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WISH SHEPPARD WILL HANGHe Will Die on the Gallows for the■Crime He Confessed.Sheriff Temple and Deputy Sherifi Cooper went to Balmuoie on Sunday morning and took Wish Sheppaid into custody, at the city jail, and brouglu him to Denton. They arrived heie about night-fall, and few knew of the arrival. Sheppard did not want to come back to Denton, whence he had. been takenhurriedly a few days ago for safe keeping in the city jail until his trial for his attack on Mi«s Mildred Clark came up. He told Sheriff Temple he was afraid of the-people here and that he would rather be tried in Bahimote.On Monday morning tire trial was begun, Judges Constable, Adkins and Hopper being present. Fifty jurors had been notified to attend, twenty-five being tales, the other twenty-five of the regular April panel. There was a great crowd in attendance when court called, some estimating it at two thousand or more visitors. Several hundred automobiles and carriages had brought in loads. The court-toom remained -locked until all things were ready and the prisoner brought over from the jail. The crowd in the corridors seeking admission became impatient and very noisy. Finally, when Judge Constable ordered the big doots of the court room opeoed and sug- . .. J - U - ^ \ I___tuen, who did not understand the matter, to revive the lynching plan said to have on hand since the hour when the child was altacked. There was n good deal of suspicious activity, and deputies and others were very watchful. | Finally State's Attorney Owens and Mr. H. R. Lewis went among the excited men and assured them that the case was far frotn finished. The crowd did not at once yield, but gradually dispersed, several scores, however, remaining until early dawn on Tuesday. Occasionally there was a pistol shot in the air as the men left the green. But a great change had come over their spirits, and they sang songs, one of which was “Tipperary. A heavy guard bad been thrown about the jail, and they, did not relax their vigilance throughout the night.The tumult and the shouting of Monday night, when for many hours a crowd occupied the public square in front of and near Denton jail had totally vanished with tbe break of day, and Tuesday was a quiet one in Denton.Not one-half of the witnesses in the case were heard Monday but the great crowd which awaited breathlessly then to catch the testimony had dwindled to less than one-fourth Tuesday. According toMonday night’s ruling of the Court the evidence of Olin Huhbard, to whom the accused made the second confession of the assault upon the child, was given, He saidWe have paid strict attention to all that has been said. We have taken into consideration the statement of witnesses and yourself, and we have sifted the evidence for and against you. We haye ruled out the confession credited to you. The Court has arrived at its conclusion solely by the evidence presented. It is not a pleasant task to impose the punish* ment which must fit this crime, and that punishment is death. There is not much I can say to you, except to advise you that you have yet time to prepare yourself during your last few days on earth. There is no use rehearsing the evidence adduced at this trial. Your days will be shortened, and I advise you to seek the counsel of some of the holy ministers of the Gospel. You are to he returned to the Caroline county jail, and there confined until such time as the Governor of this State shall issue your death warrant, and the sentence of this Court is that you shall be hanged by the neck until you arc dead. And.may God have mercy on your soul.#Sheppard thioughout the trial maintained hirattitude of indifference until tbe last hours of Court. Then he manifested some little concern. He abandoned the attitude of the stoic the next day and sent lor the colored ministers of the toivn and in the jail they visited him. In the evening he was praying and singing with another prisoner who was religiously inclined.Among the deputies about the court house and jail were the following, who had been sworn in at the Clerk's office:r _i tiF r~*t_ nr ir i n T
Newspaper Details
Denton Journal
Denton, Maryland, US
Sat, Jul 31, 1915
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Caroline C.
07 Feb 2019
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