The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-05-24
TWO WHITE MEN TO HANG

TWO WHITE MEN TO HANG IL is not often that the courts Of Mis- sissippi sends a white man to the gall lows. but just now two of them are un- der sentence of death, and the case of enc has been affirmed by the court ot last resort. Both were convicted of mur- der in counties to which their cases were sent on change of venue.
 Che ct these men, Charles Ivy, of Cal houn county, was tried in Union county His appeal to the supreme court resulted in an affirmance and May S was hxed as the day of execution, as was the case with two negro murderers. But a horrible mistake was made as to lvs, and he IS the most sadly disappointed man in Mis- sissippi Somehow or other the Union county sheriff got it into his head thai Iyy's death sentence had been committed to Imprisonment on the state convict farm for life, and the secretary of the peuitertiary board of trustees was re- quested to send for him. The traveling sergeant took Ivy to the big convict farm in Sunflower county, turned him over as life termer and went about his busi ness.
 It so happened that Governor Russell was out of the state and Lieutenant Gov ernor Casteel was acting governor, When he heard that Ivy had been sentenceu to be hanged, and learned that he was man of 65 or 70 years of age, he is ai- lcged to have stated that he was gong to commute his sentence. Some of the newspapers reported that he had com muted the sentence, and on that report the sheriff of his county had him sent 70 the convict farm. When Governor Rus sell returned home and heard what hA@i been done he hunted for the record shcW- ing such communication, but there was
 aT da- n:ed having issued such order. The gov ernor knew the circumstances of the murder. declined to interfere with the verdict of the courts and ordered Ivy re- turned to Union county for execution. This was rather a gruesome joke on the sheriff, and no doubt an awfuily Keen disappointment / to Ivy, who was TOT week or more allowed to believe his lire had been spared.
 The other white man doomed to pay sne penalty with death on the gailows IS Jesse Watts of Vicksburg, the murderer of pr. Alverson, prominent Nicksbure physician. and who is now confined m the Kinds county jail at Jackson for safe keeping He was tried and conNcted III the Claiborne county circuit court, sen fenced to be hanged. and returned to the Nicksburg jail to awat; the date TOT exc cution. but week ago he and nine other
 
 him half to death, took his pistols ana left. The jamority tfohe prisoners were recaptured that night and next day put Watts made it to the almost impenetrapie swamps and eluded his pursuers for two or three days, though never more tnan ten miles from the city Rewards oI S1 800 were offered for his recapture deao or alive Boodhounds were put on the trail and Watts was soon forced from cover. surrendering to one of his rela- lives. who promptly turned him over to the sheriff's posse. Instead of returning to Vicksburg with their prisoner she posse came to Jackson by auto arriving about daylight, gave Watts good preaN- fast and landed him in jail, with instruc- tions to Sheriff Williams to let nopody see him. The supreme court will pass on his appeal in a few days The crime charged to Watts was one Of the most diabolical known to the courts Of the state He is a11fged to have lured the physician from his home to lonel' ravine near Vicksburg, knocked him in the head, shot him to make. certain ne was dead and then buried him in gully where the rains uncovered the body 10 the gaze of the searching party,