San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-12-18
DEATH PENALTY
/ GIVEN BLACK
y TERROR
Chambers Will Continue
Prosecution After
Holidays.

The electric chair was designated as
the last earthly seat for Mathew
Briscoe by jury in Thirty-seventh
District Court at AS o'clock Thurs
day afternoon.
Briscoc, one OF the alleged "Black
Terrors" of st. Hedwig road, went to
trial Monday on an indictment charg
ing criminal attack on a 2O-year-old
white girl.
The case went to the jury at 90
o'clock Thursday afternoon. Twenty
minutes later Deputy Sheriff Fell
ciano Flores told Judge William s.
Anderson a verdict was ready. There
was a slight delay while the entire
available force of deputy sheriffs was
assembled and, with Sheriff James
Stevens in charge, were placed at van
tage points about the large courtroom,
which was crowded with spectators.
CAUTIONS CROWD.
The jurors filed into the room, and
took their seats.
Judge Anderson arose and eau
toned the spectators against making
a demonstration. he called attention
to the officers posted about the room,
and said IL any person made demon
stration of any nature he would have
them brought before him and pun
ished.
The verdict of the jury was then
handed to Alfred Harlos, clerk of the
court. who read:
1--WE, the jury, find the defendant
guilty and assess his punishment at
DEATH"
The large audience was silent as
the verdict was read. The defendant
showed no emotion. His head dropped
a bit lower on his chest. That was
the only sign he gave that he had
taken cognizancc of the fate that had
been decreed for him.
His old mother, sitting by his side,
gazed straight ahead. Her dark face
showed no sign of emotion, but her
court read the verdict that means her
son Is nearing the end OF life's road.
Judge Anderson read the verdict, in
terlined the words "as charged" as
provided by law, and handed it back
TO the court clerk.
as that your verdict" he asked the
Jurors.
at IS" they replied.
I The crowd was ordered to remain
Nseated while the jurors filed out. The
courtroom was opened without any
show of disturbance.
ASKS DEATH.
The case went to tn, jury at the
: conclusion Of an iHpassioned plea for
conviction and the death penalty by
District Attorney G. NJ. Chambers.
when ask for death in this case
] do it because justice demands it,
Mr., Chambers said. mot because j
want his life, but to save thousands Of
women and girls from masked high
waymen.
This Is no time for sympathy or
mercy. 1t is the time for justice. IL
there is sympathy to mete out, give I
to the little girl who was attacked.
"Let us put the fear of God in the
hearts Of the attackers of women and
girls and the murderers who are run
ming at large in the community.
81 don't care who the girl is, or
what she is. If any girl is nailed to
the cross Of shame, some man nailed
her there. Whether the girl in this
case was good or bad, doesn't give
these negroes the right to attack her."
The closing argument for the de-
tense was made by o. i. Black.
The first argument was made
Thursday when Assistant District At
torney Louis Schlessinger opened for
the state. He was followed in turn by
b. L. Vallon, defense; Lamar Seelig-
son, state; ii. i. Taylor, defense ::
Walter lyman. state, and Mr.. Black
and Mr.. Chambers.
Two more negroes are yet to be
tried for participation in the crimes
charged to Briscoe. More than three
score indictments have been returned
against the three men, charging them
with murder, attempt to murder,
criminal attack on both white AMI
negro women. robbery with firearms
and attempted robbery with firearms.