Behind the prison bars

by E. E. Byrum

PATHETIC.

Serial No. 3984—Under sentence of death for the murder of his brother-in-law, is an object of great pity. This man for the love of his sixteen-year-old boy murdered a man, for which deed the law demands his life. He and the man murdered were both wealthy farmers at Terra Alta, Preston Co., West Virginia. Last November (1900) his boy was arrested by the brother-in-law for breaking into the cellar of his house and getting drunk on his cider. He had him indicted, tried, convicted, and sentenced to the penitentiary for the term of one year, which angered his father, who took a shot-gun and shot his brother-in-law dead in his own barn in the presence of a hired man. The father escaped and lived in the mountains a month, gave himself up, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to be hanged Feb. 15, 1901.

His neighbors, who were kindly disposed to the erring man, at once put in circulation a petition to the Governor praying for a commutation of sentence to life imprisonment. His wife signed a remonstrance against granting the petition of her husband’s friends. However, the governor, in order to enable the condemned man’s friends to present the petition to the advisory board of pardons for their consideration, granted him a respite until April 13. Upon his arrival in the penitentiary he was permitted to see his wayward boy, and the scene between father and son was truly pathetic.

HUMOROUS.

Serial No. 3715—An illiterate white boy from Calhoun County, to serve two years for grand larceny for stealing a heifer, sensibly availed himself of the privilege afforded by the warden to attend the night school. He made remarkable progress in his studies, so that he could read and write a legible hand. He was so elated with his success that he stated before his release that he was glad he was sent to the penitentiary for stealing the heifer to procure money to take his girl to the county fair, for now he had a fair education and could get on better in the world.

MEN EXECUTED FOR MURDER.

The West Virginia Legislature passed an act February, 1899, viz.: “The sentence of death shall in every case be executed by hanging within the walls of the penitentiary and not elsewhere. The officers of the court imposing sentence may be present, and twelve respectable citizens, a physician and surgeon, and such representatives of the press as the warden may desire; and the condemned may by request have his counsel, ministers of the gospel, and such relatives as the warden may deem prudent.”

Serial No. 3745—Colored, of middle age, who had served a term in the penitentiary for stealing, was brought to the prison in 1899, from McDowell County, to suffer the penalty of death Oct. 10, 1899, for the unprovoked murder of a “scarlet” negro woman. Upon his entrance into the prison he asked for and was given a Bible, which he constantly read during the time he awaited to be executed by mandate of the law. Ministers of his race paid him frequent visits, anxious to aid him in spiritual and temporal affairs. He professed sincere religious belief and that upon confession of faith he would be saved, yet he did not seem to accept with good grace the assistance offered him by the negroes.

During his former imprisonment while he was employed to clean and scrub the guard-room and the main-building hallways, he frequently met the chaplain; so he made request to the warden that he be sent for to pay him a visit. The chaplain responded at once and devoted much of his time to giving religious consolation and words of good cheer. He, however, constantly maintained that he was innocent of the crime charged; that the negro with him at the time of the shooting was responsible for the woman’s death, by means of a shot-gun. He doubtless was possessed of a scheming mind, and hoped that he might by some means escape the penalty for his crime. Many negro prisoners as well as white ones deeply sympathized with him, for he was considered a “good fellow” when they knew him in prison as one of their number.

A collection amounting to $50.00 was taken up from among the prisoners to pay a lawyer to procure a copy of the record of his trial to enable him to file an appeal to the Supreme Court for a new trial. The lawyer received and acknowledged the receipt of the money, making in return therefor full and profuse promises what he would do to save his life. He took and spent it for liquor, became drunk on the money, and did not turn a hand to save the life of his confiding client. The unfortunate man, hearing of the reprehensible conduct of his attorney, and the time near at hand for his execution, grew despondent and weak mentally and physically. He was baptized, professed repentance, confessed he murdered his mistress, and the night of his execution between the hours of 12 a. m. and 1 p. m. it was found necessary to administer powerful stimulants to brace him up for the trying ordeal. With zeal and courage his spiritual advisor prayed, counseled, and assisted him to the scaffold. His neck was broken by the fall and his death was painless.