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WISH SHEPPARD WILL HANGHe Wltl Die on tho.Gallows for the Crime He Confessed.Sheriff Temple and Deputy Sheriff Cooper went to Baltitnoie on Sunday morning and took Wish Sheppatd into custody, at the city jail, and biouglu him to Denton. They arrived here about niglit-fall, and few knew of the arrival. Sheppard did not want to come back to Denton, whence he had, been laken hurriedly a few djys ago for safe keeping in the city jail until his trial for his attack on Mi«s Mildred Clark caine up. He told Sheriff Temple he was afraid of the-people here and that he would rather be tried in Baltimore.On Monday morning the trial was begun, Judges Constable, Adkins and Hopper being present. Fifty jurors had been notified to attend, twenty-rive being tales, the oiher 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 load?. The court-ioom remained docked until all things were ready and the prisoner brought over from the jail. The crowd iti the corridors seeking admission became impatient and very noisy. Finally, when Judge Constable ordered the big doois of the court room opeoed and suggested to the door-keepers that only one or two be let in at a lime, there was a manifestation ol defiance, and the throng surged in with tumult, overrunning the bailiffs and boisterously occupying the benches. The Chief Judge then addressed the people, admonishing them that unless order were restored he would have the building cleared immediately. Then they became more manageable and finally as still as possihle, considering the great mass of people who had jammed themselves into the room. There was a time, during the first of the hub-huh \rhpn I alarm In thf*men, who did not understand the matter, to revive the lynching plan said to have on hand since the hour when the child was attacked. There was n good ileal 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 from 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 had 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 Tuesdaywas 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 to Monday 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 said this was done without any threat or promise on his part. On cross examination he said tbe negro first told him that the girl suggesled tbe deed and that witness told him he was lying and that he had better tell the truth, and that it was then that the prisoner related the story of his attack upon Miss Clark.Eugene Carmen, who aided in tracking Miss Clark’s assailant to a boat on the river; Wilmer Davis, a lad who sawthe negro in a boat coming from the direction of the place to which the fleeing man had been traced, and Henry Mes-We 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 baye ruled out the confession credited to you. The Court lias arrived at its conclusion solely by the evidence presented. It is not a pleasant task to impose the punishment 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.” tSheppard throughout the trial maintained his attitude of indifference until tbe last hours of Court. Then he manifested some little concern. He abandoned the attitude of the sloic the next day and sent lor the colored ministers of the toivn aud 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:John W. Clark, W. H. Lord, R. B. George, James H. Morgan, R. W. Messenger, John H. Horsey, Jr., Clinton Cook, William F. Dawson, Joseph W. Noble, Earle Brown, Thomas L. Nichols, W. G. Hassett, W. J. Price, Jerome B. Jefferson, H. L Hignutt. W. D. Satterfield, John E. Webber.A Federalsburg dispatch Tuesday night said: “The news received heretonight that 'Wish' Sheppard was to be banged for the attack on Mildred Clark was received with approval. Great crowds congregated on the‘streets to
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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