The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1924-01-18
WOODS IS
SHOT BY
SQUAD
Bullets in Heart Kill Former
Washington Man, Convicted
As Wife Slayer.

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Jan.
1S.-Omer r. Woods, formerly of
Washington, today faced a firing
squad in the court yard of the
State penitentiary.
The former Idaho probate
Judge, de1ied his last hope for
stay of sentence by the supreme
Courts refusal to intervene, went
to the death he chose in prefer
ence to hanging for the murder
of his wife, Marietta, two years
ago.
In Revenue Bureau Here.
Woods was shot at 8:17 a. m. He
was led from the death cell between
guards who walked with him into
the snow of the prison yard. A
black hood was placed over his
head and he was strapped to a
chair.
Immediately after the swift pre-
hminaries had been completed the
command to fire was given and
five rifles, held by men who were
concealed behind a muslin curtain,
cracked. They fired at a target
painted over his heart.
Physicians rushed to his side i'm
mediately after the volley was fired
and two minutes later pronounced
him dead.
Woods was convicted OF one of
the most revolving crimes in the
history OF homicide in the West.
Born forty-three years ago, Of
good family near Knoxville, Tenn,
Woods earned the money for his
education as a lawyer by picking
tan bark" Adult 1900 he met
Marietta Wood, daughter of a small
farmer near Knoxville. There was
a romance, according to the story
developed at his trial.
Then Woods left. Later, upon
graduation from law school, he
went to Idaho, rose to be probate
judge at Idaho City and then about
eight years ago he returned to
Knoxville, married Marietta Wood
and acknowledged a fifteen-year- old
daughter as his child.
Woods was appointed to the In
ternal Revenue Service, auditing
department. He resided in Wash
ington and then came to Utah. He
brought his wife and daughter, Tee
Lee Woods, who entered the Uni
versity Of Utah.
Wife Slain And Burned.
The afternoon Of January Q, 1922,
WoodS staggered from his burning
apartment to tell excited neighbors
of bandit attack in which he had
been knocked out and bound and
his wife hurt. Firemen summoned
to suppress the blaze found the
body of Mrs. Woods charring on a
pyre Of benzine soaked bed clothes
in rear bed room. Surgical ex-
animation revealed that her jaw
bone had been shattered by a blow,
she had been strangled and the
body set afire. Woods was held.
It developed he had purchased
that day an unusual quantity OF
benzine and that shortly before he
had taken out policy on his wife's
life in favor of himself carrying
additional indemnity in case OF
death in a burning building. He
was charged with first degree muir.
der and convicted.
Desperate attempts to save him
failed. Insanity was pleaded, Con
gressmarl Addison r. Smith and
Burton l.. French OF Idaho, wired
for intercession to Governor Mabey
Dies Protesting Innocence.
Woods produced affidavits charg.
ing another with the crime. Blu,
after prolonged sessions OF the
State pardonS board, clemency was
denied and, referring to executive
sessions Of the board, Governor
Mabey Issued the statement:
"If the people knew all the Facts
they would have but little 10 say
IN the name Of humanity