The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1918-03-15

Cheatman, a White Man Was Hang
ed.
On last Friday March s, the ne
gro, Vol Brock, paid the penalty
agreed upon by the jury at the re-
cent term of the circuit court and as
pronounced by Judge H. n. Rogers
for the murder of deputy sheriff, S.
E. Gilbert, in June 1917. BY order
of the board of supervisors, gal
lows was erected in the south west
corner of the Jail yard and was wall
ed ND on three sides SO that what was
happening on the inside could be seen
only from the side fronting the Jail.
In anticipation of the execution, sew
eral hundred people gathered in town
that day principally from the eastern
section of the county and CALHOUN
county where the dead deputy had
numerous relatives and many old
friends. The crowd was orderly
throughout. Sheriff Crowder had
placed deputies around the jail yard
SO as to prevent the public from see
ing the hanging, as required by law.
The county officers and all beat oftl-
GERS present and representative OF
the press, besides the relatives OF the
murdered man, were allowed on the
inside to witness the execution, II
they so desired. The prisoner had
the dav before asked for a Methodist
colored minister and had also request
ed that a white minister come to the
iail that morning to administer unto
him in spiritual things. He had fire.
ouently been visited by both white
and colored ministers since his SEN
tence. He professed religion ana
was taken into the a. NJ. +. church
At AS O'Clock Sheriff Crowder ap-
peared at the doomed negro's cell
and went through all the legal form
alities after which he announced to
him that the hour had come to go up
on the scaffold. The prisoner stepp-
ed out of the jail and out
into the yard and upon the scatfold.
IJnon being asked if he had any
thing to say, he addressed the crowd
saving about as intelligently as 1t
was possible for an ignorant negro TO
say. that he had committed a terri
BILE crime and that he was sorry, very
sorry for what he had done. He sald
that he was not alone at that moment
THAT God was with him and thao5 ne
felt he had been forgiven and asked
that all present meet him In pet
| ter world. He said that the best
thing he ever got in his life he got
in that Jail house." meaning thereby
that he had experienced forgive
ness of his sins. He said that he was
| especially sorry to have to leave his
old mother with the stain upon her.
He said all that he said in hating
manner and went over nearly every
statement three times. When he
stepped back on the trap door, he
prayed and then asked that the cap
he placed on him. The moose was
adjusted and Sheriff Crowder pulled
the handle that moved the trigger tnat
| held the trap door and Vol Brock
| BODY shot downward with drop OF
seven feet. AS he went down he
was repeating the Lords prayer. lie
was pronounced dead by DR.. j. b.
Middleton, county health officer. in
| rs minutes and his body was turned
over to relatives who carried 1t to
Calhoun country where he was rails
ed. The crime Brock committed was
I a nOfrlDie one. nc dShIo"ASNSSN -
| The majesty of the law was vlndl-
Gated. He paid for the deed he COM
mitted with his own hfe. he was
compelled to give that which he took
from the unsuspecting and indulgent
officer that fatal night of June II,
1917. Grenada county Is to be con-
graduated that the law took ITS
course, it is to the credit of the cltl-
zenship of the county. The relatives
of the murdered man are to be com
mended for their tolerance and for
aiding the due process of the law:
Sheriff w. H. Crowder bore HIM
self we'll throughout the trying or
deal. He failed at no point and was
equal to every demand. He showed
himself worthy Of the confidence re-
posed in him as the chief law-en-
forcing officer of the county.
The last legal execution in Gre
NADIA county was March 19. 1890,
when Mel J. Cheatham, a white man.
went to the gallows for killing ne
gro in district 2 the year before
| Cheatham had two negro and one
white accomplice. G. B. Jones vas
sheriff at that time
| w S.