The Washington times., 1925-01-22
To
GALL(lVS
WITH 4
SNN
Admitted Killing Chicago Po-
Iicenan Hated to Harm"
But Feared Cops"

DNe UG0tO0 S0PD
Grinning broadly and cheerily
nodding recognition to friends
who helped make up the largest
audience ever to witness q hang
ing in the District, Herbert Cope
land. confessed murderer of four
policemen and one woman, firmly
marched 10 the gaIlows 1t the Dis
trict jail today iFifukl ID
visers T6iedl tie strains AZ The
SAVIOR = loSe u Me-.
AS he was midway to the scat.
fOid, Copeland recognized Inspec-
tor Clifford i. Grant, and he
turned to him with 4 smile and
said, "Why. there Is Mr.. Gordon.
How are You Mr.. Gordon Z" Cope
land evidently confused Mr..
Grants name with that Of the
United States District Attorney.
Crowds Very Dense.
The crowd OF four hundred. made
up principally OF policemen IN uni
form and headquarters detectives,
was so dense that difficulty was
found In making path for Cope
land to 20 fo his death. About
100 were admitted to the death
chamber, while 200 more damned
against the death chamber door
for q. neeting glance OF the last
execution by hanging In the Dis
trict of Columbia About 100 more
stood on q bank outside the jail,
where they could witness the hang
ing through the window.
Before he died, according 20 q.
Lucien Skinner, q colOred news
paper man, Copeland admitted that
he had killed eight men before ne
killed the two Washington police
officers and q Maryland deputy
sheriff and that he had killed one
colored policemen in Chicago after
he escaped from the District jail.
This would put twelve slayinga on
his record.
inspector Grant and Major w. L.
Peake, superintendent Of the Dis
trict Jail, claim that Copeland did
not confess q total Of twelve muir
ders before he died, but Inspector
Grant said he was certain he killed
g. woman in Galveston. Texas, and
he would Immediately look into the
possibility OF his having killed q
colored policeman in Chicago.
Helped Out Of Jail.
Immediately after Copeland was
officially pronounced dead at lots
a. M, Major Peake and Inspector
Grant significantly went into confer
ence. After they had talked for
about half an hour. they called Tor
newspaper men and revealed the
sensational fact that Copeland did
not break out Of the District jail
when he escaped. but walked out a
back door and was helped into a
waiting taxi by two jail attendants.
Copeland gave me the impress
sion," said Major Peake, that he
was permitted to escape from the
District jail by enemies Of l.. r.
Zinkhan, former superintendent Of
the Jail. Copeland Is said to have
admitted there was plot on foot
to get Zinkhan and that he was
permitted to escape in the hope that
Zinkhan would be censured.
Major Peake said that Copeland
refused to give any names and that
inspector 61ItI AtaU 0uNASG4 4AAAAA
today that they viii have nothing
to base an investigation on at this
late date. Major Peake seemed
pleased, however, that Copeland's
confession regarding his escape had
indicated the police, At the time
it was said that 1t was impossible
that Copeland had crawled through
a broken bar.
Until couple Of hours before he
was hanged, 1t is learned, Copeland
was confident that friends would
be successful in smuggling poison
to him and that he would be able
to cheat the gallows.
Wanted It Hurried. 80
When he gave up hope Of getting
the poison, according to the Rev
erend John Roberts, venerable col
ored preacher, he braced up and
resigned himself to his fate. e II
said that at about 3 o'clock Cope
land was anxious to have Il over
and that he, ssnt word 10 Major