The Washington times., 1919-12-05
CUMMINGS HANGED,
SAYS HE'S INNOCENT
Slayer of Farmer Peters De-
MES His Guilt to
The Last.
fcontinued from Page Fifteen.)

tContinued from Page Fifteen.)
he is my Judge. Bennett "a man un-
known to the police) is the man who
killed the farmer. He sold the Lib
erty bond which my wife must have
sewed in my trousers. ! am innocent,
but / am ready to die. have made
my peace with God, you can now han,
me-"
Before dying. Cummings Joined the
Roman Catholic Church. and received
the last rites from the Rev. Francis
]. Loughran, pastor OF st. Mary's
Church. His last words on the gall
lows were the recitation of the Lords
Prayer. Father Loughran spent two
hours. with the negro last night and
another hour this morning.
spent Restless Night.
Cummings spent a restless night,
changing his attitude from a cool
aud Indifferent man since his convic-
tion and sentence to death on Novem-
ber "a. He passed impatiently but
not nervously upon the mattress in
the cell and arose at intervals to
ask Bernard N. Ridegely, the death
watch. who served three months in
France with the 207th Trench Artil-
Iery. what time 1t was.
AS though contemplating the num-
ber of hours he had to live. Mr.. Ridge
ly stated that the negro's sleep on the
last night Of life consisted OF sew
erale doses between 1:15 and $50
o'clock this, morning, at which time
he awoke with a sart.
Father Loughran arrived at the
jail about daylight and was taken to
the condemned mans cell Cummings
greeted him fervently and talked
freely. although protesting In his bed
of his innocence of the crime for
which he was about to be hanged.
The priest at once administered. the
last rites of the church to the dying.
which Cummings received with great
solemnity. The priest spent the re
mainder of Cummings time with
him.
Talked Earnestly.
Cummings talked with great earn
estness, and, though approaching
death appeared to be constantly on
his mind. he did not seem to brood
over it. Rather he appeared to accept
1t as foregone conclusion. He pro-
fessed preparation for his death and
confidence in his own hereafter.
Breakfast was served Cummings at
o'clock. He ate fruit, cereal, and
fried chicken, and drank about a
quart of coffee. He professed a de-
sire last night for ham and eggs, but
later changed to chicken.
There was no set time given to the
public for the hanging. and this prob
ably prevented large gathering of
spectators. Sheriff Harrison asked for
twenty witnesses, but a large number
climbed on the Jail fence and peered
over it as the negro met his death.
Chivered With Cold.
On the arrival of DIR. f. c. Mcclure,
jail physician. no time was lost, and
Cummings, as he stepped from the
warm cell to the prisoners yard
shivered from the cold.
Deputy Sheriff Robert l. Wells and
former Sheriff Samuel E. Sweeney, ac-
companied by Father Loughran,
seized him by the arms to prevent the
negro possibly falling. but Cummings
smiled and spoke to a negro leaning
on the fence.
He showed absolutely no fear as he
mounted the scaffold with a firm step.
Cummings asked to see the little
German woman. referring to Miss
Catherine Peters, whom he shot six
times after killing her father, say
ing that he wished "to tell her some
thing" but Miss ePters was not pres
ent
The grave was dug for Cummings
in the jail yard. in which he was
buried half hour after his execution
Cummings yesterday heard workmen
digging his grave, and as he glanced
from the bars in the window of his
cell he asked the workmen: "Is that
my grave you are digging? All right,
you will get my body tomorrow
morning"
Asked For Bankbook.
Yesterday Cummings wife was in
Marlboro and asked him to give her
his handbook. She accused him of
leaving his money to another woman
He replied that he had fixed what
money he had so that she could nol
get possession OF it
THE way you have treated RE
since I have been arrested, ! do not
feel I should give you anything" he
said
Sheriff Harrison has no knowledge
that the negro had any funds 1t is
said that the cost to Prince Georges
county of the investigation, trial, and
hanging in the Cummings case was
more than 81 500.
Cummings was not negro CT
Prince Georges county but born in
Sparta, Georgia, and was thirty-fiye
years old. He escaped from the At
lanta prison. whore nc was serving
a twenty-year term for burglary. He
enlisted In the army at Newport News
and admitted having deserted. After
deserting the army he came to Prince
Georges county, and was working as
q trackwalker for the Pennsylvania
railroad when he is alleged to have
killed Peters and wounded his daush-
ter.