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Jefferson County Jefferson
County, Alabama Executions
The fourth legal hanging in
Jefferson county since February 1st, took place at
Birmingham, Ala., on the 9th. SANDY JONES, a young yellow
negro, was hanged for the murder of Policeman MANNING at
Bessemer, Ala,, in April of last year.
June 7 is the date fixed
for the hanging of LEE HARRIS and ABE MITCHELL, the
self-confessed murderers who pleaded quilty in the criminal
court last week to murdering Pleas Merriweather a few weeks
ago. The two prisoners were
taken before Judge Greene of the criminal court yesterday to
receive the sentence of the court. When asked if they had
anything to say why the sentence of death should not be
pronouned against them the only reply was from Harris, who
asked thta he be given time in which to repent. Mitchell
said nothing. Judge Greene then
announced the date of their execution to be June 7, and both
to be executed at the same instant. Lee Harris has quit
laughing over the crimes he has committed and now takes
matters more seriously. He prays the greater portion of the
time, and frequently through the day and early night his
voice can be heard almost a block away, as he utters his
petitions for mercy and forgiveness. Source: Age-Herald, April 24, 1895
- Transcribed by C. Anthony. They Took It As A Joke
The Neck of Neither
Was Broken But Death Came Swiftly - A
Dramatic Episode of the Crimes for Which They Paid the
Penalty. Promptly as the deep
toned clang of the court house clock struck the hour of
noon yesterday Lee Harris and Abe Mitchell, two
self-confessed robbers and murderes were marched from the
rooms of the jail through the dense throng of sightseers to
the floor of the gallows. At 12:03 they were punished,
the black cap was pulled over thier faces and at 12:06
Sheriff George Morrow pulled the lever which threw the two
bodies like shot 5 1/2 feet towards the ground.
They were taken down fifteen minutes later having died from
strangulation. The scene at the court
house and jail yard yesterday was a novel one. This usually
quiet place was a mass of struggling, seething, pushing and
morbid humanity. Fully 3000 people were there.
The court yard, the alleys, the angles and every window
in the court house and elsewhere overlooking the
scene of the hangin were filled with fanning and sweltering
humanity. At 10 o'clock, the crowds
began to gather, and Sheriff Morrow and the jailer
and deputies did their utmost to keep some order, but
it was found to be impossible. they gathered at the doors,
windows and every place of ingress
and egress until the sheriff, seeing that trouble would result, ordered the
big double doors to the jail yard opened,
and there the crowd rushed like bees to a swarming
hive. In the meantime Harris
and Mitchell were singing songs, and with about a dozen
ministers praying for them, they worked themselves into a
pitch of enthusiasm amounting to frenzy. The sheriff, seeing
that it would be impossible to allow the men to make any long harangue
from the scaffold at 10:30 brought the doomed ment to
the front steps of the jail, where he
told them they might have their say to their hearts'
content. Abe Mitchell spoke first.
He said that he would warn everybody to keep away from bad
company. It was bad company which had brought him to the
gallows and would bring many more there. He was going to
heaven, where the devil would not be able to reach him. He
had started out early with the idea that the world owed him
a living, and did not intend to work; but tried to collect
the living by force. Continuing, he said: "My first
experience in robbing was when I met an old man; he didn't
have much, but I took what he had.
I did not aim to kill anybody if I could
get out of it, but I would kill
every time I had to. My partner was anxious to
kill." Here there was quite a
sensation caused by a lady dressed in black, who was
standing in the window of the sheriff's office, facing the
entrance where the prisoners were haranguing the crowd. As
Abe said his "partner was anxious to kill,"
this lady leaned far out of the window, and shaking
her fist at the murderer, exclaimed: "Yes, and
if I had a gun I'd shoot you too you
coward!: The interruption seemed
to amuse Harris hugely. He laughed as if it was the funniest
thing in the world. Mitchell continued: "I am sorry for what
was done, but it was the Lord's will. We went down to Pleas
Meriweather's store. I asked him for some candy, which he
gave us. I then asked him for some meat, and as he
stooped down to cut it my partner whacked him across
the head until he killed him." A voice:
"Who was your partner?" "Here he is," replied Mitchell, nudging
Harris. Lee Harris then said he
was there to warn them of bad company. He was a stranger
here and came among strange people to kill and rob. He
started out as a "kid" to rob. One Christmas eve night, in
Greenville, S. C., he was going home and noticed one negro
watching a man. He asked the negro what he was laying for a
man that had a roll of money, and if he would help him he
would give him some of the money. He agreed, and when the
spoils were divided he liked it so well that he
decided to start out for himself. This he did, and
was soon robbing every body that came along,
until he was caught and served five years in the
penitentiary. After serving
his time he came to Danville, Va., where he began
again. He was arrested, placed in jail, made
his escape and came to Birmingham, where he met Abe
Mitchell. Mitchell was too
soft-hearted and did not want to kill. As for him, he loved to kill.
He loved to see the white man's blood flow. He
liked to see negro blood, but preferred white
man's blook. Whenever he held a pistol he wanted to
shoot. Abe Mitchell again began,
and said that Stonewall Thomas, who was then in jail on the same charge, was an innocent
man, and ought to be turned loose. Sheriff Morrow asked
him whether he knew that Thomas was not
there, to which Harris replied: "You don't know anything about
it." The men were taken back
to a room
and began to sing and get more
"Ligion." At 11:55 Deputy Thompson
read the death warrant to the men, and promptly at 12
o'clock they were marched single-file to the gallows. Lee
Harris in the lead and Mitchell in the rear. After ascending
the gallows they again made a
"talk,' telling all to meet them in
heaven. Abe Mitchell began to
tremble and clinched his hands tightly. Harris seeing this,
remarked "Brace
up, here Abe, don't be shaking' dat
way." Abe braced up and was
quickly pinned. Harris appeared utterly indifferent and
laughed all the time the pinning was being done. The black
caps were drawn over their heads and with a jerk the trap
was sprung and the two bodies fell like pieces of inanimate
matter, not swaying or oscillating in the
slightest. Dr. Gillespie felt the
heart beats and pulse of Lee Harris while Dr. Shoemaker did
the same with Abe Mitchell. Mitchell's heart ceased to
pulsate at exactly ten and a
half minutes and Lee Harris at twelve
minutes. The bodies were allowed
to hand for a few minutes longer, when they were taken down
and examined, and it was found that their necks were not
broken but that they had died of
strangulation. The bodies were taken in
charge by Miller & Co., who had bought them and were
taken to their undertaking establishment on Second avenue.
Afterwards they were turned over to the Birmingham
Medical college for clinical practice in that
institution. History of the
Crime. Last winter and spring
numerous complaints were reported to the police of
reobberies and hold ups. In the latter part of January James
E. Thornton was killed as he was returning from the city in
his wagon tohis home in Ensley City, where he kept a grocery
store. Harris and Mitchell confessed to killing him and
robbing the wagon. Thornton attempted to draw his pistol,
but his assailants were took quick for him
and both the negroes fired and kiled
him. A few days afterward two
ladies driving in a buggy were held up and robbed about 20
feet from where Thornton was killed. The negroes were very
polite to the ladies and did not
molest them, otherwise than by taking their
money. Shortly after Mr. E. Y.
Daniel was shot and dangerously wounded. Mr. Daniel is
a farmer and lives near
East Lake, He was present yesterday at the hanging
and seemed to enjoy
the hanging fully as much as his
assailants. Mr. James Stiff was attacked by highway
robbers while coming home from the Mary Lee furnace and made
to give up what valuables he had in his possession. Mr. J. U. M. Barnes was also assaulted one
Sunday night by four negroes, who demanded some whisky. Mr.
Barnes being a North Birmingham distiller. The demand being
refused the gang opened fire upon him and it was by the
merest chance that Mr. Barnes and his son escaped
assassinantion. In March Please Merriweather, a negro keeping
a store on the Northside, was found dead in his store, being
fearfully butchered up. Two men were also held up and robbed
in the North Highlands about this time. These outrages,
following so closely one on the other, that it was thought
to be the work of one gang, but not one could obtain any
clue. Finally the matter was taken up by Capt. J. B.
Donelson, after all the others failed. A better man could
not have been found, for if there is any one on the police
force who has the tenacity, shrewdness, persistence, and
keenness to ferret out and bring to light evel and evil
doers, that man is Captain Donelson. Never too tired, lax or
thrown off the scent, he like the Vidog and Lecog of France,
never knows a such a thing as fall and it was only a few
days after he began his investigation before the murderers
were safe behind the bars. Harris and Mitchell were landed in jail on the
1st day of April, and on that same day they had made a full
confession of all the crimes enumerated above. This
confession was accompanied by such details that there could
be no doubt of its authenticiy. The grand jury began its
session on the following week and on the 17th of April they
were brought out for trial. They were convicted on the 23d
of the same month and were hanged yesterday. This is the
quickest work in the history of the state. Notes. Sheriff Morrow had all plans and arrangements
carried out promptly and quickly, and the consequence was
that the hanging was done without the slightest delay. The sheriffs of Etowah and Escambia counties
were present to witness the hanging and get ?ets for use in
their own balliwicks. Source: Age-Herald, June 8, 1895
- Transcribed by C. Anthony
JOHN WALTON, alias JOHN
WALDROP, was hanged yesterday morning in the county
jail yard for the murder of a fellow convict at
Coalburg. The evidence was unusually
small, caused by and unusual disposition of such cases. It
has always been the customs in Jefferson county for a haning
to take place as near the hour of noon as possible, but not
so with the one yesterday. Only a few had gathered at the
jail at 11 o'clock, when the prisoner was let to the
scaffold, and probably not more than two dozen people saw
Walton pay
the penalty of his
crime. Even the county physician was not on
hand in time, but arrived after the hanging was all
over. They Prayed for
Him. His Last Walk After the scaffold had
been reached the ministers went through another religious
service, singing and praying their usual style. They
appealed strongly and loudly for mercy. Here the negro began
to
weaken, for the strain
upon him must have been something terrible. He
seemed to be deeply interested and joined them in the
"amen." After the prayers Sheriff
Morrow asked Walton
if he had anything
to say. He spoke slowly but firmly, saying:
"no, not unless Mr. Sheriling, the warden, at Coalburg, is
here." The Drop to Death.
When all was ready Sheriff
Morrow stepped to the bottom of the gibbet and pulled the
lever which let loose the trap door upon which Walter stood.
The body fell straight downward, and simultaneously a
stifled groan was heard. The body quivered a little, and the
face caused by the position in which the
rope was placed, turned
toward the west. The drop fell at 11:10
1/2 o'clock, and at 11:25 o'clock the physicians pronounced him
dead. The
body was then cut
down and an examination showed that he had
died from strangulation, and that his neck had not been
broken. As soon as the body was
cut down it was turned over to J. D. Miller, the undertaker,
who bought the same from Walton for $10. A considerable
crowd of negroes gathererd around the jail and followed the
dead wagon to Miller's establishment. A number of them hung
around there until in the afternoon, trying to ge a glimpse
of the corpse. The body was then embalmed, and will be
shipped this morning to
Tyler, Tex., for the
purpose of demonstrating the art of embalming before
the Texas Undertakers' association, which meets in that place next
week. Wlaton is
the fourth murdered that
has been embalmed by Miller & Co. Three
of them, successfully embalmed, are on exhibition in this city
now. Sorry of the Crime. In the same mine was
another convict named James Thornton, also a negro, serving
a short sentence. Thornton and Walton walked together, the
latter being in charge of the former. On the day of the
murder Thornton claimed to be ill and Wlaton quarreled with
him about his work. He was inclinded to be oblivious in a
marked degree and made all kinds of threats against
Thornton, who went to the bosses, but was sent back to work.
Then they quarreled again. This was kept up when finally
Walton rushed at his fellow convict with a coal pick. The
pursued sought protection from one of the bosses. They were
sent back again and the next time Walton was so wrought up
with anger that he seized an opportunity and stuck the
sharp-pointed pick into Thornton's body twice, causing
almost instanteoud death. Walton
was an offender of more than one time
and has the career of having served several sentences in
Coalburg. Another to Hang. Source: Age-Herald, May 9,
1896- Transcribed by C. Anthony
FRANK COOK, the
unfortunate negro who was convicted
of the murder of
Conductor John Blackburn of the Southern railroad, will
go to the gallows today proclaiming his innocence to the
last. "The last words
that I utter," he
said yesterday, "will be that I am innocent,
and I would say it if they jerked my head
off. All arrangements for the
execution have been made, and the gallows which requires
only to be put together will be placed in position early
this morning under Sheriff O'Brien's personal supervision.
Yesterday Cook was placed in the condemned cell over the
jail office, and when an Age-Herald reporter called in
the afternoon he was
standing near the grated window of the cell
gazing blankly at a photograph which was residing on the
sill.
He greeted the reporter with
a smile and appeared to be perfectly reconciled to his
fate. "Yes, I am ready to go,"
he said, "but I am not sure that I will hang tomorrow; none
of us can see that far ahead, and something may happen to
save me. I am innocent, but if I must go,
I am ready at any
time." He seemed to think that
the governor had acted in bad faith with him, for he said:
"The governor promised to let me know by Tuesday, but I have
heard nothing from him. I knew he would do as he pleased,
but a judgment day is coming, and every man that had any
part in hanging me for a crime that I did not commit
will stand before a just Judge, who will punish him. I will
be there, and they will be sorry they ever
saw me or heard of
me." "The idea of hanging a
man on the testimony of dogs!" he continued. "Why, a dog
would as soon chase a rabbit as a man, and besides, my house
was out in the open, and anybody could pass by or come up on
the porch as easy as
not. "God is good," he said,
"and His words of comfort have prepared me to go. If He is
with me tomorrow I will walk to the gallows
as strong as I am
now." "Is that your
sweetheart's
picture you have?" inquired the
reporter. "No, sir," he replied;
"it is the picture of a friend of
mine who sent it to
me." The cell was lighted with
an incandescent lamp, and contained only a few articles. His
had, coat and necktie were on the iron cot which fitted in
close to the wall on the south side of the cell. On "You
haven't stopped eating?" interlarge envelope containing
papers and letters, a pipe and a worn bible, which seemed to
be the negro's comforter. His supper, the regulation jail
food, was
in a pan on the
floor. "You
haven't stopped eating?" interrogated the
reporter. "No, no." he said. "I'm
going to eat my supper in a few minutes. No, I'm going
to eat until the time
comes." During the afternoon,
Rev. W. R. Pettiford, president of the Alabama Penny Saving
bank, accompanied by another minister, called on Cook and
offered him spiritual consolation. They were with him for
some time, and promised
to call again in the
morning. Cook passed the early
part of the night in prayer. About 2 o'clock he
quieted down and appeared to
rest. The execution will take
place in the rear yard of the county jail and will be
witnessed by only a few
persons. Sheriff O'Brien has been
besieged for passes, but outside of the deputies, doctors,
ministers and representatives of the
press no one will be
admitted. Source:
Age-Herald, June 30, 1899- Transcribed by C.
Anthony
WILLGOLSON, the slayer of
Chief Deputy Sheriff Warnock, was executed yesterday in the
Jefferson county jail yard. The
drop fell at 11:50 o'clock
and six minutes later
teh attending physicians pronounced him dead. The negro
was resigned to his fate and met death with remarkable
coolness.
The drop
was ? feet 4
inches, and while the doctors differed it was
the general opinion of those present that his neck was
broken.
Among the witnesses
to the execution was
young Bob Warnock, the son of the murdered
man, who stood near Sheriff O'Brien when he sprung the
trap. Goldon's last hours on
earth were spent in praying. He slept very little Thursday
night, spending the time up until 2 o'clock in fervent
prayer. At that hour he lay down upon his bunkand dozed off
into a restless sleep, rolling and tossing about until
4 o'clock when he again
began to pray. Shortly
before 6 o'clock he caught a few moments
rest, but soon awoke and began to prepare for the
ordeal. He had a bath and was
shaved at 7 o'clock, and breakfast was given him an hour
later, part of which he ate. Soon after breakfast his wife
called at the jail and remained with him until
10 o'clock when the ministers
who have attended him
called. They were Revs. Edmondson, Jamar, Pettiford and
Walker, and Golson listened attentively to all they had to
say.
An immense crowd had gathered around
the jail yard, but only those allowed by law were
admitted.
Reading of Death
Warrant. At 11:00 o'clock Sheriff
O'Brien, accompanied by representatives of the press,
ascended the stairs to the room where the condemned man was
engaged in prayer, and a moment after read him the death
warrant, to which Golson listened attentively, immediately after
which the death march began
through the narrow passage
to the gallows. The negro walked with light
step, and smiled pleasantly at those whom he recognized en
route. Arriving at the gallows,
Deputy Sheriff Will Love assumed charge of the man, and he
ascendeded the steps without a visible tremor, followed by
the colored ministers. He took his position on the trap and
inspected it with intererst. He recognized some one in the
crowd, and, waving his hand, smiled
braodly. At this juncture there
was some delay, and
the trying moments were spent by him eyeing
the spectators below. Presently the sheriff told him he could
speak.
His Talk On The
Scaffold In deliberate and clear
tones he said: "Menses, this is the day that I must die, and
I lay down my life and
go to my Lord and
Saviour, Jesus Christ, who
has all power to save me. Jesus Christ
died for me and I am going to die for
him. "Menses, I am going to
tell you all today the cause of Mr. Warnock's death, and
Menses, when Mr. Warnock came up to the door and I saw
somebody pass the window, my wife looked up and saw him
before I did, and she said: "Look out! There si some one
passing the door.' I saw some one pass the window. I started
to the windown but went back to the door, and Mr. Warnock
was standing on the left hand side of the door. I shot him
first before he ever shot me at all, and I--before he ever
shot at all. I did not know how many times I shot until I
got up the alley, when I found that I had shot four times.
When I left from the house I left Mr. Warnock standing up
leaning this way.-he said, indicating by a
body gestrue the position. Concluding
he said: "I feel
saved now, and I am ready to go.
I acknowledge of my sins to everybody. I shot first,
Menses"
The Last
Prayer.
When Golson had ceased talking Rev. Tom
Walker offered an earnest prayer in which the doomed man
joined. Handcuffs were then placed
on Golson's wrists, and this arms and legs bound. While this
was being done, Golson said: "Menses, I hope none of you
will ever come to a place like this." The noose was then
tightly adjusted, and as the black cap was shutting out the
last view of the world to Golson he smiled to the crows. When
it had been not three
seconds before he dropped
Golson spoke his last words, "I am believing
on His woe." and then the body shot through the
trap. Present were
Drs. Fox, Huey, Barclay, Hawkins
and Heacock, who counted
the moments until life was extinct. After the
drop the negro hung perfectly still, not a movement being
perceptible.
The
body was thne cut down and turned over
to his wife who had it removed to an undertaker's
establishment.
The
rope was taken in
charge by the friends of the deceased officer
and cut up into small pieces, which were distributed as
souvenirs.
Story of the
Crime. The crime for which Golson
was hanged was committed on Sunday, November 27, 1898. The
negro was wanted in Autauga county, a warrant having been
issued against him charging him with burglary and his
description was in the hands of the sheriff's force.
Learning that Golson resided with his family in Third alley,
between Fifteenth and Sixteenth streets, Deputies Warnock,
Love and Barker approached the house from Sixteenth street
while Warnock entered the alley from Fifteenth street.
Warnock sent his assistants to the side and rear of the
house, going himself to the front door. Soon after they
separated the shooting began. Barker ran back towards the
front around the house, while Love broke open the back dorr
and rushed through the house. Barker saw a negro running up
the alley and fired at him. Mr. Warnock had fallen to the
ground, but was
placed on the porch by
the deputies, where he
died in a few minutes having been wounded
in the arm, breast and neck, the latter causing his
death. Intense excitement
prevailed and hundreds of men turned out to hunt for the
murdered, who was located, after many futile chases and
arrests of wrong parties, on
December 30, a month
after the killing, by Officers McDonald and Patton
of the police department after an exciting chase on the
Southside. Much interest was
manifested in the trial, which lasted several days. Golson
was convicted and sentenced to death, but an appeal
to the supreme court was
taken which refused to
interfere with the verdict of the lower court,
and he was, last December, re-sentenced to be hanged on
yesterday. As a result of her husband's
death, Mrs. Warnock, in a
moment of mental aberration
twelve months later, terminated her life with the
same pistol with which Mr. Warnock had attempted to defend
himself. Jim Walker, Jr.
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