Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-07-05
SOLDIERS WITNESS
THREE HANGINGS
All Of Troops at Camp Dodge Ordered
tc Attend Execution Of Three
Negroes Sentenced 20 Death For As
sauit on White Girl.

&c Attend Execution OF Three
Negroes Sentenced 20 Death For As
sauit on White Girl.
Des Moines, July 5-Thousands OF
soldiers at Camp Dodge today wit
messed the hanging of three negro SOL
diers sent to this camp from southern
states.
Virtually the entire division witness
ed the executions. The three traps were
sprung simultaneously at 900 a. m. and
death was almost, Instantaneous in each
case
The negroes marched under the scaf-
folds singing God Have Mercy on MY
Soul"
Johnson. was from Tuscamba. Ala;
Trambe from Stroud, Ala, and Allen,
from Georgiana, Ala. all selective serv-
ice men. Parents of allsthree are dead.
but Allen leaves a wife and 10-year-
old son.
johnson and Tramble were declared
by military police Officials to have con-
fessed their complete guilt. but Allen.
while admitting his presence when the
crime wac committed. maintained 70
the last that he had not attacked the
girl.
Three negro soldiers tainted when the
traps were sprung and another ran
amuck. He started for the scaffolds
but was halted by guards A WHITE
soldier also tainted.
When the sentence yof death was
read to each negro "Wednesday morn
ing, their first knowledge, OF their fate,
la quiet eyes, sir" was their only COM
ment But they collapsed when re-
turned to their confinement. Theys had
prayed since that. Chaplain J.'1P.
Jackensen, Of North Dakota, admins
tered the sacrament at o'clock ana
the negroes were taken to the scaffold
in closed ambulances.
They were composed until they
walked to Ahe scaffold. Newspaper
men were the only civilians. admitted
to the execution. Every soldier not
assigned to other duties was ordered
to attend the hanging.
1t was $3.50 a. m. whenSthe negroes
walked out OF the guard house and
climbed into ambulance No. 13. The
procession then started for the execu-
ton grounds. 1t consisted OF three am
balances and five or six automobiles.
Passengers were officers, newspaper
men, city and county officials and
deputy sheriffs.
When auto No. 13 drew up In front Of
the armory the prisoners alighted and
walked inside the structure. At the ap-
pointed time they were told to stand
up.
"Where are we going now?" they
asked.
Each negro was escorted by a SER
geant and two privates. the latter on
either side.
The prisoners arms were strapped to
their sides anu their wrists were bound
together by leather thongs.
Slowly the march was begun to the
scaffold. AS soon as the death process
sion was in motion the negroes began
their wierd incantations
They marched steadily UP to the gal
lows. never faltering at any time. AZ
ter the trap had been spring there was
bugle call. The long lines CT khaki
clad men was set In motion and the
exodus from the field was marked by
military strains from band units. The
music was smart and snappy. There
were no funeral dirges.
Thirty minutes after the trap was
sprung the bodies ere cut down and
the men were pronounced dead.
Chaplain dickinson said the convict
ed negroes were not the brutal type
with which one usually associates
! crimes Of the sort which they commit
ted.
[The story of the crime OF the negro
soldiers appear on page Of this Is