The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-08-25
20: Henry and Al Jennings"
Thrilling Story of Two Men Who Had Most Spectacular Careers of
Crime, Served Time and Came Rack to Distinguished
and Useful Careers,
Copyright by AL jennings, 1919
me and l jumped up and yells that to
Copyright BY Al jennings, 1919

me and I jumped up and yells that to
Il sed. IN drown yer for this and
pulled him up and we bumped each
other down to the water, They was
people there and they heard it, but we
only funnin'.
II had TO git back to work and II
left Bob there and / never seed him
again, And after a while that body was
washed up and they sed II was Bob
and tibet | drownded him and they TUX
me into court n | got all twisted up.
4 told them It was all Jest funnin'
and sed Bob was swimmin' round
when ! left, but they looked at me like
| was lytn' and the judge sed, I SEN
tenee yer to die or somethin' like
thet-
but death don't skeer me-"
Kids Hand Causes Sensation.
All the time he talked the Kid kept
his rough, freckled hand on my arm,
IL sent a chill, creepy sensation up to
my shoulder and across my neck. /
saw softer, kinder eyes thar
those that ignorant, 'undeveloped boy
OF II turned so persistently at me. The
more he talked the harder It became to
picture him walking to the electric
chair.
| felt weak and sick at the thought OF
taking notes on this Kids death agony.
The sun was warm and gentle that day,
and the Kid stood there as II he liked
Il and kept looking up at the tree and
then at me, He a such a boyish Jaw
and chin and a kind Of Hkable pug
nose that had nothing malicious about
1.-THE didn't look like a murderer.
l could hardly imagine him capable
even of anger, He seemed to grow
younger with almost every sentence
he uttered,
Jest look ct tibet tree-ain't It shin
in, thought We had n tree like tibet
IN our backyard once when l was u
kid, | amt gonna show no yeller
streak. l amt skeered to die. when
l was a kid / had a III sister. l sold
newspapers ana usten come In late. We
was all alone 'ceptin' a bitter old crank
of a stepmother.
LII Emmy user to creep up ter me
and say, "Aintcha skeered, Jim, to be
| out so late? Didjer bring me a cookie?
We used to have fine times eatin' cakes,
Amt Afraid to Die.
"Then iii Emmy got sick and the old
hag-thets all we eve called her--beat
her, and ! got mad and we sneakcd
away n lived in n basement, and we
was awful happy, 'cept tibet III Emmy
was skeered Of everything,
'She was a-skeered to go out and
~ pNo1 AANAAtp aAhh Hllt uEltL
foller me round while | sold the papers.
Bout 10 o'clock we'd 60 home. She'd
hug on my arm and whisper, You Amt
skeered o nothin', are yer, JimP' We
treated ourselves to cookies and Emmy
made coffee and we did Jest whatever
we wanted to.
Then Emmy got sick again and she
died, She had III white hands, and one
finger got chopped off'n her right hand
when she was 2 baby. And the last
thing she did fore she died-she put
out her hands to me and she sed;
Jim, You amt skeered o. nuthin',
are you. You Amt skeered to die?'
And amt, I'm gonna walk right
up. tel. thet chair same's 1t was u plush
sofa fore a big fire"
II was an obsession with him.
i've got a pass to see the Kid die"
SAID to Porter the night before the
execution.
He looked at me as though l were a
~canntbal inviting him to eat the flesh
Of a human baby. He started UP as
though 1erked by an electric shock.
Refuses to See Kid Die.
"ts that going through? My God, what
q den of depraved fiends this prison
Is, I'd rather see the only thing |
nave on this earth dead at my feet
than watch the deliberate killing Of that
poor softly Excuse me, colonel por-
Yer LOOK up his hat and walked out
OF the postoftice. Il want to live a few
weeks after | get out of here"
would liked to have changed places
with Bill. Death hadn't any ~terrors for
me, but there was something shameful
and revolving in the states methods.
III seemed 30 unclean to me-the elab-
crate ceremony they made OF their
murders. But | had to be In tho death
cell when the Kid was bumped off. He
came In between two guards. The chap
lain walked behind him, reading in a
chanting rumble from an open Bible.
The Kid loped in as though he had
lost control Of his muscles; he appeared
so loose limbed and soft, and his mug
nose stuck up, 1t seemed, more than
ever.
His. gentle eyes were wide open,
glazed and terror stricken. His boyish
face was ashen and his chin shook so,
l could hear his teeth knocking to-
gether, The guard poured out a big
glass OF whisky and handed 1t to him,
1t was a little custom they had to brace
a man for the last jolt,
Kid Refuses to Take Drink.
The Kid pushed the glass from him,
splitting the liquor on the floor. He
shook his head, his chin sagging down
and quivering.
II don't need nuthin', thanks" His
face was bloodless as flour and the
frightened eyes darted from the chair
to the warden, He caught sight of me.
] never felt so like a beast-so like an
actor at a foul origin all my life.
oh, Mr.. Al-good morning, morn
In His head kept bobbing at me, so
that | could see the big round spot on
tho crown where they had shaved the
hair clean, One of the electrodes
would be fastened on that shiny patch,
"Mornin', MIR. AL | amt skeered--
whst'd tell you? 1 amt skeered O.
The Kids suit had been slit up the
back seam so that the voltage could
be shot through his body. lie was led
up to the chair, his shoulders and his
elbows tied to its arms and the straps
adjusted. The electrodes were placed
against the bare calves Of his legs and
at the base OF his brain.
IT didn't take very long to make tho
complete adjustment, but to me It
seemed that the ignoble affair would
never be done with. When he was
finally strapped down, the boy seemed
about to collapse as though his bones
had suddenly become Jelly, but he was
compelled to sit upright.
Prisoner Persists Till Death.
Warden Darby stepped up to the boy
and called hin by name.
Confess, Kid" the warden's breath
ChuBEeu OUT IKE u ldDoIlnB engine y. |
Just admit what you did and I'll save
you. III get you a pardon"
The Kid sat staring at him and NUT
tering to himself. II amt skeered, / tell
yer"
Confess, Kid" Darby yelled at him,
and III let you out"
The Kid heard at last. He tried to
answer. His lips moved, but none OF
us could hear his words. At last the
sound came:
~ amt guilty. ] never killed him.
The warden threw on the lever, A
blue flame darted about the Kids face,
singeing his hair and making the fea-
lures stand out as though framed in
lightning. The tremendous voltage threw
the body into contortions, just as q
| piece OF barbed wire vibrates out when
it is suddenly cut from a fence. AS the