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A SOUTH @EXAS DESPERADO ENDS HIS GUILTY CAREER ON THE SCAFFOLD, McCoy’s Speech on the Gallows—A Previous Cold-Blooded Murder Admitted— His Final Confession. Special to the Statesman. San Antonio, August 23.—Jim McCoy, convicted of complicity in the murder of Sheriff McKinney, of LaSalle county, in 1886, was hanged in the jail yard in this city at 11 this morning. McCoy mounted the scaffold unassisted at 11:15. The drop fell at 11:33, and in twelve minutes McCoy was pronounced dead. About fifty people, including the jury of view, a number of doctors, representatives of the press and a few curious spectators, witnessed the exe ccution. After his baptism according to the rites of the Catholic church yesterday, by Father Maloney, the risoner was shaved and toileted by Gus aylor, a colored barber. Then, after the final parting with his wife late in the even ing, he ate his usual supper and was left alone with his watchman. Then came the dark, dismal, silent night. The prisoner lighted the lamp in his cell and read until 12 o'clock, conversing oc casionally with his guard on general sus ects, and at other times remaining per still for some minutes, as in deep meditation. About modelinghit he fell asleep and slumbered until Go'clock this naeiog when he prepared his toilet and ate his breakfast like an ordi nary man. There was nothing in this de meanor or language to indicate the Joast diminution of the admirable composure he has maintained all along. During the forenson he was visited by his attorney, Mr. Haltom, Mr. Jesse Laxton and other friends, who made him good bye. His voice was firm, he remarked to Mr. Laxton that “they are determined to murder me and Pean stand it.’ During this time and from early morning a miscellaneous Assemblage of men and boys were congre gated in the street outside the jail, peering with morbid interest at the outlines of that gloomy structure and eyeing curiously every one who pissed in or out of its por tly. Between 10 and 1 the prisoner was taken into the front office and arrayed in a neat black suit in which he was to die, provided by Sheri McCall. The crowd in front jostled and surged to acutcd on Vin pne at the doomed man rough the iron grating off the big front windows. Several minutes later the thump on the fron floor of McCoy's wooden Inn told that he was being led back to his cell. By permission of Sheriff Mc Call, Photographer Rothwell from Barr's, was admitted and photographed the pris oner. At lea7 Hev, Father Malone made his way through the crowd and entered, bein left alone with the prisoner in his cell and was top forth on its march to the seal Oh t Wo o'clock Sheri McCall, Deputy Druce wn other officers repaired to the cell, where Deputy Druce read the death warrant. A brief conversition ensued, in which the prisoner named certain friends to whom he wished his photographs given. About this time the spectators were ad mitted and conducted into the run-around in the main apartment of the jail. They wekly surrounded the black scaffold of the enst side of the cages and breathlessly fialled developments. AS HLS McCoy walked unag sixted on his crubes and accompanied the others to the lattorm, being proveded by Father Maloney. As he proceeded he bade the county physician and others whom he recognized, good-bye, stoppin te shake hands with them. Reaching the scaffold he walked finaly up the steps, be ing slightly assisted by Deputy Druce. He then laid his crutch away, and resting on one of the berms bade others good-bye among the spectators who stood all around the sombre structure looking upward. Other Maloney then engaged his attention and pret the pene to repeat after him a prayer, which he did in a low tone of voice, M'COV'R SPREOM ON THE ACAPFOLD. Being asked then if he had anything to any, the prisoner in a firm voice and with out any sign of emotion other than a slight quivering of the lips and some hesitation in a peach pone in substance to ay: “Mckinney had no business to persecute me. He was a good man to his friends I reckon, but he treated me wrong. We never were poor friends, and when he got to the sheriff he allewed a lot of outlaws to fix up a scheme to kill me, and they shot my c offin Cotulla. While I was stuck he made his talks and called me a murderer, a thief and a d—ds— of he never was called a murderer wntil T got with McKinney and Edwards, and the only cold-blooded murder I ever did con mit was withhem near Cotulla, Tmay be a hard man; [knowl have been in some ways.” Here Father Maloney asked the prisoner entcas his sins and ask God to forgive them, ‘he prisoner evaded the injunction and continued : “I know I am not a goon man, but Ive been good to my friends.” The prisoner closed his remarks with message to his wife to live with the old man and take their boy right, and, after some irrelevant matter he cooly stepped upon the trap. He asked that someone hold his crutch or elve hold him. He then bade a final farewell to Dr. Johns and the officers, and, at the solicitation of Father Maloney, he repeated after him another prayer. Officers Bennett and Krempkan adjusted the noose and the black esp, whel McCoy complained was smoothering him. The officers hastened their prepara tions. Somebody said “Ready! The doomed man cried “Good-bye,” when Har nett sprung the trap at exactly 11:82 and the belly shot downward. The bed dan gled in the air without any sign of convul sions, the top of his only foot barely touch ing the floor. At 1142 Deputy Sherilf Krempkan cut the cords that fastened his arms and these members hang lifeless at his side. ‘The execution was a perfect suc cess. The body was taken to Tascoss for burial, M'COY'S STATEMENT. The following statement was made by the condemned man int jail the day before the execution: “I had no idea McKinney and Edwards and their party coming to Twohig on that day, nor Crenshaw hadn't, either. “I went to Twohig to get my mail on that evening. I was there when the train came in, and saw McKinney, Edwards, Dr. Bain and Mrs. Galloway and her daughter get off of the train at Twohig. T had no idea what their business was at Twolis, “T went over to George cays for my hail, and after inquiring for it went out and got on my horse. Just about this time Bud Crenshaw rode up and he and I turned around and started over to my house. “Just after we crossed the railroad track (McKinney was standing talking to old man Stewart just in front of Bain's store) Bud Crensha t turned around and rode out to where they were. They had some talk, and old man Stewart is the only living man who could say what passed between them, “Crenshaw and I then went to my house and went behind the house to the only shady place late in the evening, and we no idea of McKinney and his party coming Were on that event. We were sitting behind the house, and of our were there, and there was one pistol ig down on the blanket. As soon as they came around the corner of the house, Dr. Bain and the Mexican went on about thirty or any yards, and McKinney and Edwards around in front of me and Crenshaw. MecKinne said: ‘Bud, let me see your minute,’ an Bud got up and walked off with McKinney, carrying his prin. Edwards then rode right up in front of me, seven or eight feet away. cKinney and Crenshaw walked off about forty yards from where Edwards and I were .I had my back toward Crenshaw. I was fronting Edwards and I could not have seen them from the way I was sitting at the time, I heard some shooting down in that direction. I didn’t know whether it was Crenshaw shooting McKinney or Mc Kinney shooting Crenshaw. I didn't know no one was shooting, as I couldn't see em. “As soon as the shooting commenced Ed wards, right over me, commenced pulling his pistol. I thought he was going to shoot me; that it was an attack on me, from the way he acted. I threw a cartridge in my van and, as his horse made a whirl, I shot him. His horse broke and as he turned the corner of the house I fired a second shot at him. There was nobody in the house at the time, and no shooting out of the house, because there was nobody in there. “Doctor Bain swore that Bud Crenshaw shot McKinney for tiaits, and all three of the witnesses swore that they believed there were seven shots fired. All the shoot ing did was shooting Edwards. I shot Edwards twice, and for what Dr. Bain swore Tam satisfied there were only six shots fired, the four that Crenshaw fired at McKinney and the two fired at Edwards, and my belief is that they were mistaken about the number, seven, fired. “There was no agreement between Cren shaw and me to kill him. But Crenshaw was never present at any time in my life when there was any conspiracy formed to kill McKinney. I had no idea in the world when Crenshaw got up there and walked out with McKinney what his intent was. McKinney rode up and called Crenshaw off, and no living man, unless it is Ed wards, knows what he called him off for. I have no idea what he called him off for and I have no idea what passed betwen them. There was nobody there but Cren shaw and myself at that time and there we nobody at the house but me and Cren shaw,”
Newspaper Details
The Austin Weekly Statesman
Austin, Texas, US
Thu, Aug 29, 1889
Page 6
Full Page
Clipped by
Lynette M.
TX, USA 27 Dec 2025
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