Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1917-12-15
FANG 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 Desolate
Region Near Fort Sam
Houston.

hGStOti iNSat GOlA DAM
Houston.
san Antonio. Tex. Dec 12.-Thir-
teen If the negroes Of the Twenty
fourth infantry L. s. A.. found guilty
Of completely in the riot and mutiny
at Houston August -. were hanged ON
the military reservation at Fort Sam
Houston at III "a. m. Tuesday An
nouncement Of the carrying out Of the
sentence was made at headquarters of
the southern department Of the army
at Q q. IN.
Only army officers and Sheriff John
Tobin of BeXar county were present
when the sentence was carried oar by
soldiers from the post. No newspaper
men or civilian Spectators We're al
lowed, the time and place of execution
having been kept "a secret
"Good-by, Boys" the Last Word.
"Good-by. boys of Company CO were
the last words uttered 10y the con-
demned men as the traps were sprung
and they dropped 10 their death
Men Of Company c. Nineteenth in
fantry had guarded the negro prison
erS since they were brought 10 san An
tonic to stand trial before a court
martial for completely in the riot.
The execution took place in an ar
royo about two miles cast of Camp
Travis on great scaffold erected dur
ing the night by engineers from the
post
column consisting of approximate
~ 125 cavalrymen and 100 infantry sol
dierS assembled at the cavalry guard
house where the negroes were confined
at $50 a. m. Trucks were provided
to convey the prisoners 10 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 scaf'old
The column arrived Mt the scafrod
at 6 % q. m. 4 flood of light had been
arranged To give light for those ia
charge of the actual work of prepar-
ing the uooSeS 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
Sing Hymn Walking to scaffold.
Without a tremor they stepped our
with sodierly tread and singing q
hymn they walked to their places.
Prayers were said by n negro minister
and by two army chaplainS and then
the men were ordered TO stand ON the
traps. Resuning their song they stood
erect and displayed the greatest fort-
tude While the ropes were adjusted
AT I'll 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 were
assigned to each one. AT the word Of
command they pulled on the triggers
and the 10 negroes dropped 10 death.
Eleven of them died almost instantly,
the other two quiyering a moment or
two after the rope became taut
Life Imprisonment for ~.
OF the 63 men tried by the same
court-martial Al We're sentenced to life
Imprisonment. one man was sen
fenced to dishonornble 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 c. Nesbitt. Corporal
Larnon J. Brown. Corporal james
Wheatley, Corporal Jesse Moore Cor
poraI Charles ". Baltimore. Private
William Breckenridge. Private Thomas
c. Hawkins, Private Carlos SnodgraSs,
Private Ira h. Davis. Private James
DivinS. Private Frank Johnson. Private
RiSley W. Young. Private Fat Mae
Whorter.
After the hanging of the Is men the
chief OF stan 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. Dee 12.-The hanging
Of 13 negro troopers for completely 10
the Houston riot was unknown To vir-
tualIy an officials of the war depart
ment until It was announced AT Fort
Sam Houston Doubtless the death
sentence u the eourt-marrial and the
preparations fer the execution We're
known 10 a few high officials, hut. SO
far aS can be learned. the department.
al commander carried ont the execu-
tons as a routine affair. rs he is war