San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-10-04
England Reveals for the First Time
Secrets Most Remarkable
of the Hundreds
of Executions
He Conducted

cause of DEATH
Robbery was the motive of the crime, the disor-
derby condition of the house making this at once evil
dent to the police. The door downstairs had been
burst open and the bedrooms ransacked Two empty
purses lay on the floor while third, containing two
half sovereigns, lion shilling and five farthings.
the top of chest of drawers having escaped the
attention of the murderer.
The connecting of Palmer with the crime due
to intelligent detective work. On the morning fol-
lowing the murder Palmer was traced to a railroad
station, where he bought ticket and exhibited
abundance of money. He traced. arrested. con-
victed, and, to his own words, insisted;
81 assure you am innocent of this crime as
Lord Jesus Christ who is in Heaven, and am
going to suffer unjust punishment, as He did
The day of the execution arrived, and when my
assistant and reached Leicester Prison found
that Palmer was not in an amiable mood. Palmer
giant in size and enormously powerful. He
passed sleepless night, and talking continually
with the two wardens death watch in his cell.
chiefly confined his remarks to the subject of his
pretended innocence.
'I'm going to be murdered in the morning." he
cried out on several occasions and then he would
add, eyes, Pm going to be murdered, for / never
killed Ann Haris!'
At such moment tears would fill his eyes-not
tears of remose for his victims the evil of his past
breakfast practically untouched and also paid but
little heed to the mnistratons of the prison chap
lain. who strove to prepare the doomed man to meet
his fate calmly, strong in the knowledge of mercy
for the pentent in the great beyond
few minutes before o'clock / received in.
structions to proceed to the condemned cell, and,
accompanied by my assistant, at obeyed. Pal
mer was standing in the middle of the cell when
entered He looked a formidable figure as he stood
there and gared at me, but advanced without hest
tation. Swiftly stepped behind the murderer and
seized hold of his left arm by the wrist. my object
being to put it into position behind his back
was surprised to discover that the arm did not
yield to the gentle pressure to which subjected it.
and exerted some force, but this also proved
insufficient
Palmer was deliberately resisting, and in the sec
ond that this truth home to the silence was
suddenly broken by the man whose minutes on earth
were numbered.
"Wardens," he shouted at the top of his voice,
"are you going to let those fellows murder me ?"
On hearing the uproar, the governor of the Jail
appeared and tried to pacify Palmer, but without
success.
'I'm innocent! Pm Innocent" cried the prisoner,
land I'm not going to allow myself to be murdered
without putting up fght!
Meanwhile my assistant was doing his utmost to
get Pamer's right arm behind his back. He ought
to have been standing behind Palmer, but in the
element he stepped up in front of him.
Yelling "l'll get you!" Palmer let drive vicious
kick. He wearing heavy, hobnailed boots
they weighed seven pounds-and but for the fact
that my assistant sprang nimbly aside he would un-
doubtedy have suffered grave injury.
Pandemonium now broke loose in that death cell.
The four wardens in ATTENDANCE rushed to
sstance, but the six of could not overpower
the murderer. He fought savagey with feet and
hands, and even tried to bite Cursing and raving
like maniac, he pulled down to the floor where
he showered blows upon and all promscuously
Four more wardens joined in the conflict, and for
a minute or two fewer than ten men strug-
Cling against Palmer. There too many of u.s.
and this circumstance benefited Palmer. who, buried
beneath the bodies of prison officials still managed
to wrigge and twist and kick
During the scuffle had on several occasions felt
the strength of Pamer'S blows, but eventually my
suggestion to turn the murderer with his face
the floor carried out. In this position succeeded
in effectively pinioning his arms and he was then
raised to his feet.
Breathing heavily and still defiant, Palmer ut
tered terrible oaths, and until he somewhat reganed
his composure it was necessary for the wardens to
keep firm grip of his legs 1t was scene shall
always rememberthe rebellious straining figure of
the about to die and the white faces of the
wardens who chung to him. have never yet been
able to analyze the feelings that surged upon me at
that moment. only know that heartily wished it
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