The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-08-20


the hour for his death approached
deputy sheriff. who accompanied the
Aberdeen sheriff on the trip 10 TupelS
stated that Marshall Thursday alter
noon listened calmly 10 q dlscuss'un
OF what disposition would be made o.
his body after he had been executed.
lie was Interested in knowing what
kind Of coffin the county would pro-
vide for him and when the grewsomes
conversation was concluded Marshall
said with laugh, Il think vi get
Dago here shaved up, and send him w
there In my place, Sheriff lnman
might not know he is the wrong man,
and might hang him instead Of me.
Dago Is another prisoner held on
minor charge in the Aberdeen jail
Marshall's first requt st on his arrival
in Tupelo this morning was that he be
permitted to get shave. The request
was granted.
1T makes no difference to me what
time you set the hanging for" Mar
shall said at 10 o'clock this morning,
when Sheriff Inman called at the death
cell
IF you have no preference, then III
set l o'clock as the time. Charlie,
Inman told the condemned man.
Marshalls brother. Felix, spent the
morning in the cell of the stage.
Reaches Tupelo.
Marshall arrived in Tupelo this morn
ing at Cos O'Clock over the Frisco, He
| was In the custody OF the sheriff OF
| Aberdeen, Miss. whose prisoner he has
| been since his conviction on charge OF
murder in the first degree. Sheriff In
| man met the Aberdeen sheriff and the
prisoner several miles down the road.
| The hanging was the sole topic Of
conversation in Tupelo today. Crowds
began to arrive here early Thursday
| afternoon and by . o'clock this morn
ing II was estimated that there was
at least 1900 persons here from sur
| rounding territory, They were not per-
mitted 10 view the hanging, but during
the early hours Of the morning many
OF them passed and repassed the hasti-
ly constructed building where Mar
shall was to die.
Marshall was executed In a two-story
wooden building which has just been
erected on the outside OF the county
jail in Court square, few feet from
the front steps of the county court
house. The death house sits flush
against the north wall of the jail build
ing Around the death house Sheriff
Inman had erected a heavy wire fence
about six feet from the building itself
The death house, containing the gall
lows, Is two stories high. At the sec
ond floor level. on the north wall. lie a
door opening from the gallows room
onto a small platform This platform
was constructed so that Charlie Mar
shall could stand in full view OF the
| crowd.
History of Crime.
Marshall almost annihllated the fans
fly OF Robert Miller, an Amory farmer.
on Thursday night, Jan. Is. At the
time he was on bond on a charge Of
violating the age of consent law. Fam
ME, 1S-year- daughter of Miller, was
the mother of Marshalfs illegitimate
child
Marshall dynamited che Miller house.
Then With a shotgun he fired through a
window into the house. He killed Rob
ert Miller, Leonard Miller. 16-year-old
son. and Fannie Miller.
"Burley,' Marshasfs illegitimate child,
aged eight months. was the fourth and
last victim of the slayer. Armed with
stick of stove wood, Marshall beat
out the infants brains as the babe
crawled toward Its slain mother. Pearl
May Miller, aged 10. escaped the fate
of the other members of her family by
climbing into the loft. She witnessed
the killing of her father, sister and
brother then saw Marshall dash out
the brains of the baby and pour kero-
scne about the Miller premises and set
fire to the house. The girl escaped
after the killer had departed She told
nelghbors Of the terrible sight she had
witnessed and named Marshall as the
man who committed the murders. 1t
was her testimony which convicted
Marshall
The crowds began to arrive here
Thursday afternoon. A particularly
large delegation came from Amory. the
scene of the crime. The crowd was or
derby at all times. About a dozen men.
including two guards, spent the night
at the base of the death house. Tho
guards were put on by Sheriff 1nman
because of rumors that public hang
ing was going to be insisted upon by
eighbors OF the Millers It was feared
that an effort would be made to tear
down the walls of the death house dur
ing the night to afford the crowd a
view of the hanging These rumors
were groundless. no effort at any vio-
lence being made at any time.
Shortly after sunup this morning, a
crowd began TO gather in Court square.
BY o'clock the crowd in the square
numbered about $50 men and boys.
They lolled about on the grass or
stood in small groups discussing the
| har urfr