The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-04-19
1900 LOOK ON
AS KENTUCKIAN
DIES IN MOOSE
Young Robber, Convicted of
Criminal Attack, Dies
ASsaiIing ACCuSer.
SISTER SEES EXECUTION
Victim Talks to Crowd for
So Minutes Before
Trap Is Sprung.
BvUnifcd Press

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SMITHLAND. Ky. April 19.-In
the presence of a holiday crowd of
1900 citizens, William Thomas De-
Doe. a white man. was hanged today
for criminal attack. He went to his
death shouting anathema at his &C
cusers.
In the crowd that saw his body
dropped through the trap, was Mrs.
Marjorie Johnson, a storekeeper's
wife whom he was accused of as
Saulting Before the trap was
sprung the condemned man and the
victim of his crime engaged in
dramatic colloquy.
Led to the scaffold in the bright
dawn, Deboe talked rapidly, almost
incoherently at times, for SO min
utes. The great crowd watched him,
restless but silent. while the execu-
TONERS prepared the drop.
Sister Near GalIows
All OF the principals in this Ken
lucky drama were grouped around
the crowd, near the steps up which
the prisoner was led. was Mrs. John
son. BY the scaffold itself stood M
T. Deboe. his father, and nearby
was his 19-year-old sister.
I tell you 1 was a robber-not
rspist," DebOe began. His eyes
rested on Mrs. johnson. who was
silent. and he embarked on TRADE
against her, against the state,
against the witnesses who sent him
to death.
He stretched out a manacled hand
toward the woman.
If had $500 or $500 to give her,
she would not have made the
charges" he cried.
Not for a Thousand"
For the first time. stirred by his
charge, Mrs. Johnson's lips moved.
mot for thousand dollarsl" she
shouted back.
The eXecutionerS muffled his re-
ply with the black hood and ad-
justed the moose. A moment later
Sheriff George H. Heater sprang the
q trap and the crowd saw the des-
perate orators body plunge down.
ward Sixteen minutes later the eX-
aiming physician declared him
dead.
People, 1 hope none of you ever
have to face what I do" Deboe said
before his death I've been up
there at Eddyville 10 months. lack
ing one day, thinking about this. and
believe me I died a thousand deaths.
If you wanted me to pay, 1 have
pail. But I'm ready now.
Woman. Are You Satisfied"
I've made peace with God. I've
asked him to forgive that woman. to
forgive all. That's more than you
did for me. They are even putting
me down on the day Christ dieo
Well. they are doing the same thing
TO me that they did to Him.
But I want to ask that woman
again-woman. are you satisfied?
and johnson, are you satisfied"
Young men and young boys.
you'd better take this warning
against wrong life and bad COM
pany. see some young girls and
some women here. too. but you
shouldn't see this. 1 don't think
women should see 1t.
"GOOd-by Everybody"
Seem so many of you here
shows me the inhuman side of some
of you. but it'll be a lesson to ali
to you. There is many in this
crowd that needs it worse than I
do"
I'm ready now. Good-by every
body"
"Good-by. brother" called his
sister Historically. looking I'D from
below and clinging to her fathers
arm.
Take your time, he cautioned the
officials through the black hood
DO good job with that knot"
He had hardly spoken when Sher-
III Heater sprung the trap.
It was the first hanging in history
of Livingston County and Smith
land. the oldest town on the river
between Louisville and New Orleans.