THE RECORD WAS BROKEN

THE RECORD WAS BROKEN

Yesterday Court of Criminal Appeals Affirmed Five Cases with the Death Penalty

Wash Garrett's Last Prop Gone

He was Convicted of Wife Murder, King Martin's Case Affirmed, Cases Reversed

The record was broken and criminal lawyers were given a shock yesterday when the Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed five cases in which the death penalty had been assessed. The first of these cases is that of Wash Garrett, from Dallas. The others are King Martin from Kaufman; two cases against Bob McKinney, from Hunt and one against Henry Brown, also from Hunt.

All of these defendants whose lives will be taken by the law are negroes and all except one have been convicted of shedding human blood. The exception is the case of King Martin from Kaufman who stands convicted of a criminal assault upon a young lady in the county about a year ago. The crime caused the greatest excitement and was duly chronicled in the papers at the time, but the law was permitted to take its course.

Wash Garrett of Dallas was convicted in the Criminal District Court of this city about three or four months ago of the murder of his wife. He claimed that she had proved faithless to him.

Bob McKinney killed a negro man and a negro woman at Greenville on Sept. 22, 1899. The woman was shot between the eyes and death was instantaneous. The man was shot in the side and did not die until the next day. Jealousy was the cause. No statement of facts accompanied the appeal of Henry Brown.

Among the cases reversed and remanded is that of A. A. Spangler of Clay County. Spangler is charged with the murder of a woman at Henrietta. Another is that of Joe Thomas from Morris who is charged with the murder of the ex-Sheriff of that county not long ago. Bail was denied in the case of ex parte Richard Gray from Duval. Gray is charged with criminal assault.

The proceedings of the court announced were as follows:

Appeal dismissed: Henry Johnson from Navarro; Kid Jordan from Rockwall; A. J. Mayo, from Ellis.

Affirmed: Wash Garrett (death), from Dallas; King Martin (death), from Kaufman; Bob Kinney (two causes - death) from Hunt; Henry Brown (death), from Hunt; John Holden, from Hunt, Lige Hall, from Ellis; H. C. Galloway, from Limestone; ex barte Richard gray, from Duval. (Dallas Morning News, January 25, 1900, page 10, transcribed by Peggy Thompson)