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Taylor County
Crime Newspaper Gleanings
Execution News
WILLIAM FRIZZELL
HIS NECK WAS BROKEN
Frizzell, the Wife Murderer, Expiates his Crime
He Addressed Fifteen Hundred Spectators for Thirty-three Minutes, but Made No Reference to the Murder
Abilene, Tex., Nov. 20 – The last scene in the Frizzell tragedy was enacted here today. At 3:21 p.m. W. H. Frizzell the wife murderer shot through the trap and his soul went into the presence of his maker. His neck was broken by the fall so completely that but a slight tremor of his body was visible. At 3:37 he was pronounced dead by the attending physicians and his body was taken down and turned over to the undertaker.
Frizzell went to bed at 11 o’clock last night and slept well until 5 a.m. when he arose and partook of a hearty breakfast. He was then shaved, bathed himself and dressed in a neat suit of black, with white shirt and black tie. He spent the morning in entertaining visiting reports and holding kangaroo court at which he presided as judge for the last time. He ate a good dinner and smoked his cigar as usual and spent the time until 2:20 with Revs. Wingo and Stewart.
When Sheriff Cunningham went to his cell and asked him if he was ready he replied “ready.” The sheriff and guards then took him from the cell to the scaffold. Frizzell walking unassisted and mounting the gallows without a tremor and with apparent indifference all the while smoking. When the sheriff had seated the condemned man and those on the scaffold the death warrant was read.
At 2:23 o’clock, Rev. J. C. Wingo, Frizzell’s spiritual adviser, conduced the religious services by reading passages from the Bible, singing at the request of the doomed man, What A Friend We Have In Jesus, a large number of the assembled crowd joining in the singing. Rev. Wingo then prayed a fervent prayer and bade Frizzell the last farewell. As the clergyman descended Frissell was given an opportunity to talk and from 2:42 to 3:15 p.m. he continued to talk in a rambling way, never referring once to the horrible crime which he was about to expiate.
He wanted all present to take warning from his fate, to change their lives and asked them to meet him in heaven. He said he was there to die game; that he would die like Jesus Christ had died and he wanted everyone present to remember him as a brave man who had met death fearlessly. He said he did not think his sentence just, but was not afraid to die and was going straight to heaven. He made a special request of all present to buy the book which he had written and published since his conviction concerning his married life.
During his talk he exhibited a small four blade knife which he drew from his pocket saying it was a present from his wife and that he had had it with him since his imprisonment and wanted to die with it in his pocket. He stated that notwithstanding the officers had searched him a number of times they had never found the knife and that he could have committed suicide any day since he was imprisoned but he was too brave a man to take his own life.
Sheriff Cunningham took the knife from him but promised to replace it in his pocket before he died as Frizzell urgently requested this, and this promise was fulfilled. After the noose had been adjusted Frizzell turned to the reporters and said:
Put all you want in the papers, so it is the truth.
He also denied that his body had been sold, as was reported, but that it would be turned over to his father. As the final preparations were being made he laughed and after the noose had been adjusted and his hands and feet tied he asked the ministers present to sing for him, There’s never a day so sunny” and when this was concluded he said:
That’s good, and turning to Sheriff Cunningham said: That’s all.
The black cap was adjusted, the trap sprung and one of the most horrible crimes in the history of Texas had been expiated and the first legal execution in Taylor County, Texas, had taken place. About 1500 people witnessed the execution.
HISTORY OF THE CRIME
The crime for which Frizzell paid the highest penalty of the law was the afrocious murder of his wife, in cold blood, at the tent in Comanche where she was living with her mother and sister. According to his own statements he went to the tent on the morning after his arrival at Comanche having been separated from his wife for several months and called her saying that he had come down to make up with her if possible, or, if they could not make up and live together as man and wife to play quits for good and he would get a divorce in a legal way. His wife replied that she had no talk for him and that if she did not make up with him she would like to know how he was going to help himself. With this remark she turned away saying: I am going to town this morning on business and cannot wait and talk to you any longer. As she left him Frizzell drew his revolver and began rapidly firing. She fell upon her knees and with hands uplifted cried:
Mr. Frizzell, for God’s sake do not shoot me any more, for you have already killed me.
Frizzell disregarded her appeal and continued to fire at the already prostrate form of his wife until the last charge in the pistol had been sent on its deadly mission, and as the last ball was fired he said:
G_d d_m you, I wish I had some more balls to put in you.
After the dastardly act, he sought and found the sheriff and surrendered. Soon after the murder Frizzell was indicted, tried, convicted and the death penalty assessed. He was represented by able counsel appointed by the court, who secured a new trial. District Judge Connor of his motion changed the venue of the case to Taylor county to the end that the finding of the jury should be free of prejudice. At the March term Frizzell stood trial, was convicted and the death penalty assessed. The case was taken to the higher courts and the finding of the district court was affirmed by the court of appeals. At the September term Frizzell was sentenced, exhibiting then as during the trials stolid indifference. He never seemed to realize the atrocity of his crime or the horror of his fate. A numerously signed petition was presented to Gov. Hogg several days ago asking that Frizzell’s sentence be commuted to imprisonment for life, but it was of no avail.
Since sentence the doomed man has written a book on his life and several open letters to the people of this section which were published in the local papers, profuse in advise to all to change their lives and be warned by his fate. He was a man of a very low order of intelligence and seemed destitute of morality, all the more marked because he is the son of a minister known for the severity of his morality and ardor for Christian virtues. Up to the time of his execution the doomed man’s time was spent largely in drawing vulgar pictures. A few days ago his aged father was admitted to the cell. The grief of the father was most pathetic. The action of the son was cold and his voice unmoved by pity for the old heart broken man. As the old man gave way to his feelings he was reprimanded by the son who said without emotion, take it easy as it does not amount to much with me. Later the doomed man professed religion and was baptized in the presence of his father, but the conversion was more matter of fact than enthusiastic.
Interview
The News correspondent called on Frizzell previous to the execution for the purpose of having an interview with him. He was reluctant at first to make any statement but finally consented and made the following statement, almost verbatim:
My name is William H. Frizzell, I was born at Leavenworth, Kan., on Jan. 29, 1864 and am now 27 years of age. I came to Texas the first time in 1869 but only remained until 1871 when I returned to Kansas and afterward returned to Texas in 1872 or 1873.
I was married at Granbury, Tx., on Feb. 9, 1890 to Miss Annie Brown a daughter of Mrs. Mary Brown, a widow. Rev. Mr. Hunt, a Baptist minister of Granbury, performed the ceremony. My wife was 24 years old when we were married and she was born in Missouri. We lived together in Hood county, Texas, six or seven months and a part of time I might say happily. I am a stone mason by trade and I made a good living and kept my family well supplied at all times.
My mother in law and my wife’s sister lived with me. Men coming around my house first brought on my family troubles as I thought they were coming to see my wife. I at last separated from my wife on that account. When the men first started to come around my house I tried to reason with my wife and to get the thing stopped. I offered to do anything I could, but when I saw that I could not prevent it I left her and her people. My sister in law was 16 years old and lived with us.
When I left I went to Dallas county in September 1890 remained there three or four months and returned to Hood county. My wife was still there and I lived with her when I went back.
My wife and her mother’s family left Hood county about the last of December, 1890, and went from there to Comanche, Tex. I went to Comanche in January following. I had been there one night when I went to my wife the next morning. My object in going around to see her was to get her to make up and live with me again.
When I called for her she and her mother’s family were all together in the tent in which they were living, near the depot, in Comanche. When I saw her, I told her I wanted to talk to her and speak a few words with her. She replied that she had no talk for me. I then tried to reason the thing with her and I told her that I had come down there to try and make up with her, which if I could not do I would have to quit for good. She then said that she had to go up in town on business. When I first went to the tent the old lady was the first one to speak after I had stated my business, saying Mr. Frizzell we have got no use for you down here at all.
My wife then started for town, coming toward me as she came out of the tent. She said she wanted to know how I expected to help myself. She also said that she had heard that I had talked around about her. She then refused to talk to me and turned to leave. I then shot her with a Smith and Wesson 33-caliber revolver which I had owned for some time. I have carried a pistol all my life ever since I was able to carry one and my father has whipped me several times for it. I had no intention of using the pistol when I went down to the tent where they were living. I do not know for my life why I did use it. I never in all my life attempted to use a pistol on anyone else. I never was in or before a court of any kind before in my life.
Rev. J. C. Wingo, pastor of the Baptist church of Abilene is my spiritual adviser. I was raised and brought up in the Baptist church. My father is now a Baptist minister and is pastor of a Baptist church near Glen Rose, Somervell County, Texas. He is 71 years old. I have five brothers live in Somervell County, Texas, also, both of my sisters. I am the youngest child. My brothers are farmers and are in very poor circumstances. Father is just able to make his living and that is all.
When I first met my wife and her family they were supposed to be making their living by taking in washing (?). This was in Hood county. At Comanche they claimed the same thing. My mother in law is 50 years old. I only knew my wife for three weeks before we were married. My mother died when I was only 6 years old. I have no fears as to my spiritual condition. I am perfectly read to die. I am glad to know the day and am ready for it.
(Dallas Morning News, November 21, 1891, page 3, transcribed by Peggy Thompson)
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