The Hawaiian gazette., 1918-01-01
THIRTEEN NEGRO
RIOT TROOPERS
HANGED AT FORT
Army Officers Execute Death
Penalty In Secret At
Sam Houston

SAN ANTONIO, Texas, December IL
Thirteen Negroes Of the Twenty
fourth Infantry, U. s. A., found guilty
Of completely in the riot and mutiny at
Houston on August 20, were hanged on
the military reservation at Fort Sam
Houston at sevenseventeen o'clock
this morning.
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 secret.
OF the sixty-three men tried by the
same court martial, forty-one were
sentenced to life imprisonment. One
charge and to be confined at hard labor
for two and half years. Three were
sentenced TO be dishonorably dis.
charged, and be confined at hard labor
for two years. Five were acquitted.
These Pay Death Penalty
The Negro soldiers who paid the
death penalty were: Serg. VIM. @. Mes.
bitt, Corporals Larnon J. Brown, Jas,
Wheatley, Jesse Moore, Charles w. Bal
timore and Privates william Bfack-
enfidge, Thomas @, Hawkins, Carlos
Snodgrass, Ira b. Davis, James Divins,
Frank johnson, Risley W. Young and
Pat MaeWhorter.
| At the southern department head
| quarters the chief Of staff gave out a
formal statement in which the names
Of the men sentenced to life imprison.
ment were given. He refused, how.
ever, to answer questions or make any
comment. F;b &Ar' IN A
Bid Guards Goodbye e.r<." s,3tti
Goodbye, boys of Company CT
v-e-n tho last words uttered by the
/, condemned men as the traps were
sprung and they dropped to their death
on the scaffold which had been erected
last night. @ &st
Men Of Company G, Ninteenth In
fantry, have been guarding the Negro
prisoners since they were brought TO
San Antonio to stand trial. 9tst
The execution took place In an arroyo
about two miles east of Camp Travis
on a great scaffold which had been
erected during the night by engineers
from the post. ~ ts#
A column consisting of approximate.
ly lis cavalrymen and 100 infantry
soldiers assembled nj the cavalry
guard house, where the Negroes were
confined early today. Trucks were pro-
yided to convey the prisoners to the
scene of the execution.
Colonel Leads Way VI
Col, Willard f. Waltz, post comman-
der, was in command of the column
and led the way to the seaffOld. " p
A food light had been arranged to
give light for those in charge Of the
actual work of preparing the nooses
and adjusting them TO the neeks Of the
condemned men. The cavalry and. 10.
fantry guard assembled in hollow
square formation around the scaffold
and the prisoners were given the order
TO march upon the death traps.
Without a tremor they stepped out
with scldierly tread and singing q
hymn, walked TO their places. Pray
ers were said by q 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 lfOrti-
tude while the ropes were adjusted.
A major gave the order to spring
the traps. The triggers had been arr
ranged, one for each drop, and six
men were assigned to each. At the
command they pulled on the triggers
and the Thirteen Negroes dropped 20
their deaths. Eleven died almost in
stantly, the other two a moment or
two later. 500
Not Known Ut Capital
WASHINGTON December 1.-The
hanging Of the thirteen negro troop
ers was unknown to practically all OH
Gals Of the war department until IL
was announced at Fort Sam Houston.
Doubtless the preparations for the ex.
ecutions were known to a few high
officials, but the departmental comman.
der carried out the executions as a.
routine affair, as he is warranted to,
do in time Of war, and made the usual
formal report later. 1g .'y
Were the country at peace the execu-
lions would have required the approval
of the President. Lla
No such wholesale execution in thu
army has occurred within the memory
of the present generation. The last
Of its kind was the execution Of. mem.
bers Of the so-called ssHt. Patrick q
battalion by General Scott daring
the Mexican War. Members Of the
battalion deserted and joined the Mex
lean forces. A large number were ex.
ecuted by General Scott at the battle
OF Chapultepec,