing, the song ceased: the mon
ihackicd were helped from the trucks
% the scafIolds and seated on chairs
low 'Sood-hy, boys addressed 10
members of their military guard who
had been in charge ot the negroes since
they ;.crc braush; here from Fort
Bliss. was tho only expression from
any OF the negroes.
The mems feet were bound m army
chaplain offered prayer. IN officer
called attention" and a. on parade
the negroes stood Greet, They stood
i quietly while caps ana rooYcs were ad.
! iustcd. and then stepped on tho traps.
Tho ma or in charge OF The execution
-avc "A signal ana soldiers sprung tho
!raps.
Tic negroes plunged nino feet to in
slant dcati.
No announcement has been made
when the :or:y.one negro defendants
fivem sentences hy he court-mar-
worth.
NEWS sLUw ~ SPREADING
ABOUT CAMP or CITY
Eycn after the executions and the re-
urn of the guard to camp, news OF
what had occurred did not spread
through the camp or through the city
Intii announced by newspapers. II
created some demonstration among ne
.rocs who had followed the progress
of &c trial in the nature of mourn
.nGs" ut Il few negro churches. Crowds
II these. however, were small.
OF the others four were sentenced
% Gishonorablc discharge from the
army forfeiture Of all pay and allow
ances due. and prison terms of two
years, and two years and six months.
give were acquitted and sent to join
heir commands.
In spite OF the executions and an
aounccmcnt of tho other sentences, this
morning the riot at houston is not IL
closed incident. Investigation is still
in progress. and ii is expected addi-
onal court inartials VIII follow