Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-10-04
PAYS PENALTY
TO LAW FOR HIS CRIME


ly. he is above the average in intel
ligence and no one could doubt his
sincerity Admitting his bad life,
Evans has all along persisted that
his offense did not merit death In
a written statement yesterday. he
insisted that, and this morning he re-
peated it, He gives an account OF
the occurrence quite different from
that upon which mis- conviction was
based
The painful task of adjusting abe
arm and wrist straps and robing
were accomplished, and Evans walked
down the two flights of steps and to
the stairs of the gallows which
reached directly to the Jail door. Du-
ring the whole period, he kept up his
singing and admonitions to those
about him ito prepare to meet their
God" He addressed Sheriff Bells
and others directly along this line.
AS Evans mounted the gallows. the
men and women at the foot of the
steps kept up their singing, Evans
taking part In the brief space while
he stood on the platform and the cap
had not been adjusted. he smiled at
his friends, his big mouth opening
wide and showing his fine, white
teeth. The leg straps were quickly
adjusted, and on a signal from Dep
uty Bone, Sheriff Bells pulled the
lever, and Evans dropped about six
feet. His neck was not broken. though
it is almost sure that he, lost con-
seriousness at once. There were sew
eral spasmodic movements of the
leg, and County Physician James J..
Murphy and Naval surgeon shortly
applied the stethoscope. They found
slight fiutter of the heart which
lasted for twenty minutes after the
drop. He was allowed to hang until
every vestige of life had left, and
was then lowered and placed in a
coffin. Relatives and friends will as
sumo charge of the funeral arrange
ments.
1t may me said that the execution
was the most remarkable in the his
tory of the county. Not only was its
character unique as to the crime of
tude commanded the admiration of
those who saw it. Archie Isaac, who
was hung on the same scaffold last
July, gave as little trouble, but he
had neither the intelligence or char
ac.er of Evans, and his horrible
hA +o1 Df
Dora Ebert, near Camp Meade, pre-
vented any sympathy being given him.
Evans was liked by all who had been
near him, and those connected with
the Jail would all have liked a less
penalty to have been visited upon
him He has been a model prisoner,
and given no trouble to those who
have been associated with him by
their official duties,
Every detail of the execution was
carried out by Sheriff Bells and his
assistants with precision, and they
had taken every precaution to make
the affair as little gruesome as pos
sible. In choosing the early hour, as
in other cases, the sheriff was guided
by a desire to prevent the assembly
of a morbid crowd However, there
were about seventy-five, including a
large proportion of service men, in
the Jail yard, while others found
points of view on neighboring fences.
Evans had asked to make a speech
from the scaffold HE said that he
wished to warn the young men Of his
race against the practices that had
brought him to the gallows. Sheriff
Bells felt that this would unneces-
saFily prolong the painful affair, and
advised against It, so Evans issued
written statement to the same eff
feet. He said that his wildness had
brought him to this end, and advised
everyone to make peace with God and
be assured of His pardon. He added
that he was innocent Of the particu-
lar thing for which he was to be ex-
ecuted, but that his sins had brought
him to his fate.