Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1927-11-05


walked through the corridor
into the room where he was
to die.
Millikin's last act was to kiss tho
cross which Father Hugh Finnegan.
Catholic chaplain Of the prison, held
out 70 him as he was about I'D take
his seat. Upon reaching the chair.
Warden n. T. Speer asked the con-
demned man IN hc had anything to
say.
ia am dying a Catholic" he said.
facing the fifteen persons, mostly
prison guards and officials grouped
In front Of him. Il am putting my
faith In Jesus Christ. 4 believe hu
will save me. He will 40 it."
Milliken stood apparently unceg-
tain of the next move and Warden
Speer suggested it- Without emo
tion he sat in the chair, the guards
strapped him in and within n few
minutes the state had carried out
the mandate of the court which had
convicted him.
Court Rules Adversely
Millikin's last desE crate hone "a
escape death ended Friday night
when Warden Speer was informed
that Governor Dan Moody had re-
fused a respite after the governor
had granted "a reprieve OF 20 hours
Thursday night few hours before
Miilikin was 10 die. Just previously
w. +. Hawkins, one of the doomed
mans attorneys had impl0red Fed
eral Judge ". u. Hutchcson ne
Houston over the telephone 20 take
jurisdiction OF the case after Fed
eral Judge wv. III Estes of Tex
arkana had decided adversely on
Hawkins plea for "a writ of habeaB
corpus for his client.
Judge Hutcheson told the attor-
ney that 'of course I will consider
, the petition for N writ of hnheau
corpus when 10 is filed; 7 cannot do
otherwise" but when Hawkins was
informed that Governor Moody had
refused u further stay, IN became
apparent that time was lacking 70
get y before the Houston Judge and
hawkins left Tcxnrkana in despair.
II was his last hope, reports from
Texnrkana said. and added that ha
had said he hmd exhausted hiS last
avenue or clcmency for his client.
Warden Waits Long
Even then, Warden Epecr gave
Miilikin nearly all the latitude that
the law allowed him. He could legal
ly have put him to death one min
ute after midnight but still had an
interval. under the Texas law until
Millikin's fight for life hns been
spectacular and prabably without
precedent in Texas history.
After hiH conviction lnst Aummar
At Lockhart NV wrote eighty letters.
according 70 his version, TO attorneys
In Texas. affirming his innocence nf
the murder OK Mrs. Virginia Petty,
San Antonio realtor TN May. 1925.
and urging that they take his case
t0 higher courts. -ut tw0 nttDrnmva
responded, ~ was quoted as having
said, and almost Immediately, Clar-
ence CHM. Houston attorney. ard
Mr. Hawkins began 10 appear XVI the
courts In his behalf.
Millikin's execution waH fixed for
September 70. but on appeal tn
higher court II was deferred until
ls days later. Governor Moody re-
prieved him Mt least four times: IA
lunncy hearing was fruitless; two
nigh courts acted adversely and np-
peals to Federal Judges W. Hat
well, vi. IL. Estes, J. KY. HutrhrBon, and
Duval West brought no relief. The
case actually came 90 IA hearing be-
fore but one 0f them Judge Estes.
who Thursday night dismissed IL.
Even then Mr.. Hawkins turned once
more tn Governor Moody. Frantic
telephone calls 10 Austin disclosed
that the governor was nc that tins
enrDrte from Victoria tD Austin
When the governor finally was
reached he left word with his see
retary nc Austin that hia Thursday
night reprieve was che lmHt ha would
grant. "A few hours later. Miilikln
who had often declared h. would
never dia in the electric chair hmd
paid the supreme penalty.
Miilikin was about 20 years old