Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-10-03
CONDEMNED MAN
MAKES STATEMENT
TO HIS MINISTER
John H. Evans, To Be Hanged
Tomorrow. Tells All Men
To Shun Bad Company
SAYS HE HAS MADE
PEACE WITH GOD
Spiritual Advisor, Rev. B S. Holt,
Will Go To Gallows With
Man Tomorrow

With but a few hours to live, John
Henry Evans, colored. who will be
executed tomorrow morning in the
yard Of the county Jail on Calvert
street, before the dawn of day, has
issued the following statement
through his spiritual adviser, Rev.
Benjamin S. Holt:
John Evans Statement
81 have made my peace with God
and know that / am going to Heaven.
They are doing me a favor They
can do what they want with the body,
but they cannot kill the soul. told
the sheriff that he would be better
man if he had the grace of God in his
heart, like ] have.
Il. John Evans, am going TO the
gallows as a result of keeping bad
company with young girls. hope
this will be warning to all young
people. Young men shun bad com
pany, for it will carry you to the gal
lows, like / am going.
Young men it is easy to get into
trouble, but IL is hard to get out. You
may start keeping bad company. but
in the end it will come TO naught.
Young men take warning. ,Bewarel
Although this might be the way | have
to go. / am going TO the gallows not
for the crime that l have done, but
bad company has brought me to the
gallows. Gods will must be done.
/ was wild sinner. have heard
the Gospel preached to me telling me
of Jesus. but / rejected the Word. /
would not accept the word of God.
until / came to myself and asked my
heavenly Father to save me and He
has answered my prayers. and 1 know
that / am a child of the King. Young
people always take warning from the
Christian people. Had il not of been
for the Christian people visiting me
while i am in prison my soul would
have been lost / want to thank Mr..
Jones, the night watchman, for his
words to me for they
have helped me and the day watch
also; Mr.. Weeden and Mr.. and Mrs.
Smith for their kindness to me.
want them to meet me in heaven.
my favorite song:
Il Need Thee Every Hour
Most Gracious Lord
No tender voice like Thine
Can peace afford"
The next hymn:
What a friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and grief to bear,
What privilege to carry everything
to God in prayer"
81 am innocent of the crime on the
day charged, for which | am to be
hung.
II made this statement to my spir-
itual adviser, Rev Benjamin S. Holt"
(Signed) JOHN II. EVANS.
Evans was convicted of an assault
upon Mary Hinson, colored girl who
had not reached the age of fourteen.
1t is not claimed that he overcame
any resistance upon her part. Evans
did not go on the stand, but he has
told an entirely different
tale of the affair. Unfortunately for
him, he had bad record, having been
convicted of crime previously and
served in prison for it. Governor
caused an investigation to
be made of the claims made by Evans
and came to the conclusion that there
was no truth in them. He also talked
to the girl and her mother. In pass
ing sentence, Judge Moss said that 1t
was his duty to administer one law
for white and colored people, and that
the crime was just as great in the
eyes of the law against member of
one race as another.
Evans has had the spiritual help of
the Rev Benjamin Holt and the pray
ing hand, led by Georgeanna Boston,
who have been in constant attendance
upon him.
Evans will be hanged upon the same
scaffold that was constructed for Ar
chic Isaac, the murderer of Miss
Dora Hart Ebert. II was allowed to
remain standing. and has been tested
for fonorroyvss axocufion