Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-11


Thirteen negroes were hanged 1t
Fort Sam Houston at 7:17 .. m.
today for completely In the riot ut
Houston, Aug. %.
death were Sergeant William c. Mes
bitt, Corporal Laron J. Brown, Cor
poral James Wheatley, Corporal Jesse
Moore, Corporal Charles W. C. Balti-
more. Private William Breckenridge,
Private Thomas c. Hawkins, Private
Carlos Snodgrass. Private Ira B.
Davis. Private James Divins, Private
Frank Johnson, Private Risley w.
Young, Private Pat MacWhorter
Others Given Life Sentences.
The announcement of action on the
court martial's verdict was made at
southern department headquarters at
9 o'clock by the chief of staff, who
also gave formal statement in which
the names of the men sentenced to life
Imprisonment were given
"Goodbye, Boys Last Words.
Goodbye, boys of Company C"
were the last words uttered by the
condemned men of the Twenty-fourth
| United States infantry as the traps
were sprung and they dropped to their
death.
! Men of Company c. Nineteenth In
fantry, have been guarding the Negro
| prisoners since they were brought to
/ San Antonio.
| The execution took place in an ar
/ royo about two miles east of Camp
Travis on great scaffold which had
been erected during the night by en-
gineers from the post.
IlsssaA~Eelumn consisting Of approx
nater one hundred twenty-five cav
alrymen and one hundred infantry
| soldiers assemble dat the cavalry
guard house where the Negroes were
| confined, at $50 a. m. today. Trucks
were provided to convey the prison,
ers to the scene of the execution.
| Colonel M. F. Waltz. post comman-
der, was in command of the column
I and led the way to the scaffold.
The column arrived at the scaffold
at $40 a. m. A food light had been
arranged to give light for those in
charge of the actual work of prepar-
ing nooses and adjusting them to the
/ Heeks of the condemned men, The
cavalry and infantry guard assembled
/ in hollow square formation around the
scaffold and the prisoners were given
the order to march upon the death
traps.
Sing Hymn On Scaff0ld.
} Without tremor they stepped out
} with soIdierly tread and singing a
hymn they walked TO their places.
: Prayers were said by Negro minister
: and by two army chaplains and then
the men were ordered to stand on the
traps. Resuming their song they stood
/ erect and displayed the greatest forti-
. tude while the ropes were adjusted.
AT III the major In charge OF the
/ execution, gave the order to spring
: the traps The triggers had been ar
/ ranged. one for each drop and six mer
l mere assigned to each one. At the
word Of command they pulled on the
triggers and the 10 Negroes dropped
Eleven of them died almost instantly
! the other two quivering moment q
/ two.
l No civilian spectators were allowed
!. at the execution. Sheriff John Tobil
5 and several of his deputies helped II
0 pared the hangman knots for the arm,
e men.
Only army officers and Sheriff Johi
Tobin of Bexar county were presen
when the sentence was carried out b,
soldiers from the post. No newspaper
men or civilian spectators were al
lowed, the time and place OF execu
ton having been kept a secret.
! OF the So men tried by the sam
court martial, IL were sentenced t
life Imprisonment. One man was sen
, fenced to dishonorable discharge fror
= the army, forfeiture OF all pay and al
lowances and to be confined at har
:. labor for two and a half years. Thre
2 were sentenced to be dishonorabi
= discharged from the army. forfeit a
= pay and allowances and be confined a
- hard labor for two years. Five wer
= acquitted.
~ Following the hanging of the 13 me
- the chief OF staff Of the southern d.
partment gave out written stat,
- ment, at the same time refusing to al
:, swer any questions.
v Was War Routine Hanging.
lie Washington, Dec 1.-The hangin
S. Of Is Negro troopers for completely
to the Houston riot was unknown |
le practically all officials Of the war d.
n partment until It was announced ,
e. Fort Sam Houston Doubtless Il
lg death sentence OF the court marti
ce and the preparations for the exec
an tons were known to a few high OF
Gals, but so far as can BE learned Il
at departmental commander carried o.
in the executions as routine affair,
er and only made the usual formal r
an port. which was received here aft
e. the news dispatches.
at We're the country at peace the ex
on icutions would have required the 4
ia prevail OF the president. In time
lat war. however. all such authority is d
T. x,.acod