Evening star., 1951-05-08
IMcGee Is Executed
In Mississippi After
5-Year Fight Fails
BY the Associo.ed Press

LAUREL, Miss, May 8.-Willie
MCGEE, who fought a long, losing
fight against being put to death
as a rapist, died in the electric
chair early today. ...
Political issues colored the final
months of the legal battles on be-
half of the Negro convicted of
raping a white woman five and a
half years ago.
The case attracted worldwide
attention.
Up until the final hour, Nc
Gees supporters sought a stay Of
execution from Gov. Fielding
Wright, Federal Judge Sidney
Mize at Jackson. Miss: United
States Fifth Circuit Court of APP
peals Judge Wawne G. Borah at
New Orleans. Supreme Court JUS
tice Black, Chief Justice Vinson
and President Truman. The Su-
preme Court had reviewed the case
twice.
Gov. Wright had once before
refused executive clemency asked
by members of the Civil Rights
Congress.
The Governor several weeks ago
attributed the thousands of tele-
grams, letters and phone calls he
received at least in part to action
inspired by Communists. Some of
the letters came from as far dis
tant as Red China.
Executed in Courtroom.
Political demonstrations at
Jackson. Miss. and Washington,
marked the final efforts made this
past week end to save MCGEE.
Yesterday. about Is persons pick
eting the White House carried
signs saying "Old soldiers never
debut lynch victims do" and
You fired MacArthur-now fire
Jim Crow"
While these efforts were going
on, MCGEE, slight 37-year-old
grocery truck driver, was being
held in the Kinds (Jackson)
County jail.
One previous last day stay Of
execution arrived only four hours
before he was scheduled to die.
| But about $50 pm. authorities
| took MCGEE from the jail on the
90-mile trip to Laurel. Under
Mississippi procedure, execution
l. for a capital felony is carried out
lin the States portable electric
chair in the courtroom Of the
courthouse in the county where
the felony occurred.
Victims Kin See Execution.
There was no disorder when Nc
Gee arrived at Laurel at 1905 pm.
but about 800 in the crowds that
packed around the front OF jail
and courthouse pressed forward,
A State highway patrolman told
the crowd that MCGEE was going
to die and lets everybody be
nice"
A cheer went up, and the un-
identified patrolman added, I'VE
want no demonstration" The
crowds appeared more curious thar
anything else.
Then about II p.m.. the husband
brother and two hrothers-in-law o1
tMcGee's victim took seats in the
courtroom four rows from the from
ito witness the execution.
A half-hour before MCGEE died
the Rev. T. w. Patterson, Laure
Negro Baptist Preacher, entered
his cell and read the 23rd Psalm
and prayed with him. MCGEE
smoked a cigar and wrote his viii
as his head was being shaved. He
left his possessions to his mother
here.
Crowd Gives Cheer.
MCGEE made no statement a:
he was led to the chair at 1900
am. He watched with apparent
Interest as attendants adjusted
the straps of the chair set up or
the dais.
\ DR.. S. F. Carr pronounced hin
dead at 1910 am.
When McGee's body was re-
moved from the courthouse.
path had to be cleared through
a pressing crowd of about 50(
persons. AS the hearse with
McGee's body drove away, th'
crowd gave loud cheer.
At Jackson, McGee's attorney
Mrs. Bella Abzug Of New York
, revealed a letter MCGEE left TO
? his wife which Mrs. AbZug said h
wrote late yesterday afternoon.
In it, Mrs. AbZug said, McGe'
again protested his innocence ant
blamed his execution on his bein
, a Negro. The letter asked his wifi
, to tell his four children good-b,
> and you and the people keep VI
the fight"