Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1917-12-14
HANG IS NEGRO
SOLDIERS FOR RIOT
Army Officials Execute Blacks
for Houston Outbreak.
Al GIVEN LIFE SENTENCES
Condemned Men Sing Hymn as They
March to the Scaffold in Desoiate
Region Near Fort Sam
Houston.

fourth infantry, u S. A., found guilty
of completely in the riot and mutlny
at Houston August %, were hanged on
the military reservation at Fort Sam
Houston at I'LL a. m. Tuesday. An
nouncement of the carrying out of the
sentence was made at headquarters OF
the southern department of the army
at a. IN.
| Only army officers and Sheriff John
Tobin of Bexar county were present
| when the sentence was carried out by
| soldiers from the post. No newspaper
men or civilian spectators were al.
lowed, the time and place of execution
| having been kept a secret.
"Good-by, Boys" the Last Word. ~
"Good-by, boys of Company C'' were
| the last words. uttered by the con-
demned men as the traps were sprung
and they dropped to their death.
Men of Company G. Nineteenth in
fantry, had guarded the negro prison
ers since they were brought to San An
tonic to stand trial before a court
martial for completely in the riot.
The execution took place in an arr
| royo about two miles east, of Camp
Travis on great scaffold erected DUR
ing the night by engineers from the
post
A column consisting of approximate
! ly 125 cavalrymen and 100 infantry sol
| diers assembled at the cavalry guard
| house where the negroes were confined
at 5 80 a. m. Trucks were provided
to convey the prisoners to the scene
| of the execution.
March on Death Traps.
Col Willard F. Waltz, post COM
mander, was in command of the column
and led the way to the scaffOld.
The column arrived at the scaffold
at 6 20 a. m. A flood of light had been
arranged to give light for those in
charge of the actual work of prepar-
ing the nooses and adjusting them to
| the necks 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.
|
/ Without tremor they stepped out
with soldierly tread and singing
| 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. Resulning their song they stood
! erect and displayed the greatest forti-
tude while the ropes were adjusted.
At 7 II the major in charge of the
execution gave the order to spring the
traps. The triggers had been arranged
one for each drop, and six men We're
assigned to each one. At the word Of
command they pulled on the triggers
Eleven of them died almost instantly,
the other two quivering moment or
two after the rope became taut.
life imprisonment for A..
OF the So men tried by the same
court-martial Al were sentenced to life
Imprisonment. One man was SEN
fenced to dishonorable discharge from
the army, forfeiture of all pay and al
lOWanceS 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
acquitted.
The negro soldiers who paid the
death penalty were:
Sergt. William G. Nesbitt Corporal
Larnon j. Brown, Corporal James
Wheadey, Corporal Jesse Moore, Cor
poral Charles W. Baltimore Private
G. Hawkins, Private Carlos Snodgrass,
Private Ira B. Davis, Private James
Divins, Private Frank johnson, Private
Risley w. Young, Private Pat Mac
WhOrter.
After the hanging of the Is men the
chief of staff of the Southern depart
ment gave out written statement, at
the same time refusing to answer any
questions The bodies were buried
near the place of execution. Those
sentenced to life Imprisonment will be
sent to the federal prison at Leaven-
worth Kan.
Kept Secret in Washington.
Washington, Dec. 12.-The hanging
of Is negro troopers for completely in
the Houston riot was unknown to vir-
tually all officials of the war depart
ment until it was announced at Fort
Sam Houston. Doubtless the death
sentence of the court-martial and the
preparations for the execution were
known to few high officials, but, SO
far as can be learned. the department
al commander carried out the execu-
tons as a routine affair, as he is war
ranted to do in time of war, and only
made the usual formal report, which
was received here after the news dis
patches.
Were the country at peace, the ex-
ecutions would have required the APP
proval of the president. In time OF
s-o.. hou,axyot oil CToh authority &c do