Daily press. [volume], July 13, 1906, Image 1

About Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current

Image provided by: Library of Virginia; Richmond, VA

                
THE DAILY PRE8S
Is the only newspaper
In Newport News
that receives full As?
sociated Press report.
vol. xl, no. 164
nf;
DAVENPORT PAYS
PENALTY ON S
Murderer of Wille Thomas Slept Soundly on
Floor of His Cell Until Short Time
Before Called by Officers.
CONFESSED TO ATTORNEYS
Report Says Doomed Man Implicated Willie Wim?
bush and Another Negro, But lijs Confidants
Have Given Out Nothing Concerning What
They Were Told?Crowd Witnessed Ex?
ecution in City Hall This Horning*
ANDREJ L. DAVENPORT WAS HANGED IN THE JAIL YARD
HERE THIS MORNING AT FIVE O'CLOCK.
*' WHILE THE PRISONER DID NOT MAKE A LITERAL CONFESSION.
HE SAID HE HOPED ALL WOULD TAKE WARNING FROM THE FATE
WHICH HAD BEFALLEN HIM.
Davenport said that he had prepared a statement which he had turned
over to Rev. A. O. Sykes, D. D., and to Rev. S. A. Howell. It is presumed
that the confession in detail is in this document.
Immediately fter the trap was sprun, Dr. Sykes stated that Davenport
had made a full confession to him, admitting that he killed Willie Thomas.
Dr. Sykes said he had two letters which he Had not opened and he did not
know whether or not Davenport had implicated anyone else. He will revise
the letters, at Davenport's request, before giving them out to the public.
The prisoner was brought from the jail, shackled, at 4:30. Sergeant
Mllstead and Deputy C. C. Curtis took him to the scaffold, where Rev. A. O.
Sykes, D. D., joined the party.
The prisoner wore his "sackcloth," being draped with burlap.
Rev. Dr. Sykes offered up a fervent prayer. Sergeant Milstead then in?
formed Davenport that he had but a few minutes to live and asked him if
he had anything to say. The prisoner said he would not speak until Rev. S.
A. Howell, reached the scaffold. The negro pastor came In .about 4:45.
There were about 200 spectators. The walls were lined with people,
among them many women and children. Sheriff Mllstead asked the women
to take the children away, but no attention was pa\d to the request, those
in points of vantage, evidently being determined to see the end of the grim
tragedy.
At 5:13 1-2 o'clock Dr. Creasy announced that Davenport was dead.
Sleeping soundly, face downward
oh the floor of his cell, Davenport -
waited for the call to go to the gal-'
lows. He chatted with Sergeant
Mllstead and others during the early
part of last night and later he was
with Rev. S. A. Howell, colore I,
for an hour or more. Shortly after
midnight the preacher left the jail
and the murderer Knelt in his cell,
apparently praying, for half an hour.
Then he stretched himself upon lite
floor, pulled his blanket over him
and weut to sleep.
A short time before he was called
he awakened, dressed himself in
his sackcloth und prayed.
Ready Last Night.
Everything was In readiness for
the execution last night. The rope I
was furnished by City Sergeant Law
ler, of Norfolk, who came over lo
witness the execution, and It had
?been used on several 'previous oc-'
caslons, Mr. Mllstead himself made
the hangman's knot. The trap and'
electrical apparatus had been thor-'
(Highly tested, propur precautions
being taken to prevent anyone from
discovering1 which of the three but?
tons was connected with the wire
leading to the trap.
The three buttons were on a board
at the foot of tho scaffold, between
?tile steps and the wall of the city
hall. Here City Sergeant Mllstead.
Deputy C. C. Curtis and Deputy M.
W. Brown stood and pressed the but?
tons simultaneously.
Relatives Want Body.
"When the murderer had been pro?
nounced dead, the body wbb turned
over to C. C. Cunningham, the negro
undertaker. IL is understood that!
Davenport's relatives will have the
body burled, although his brother
refused to go to the jnll to see him
yesterday.
Large Crowd Present.
The court house yard was filled
with people when the trap wus
sprung. Over n hundred ticket*
were Issued by Sergeant. Mllstead
yesterday, no one who desired to be
present being refused. There were
nearly a dozen police officers In ad?
dition to several officials from neigh?
boring places. Among * the Istter
were Sheriff S. S. Curtis, of War?
wick, and City Sergeant John I .aw
lor, of Norfolk.
Saw Only Lawyers and Preachers,
Attorneys Collier ntul Robinson,
Rev. A. O. Sykes, rector of St. Paul's
Episcopal church, and Rev. S. A.
Ho well, . colored i wore the only per?
sons admitted to see Davenport yes?
terday, it is understood that tho
prisoner made at least a partial con-j
fesslon to the lawyers and preachers, ]
but none, of them would have any*
CAUGHT, KILLS HIMSELF
Murderer ol Milliner Commits Sui?
cide In Prison Cell.
SMUGGLES PISTOL INTO JAIL
i -
When Arrested Orders Were Found
1 in His Pockets Calling For the
I Apprehension of the Suspected
I Man?Description Fitted Him.
Oly AJMf'clntnd Press.)
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.. July 12.?
Nathan M. Rlggs, a conductor on the
Norhtwestern Road, who was arrest?
ed at. Elroy, WIs;, Wednesday, charg?
ed . with the murder of Miss Millie
Ellison, in the National hotel. In this
city, Tuesday, committed suicide Just
after midnight. In the. Jail at Eiroy.
'How lie managed to secrete the
weapon with which he shot himself
Just ns a train left the depot, here
at 6:30 Wednesday night, a few
hours after the murder, Rlggs was
I banded a description of the man bo
| lieved to have committed the mur?
der.
His orders were to arrest any man
found on the train answering the de
?acrlptlon. Rlggs put the description
in a pocket and did not search the
train. Wednesday he was arrested
at Elroy, Wls. The police say the
description of the murderer he car?
ried was hts own. ?
I
WV011T NEWS, V?| ]
DEATH I
CAFF?LD
thing to say on the subject.
Implicated Others.
Bevern I people slated hiHt night,
that Attorney Robinson had stated
I I hat. he had a full confession froin'
Davenport, hut that he would not
give it In the newspapers. It was
tilso said that the murderer had not
only Implicated Wlinbush and an-'
other negro in the crime, hut hud
snld that Thomas Wils not the only
man who was to have been kllluJ
by the conspirators.
Murderer's Communication.
Davenport himself sent a fourtoon
page communication to tho Dally
Press, with tho request that It bo
published and then sent to Iho Plun
ot, a negro publication in Richmond.
The letter was unprintable because
of its vulgarity as well as hecnusO
It would lay the paper publishing it
open to suit for libel. Among other
things, the negro charged one of his
own attorneys with a grave offense,
and said that he bail five lawyers
against him in his trial, naming At'
torneys F. S. Collier and 15. S. Rob?
inson, his own cOuuscI, Common?
wealth's Attorney C. W. Robinson, J,
T. Nowsome and Judge T. J. Har?
ham.
Glad It is Over.
The hanging this morning dlspoS'
ed of n case which has been given
great attention by Die public on ac?
count of the brutality of the murder?
er's crime mid because there had
never before been a hanging In New?
port News. Recently, however, ?
-
Brutal, Cold-Blooded Murder.
The crime for which Davenport
paid .the death penalty .was brutal.
and cold-blooded In the extreme and
evidently had been planned for at
least a month. The prospect of col?
lecting $1,000 upon an Insurance pol?
icy issued 111 the' uamo of William
Thomas, with Davenport as tho bene?
ficiary, was tho motive.
It was on Hie night of Monday,
January li!i that the murder was com?
mitted. Two shots fired about 1!
o'clock attracted persons to a spot
near Twenty-eighth street and Or
cnlt avenue. The dead body of a
negro man was found lying in a path
beside a clump of bushes. A great
hole In the right, cheek, near tho
mouth, apparently was the wound
which killed the man, but investi?
gation proved that there wus an?
other wound in (he back.
Notes to Mislead Police.
Pinned lo the lapel of the corpse's
coat was an envelope addressed
"Special to the Police, Newport
News, Vn." In tho envelope were
two of the most remarkable anony?
mous communications that ever came
Into the hands of the local authori?
ties.
One of the notes, written In Ink,
rend as follows:
"Special to Police
"This man will not Bother My
Woman Any More." On the back of
this was: "Jany. 1906. You Can
Take Another man woman. So Die."
The second paper had been scrawl?
ed with a pencil and It read: "Yes
I ment to kill htm and his Lord A.
U Davenport mid John Brooks also
And Booker und the hole dam com?
pany of I hem if they don't sloi>."
Fooled Them at First.
Ah the murderer. Intended, tho
notes at first mislead the authorities.
Police Sergeant T. A. Mitchell, who
was on duty that night, naturnlly
took It for granted that Jealousy
caused tho crime and began to look
around for the woman supposed to
have been at the bottom of II all.
. First lie decided to see Davenport,
thinking that as Davenport was one
j of the moil threatened he would bo
able to put him on the track of the
I minderer.
Davenport pretended to bo very
liidigi ant over the murder, saying
that the dead man was his nephew.
He lord the sergeant that Thomas
had been In trouble with one Sam
Johnson over a woman.
Johnson Arrested.
? The sergeant went to Johnson's
house in Rockets and arrested him.
Before the prisoner had been lodged
in the police station the officer was
convinced that he had the wrong
j man. Johnson told a straight story
FRIDAY, JULY 13, 1
TRUTH TRIUMPHANT,
DREYFUS EXONERATED
Supreme Court of France Decides
liter Twelve years That Ester
hazy Was the Criminal.
ZOLA'S CHARGES PROVED TRUE
Jewish Officer Who Wan Tortured on
Devil's Island to De Restored to
Army and Promoted?Col. Plcquart.
Too, Is Acquitted of Wrongdoing
and Will Be Made Brigadier General
(By Associated Press.)
PARIS, July 12.?Alfred Dreyfus
was today completely acquitted of (he
charges on which he wns condemned
as a traitor, dismissed from the army
and imprisoned on Devil's Island.
His vindication Is two-fold, the Su?
premo Court first announcing Its de?
cision und OStdbllshillg tho entire In?
nocence of du? accused man, nml tho
ministry later deciding to present an
invent 1)111 in parliament, restoring
Dreyfus to the army with advanced
rank and otherwise giving the govern?
ment's most ample reimratlon.
Esterhazy the Real Culprit.
The decision 'of tho court was a
foregone conclusion, as exhaustive In?
quiries had completely demolished the
fabric of the accusation ngainsl
against Dreyfus, showing chat the real
culprit, wns Major Count Hsterba/.y.
Tho decision, therefore, annulled
the condemnation of the Reimes court
martial am! ordered that the acquittal
be. posted and published throughout
Frnifce.
In the course of an Interview today,
Dreyfus said:
Truth Triumphant at Last.
"This has been a long and terrible
ordeal. I begun to fool It would never
end. It is dear that the decision re?
stores mc to my old place in the army,
but I am not aware of the Intentio n
of the government concerning my ad?
vancement In rank.
"I have nothing to say ncaliist mv
accusers. Being again an officer I am
obliged to obey the army regulations
of silence, und I am Inexpressibly
thnnkful to all who assisted in tho
maintenance of truth."
Government Acte at Once.
Tonight the ministers held a pro?
tracted special session at the Elysee
Palace under President Falllores ami
determined on the government's
course In carrying out the decision.
The text of two bills was formulat?
ed .both of which will be Introduced
In tho Chamber of Deputies tomorrow,
concerning respectively Dreyfus and
Colonel plonuart. with the object 'if
restoring both to the ranks they would
hnev held If they had continuously
served In the army;
Promotion For Plcquart.
Dreyfus consequently will be nomi?
nated fl major, with eventual early
promotion to a lieutenant-colonolship.
Plequarl will immediately become a
brlpradlcr-genoral. Dreyfus' name al<*0
will be Inscribed on the list for the
legion of honor, but he will not be
directly nominated to that distinction,
though probably a decree placing him
on tlie list will shortly appear.
Deputy Breton has given notice of a
bill providing for the transfer of Eml'ia
Zola's burly to the Pantheon, with a
public ceremony.
and did net aeem to be at all wor?
ried over the affair.
When Chief of Police Reynolds
arrived at the station Tuesday morn?
ing and learned the facts he also
concluded that the wrong man hnd
linen Jailed. Then the department
was nt sea until Davenport, in his
nnxlcly to insure his own safety ami
at tho same time to satisfy an old
grudge, wrote a note to J. T. New
some, the colored attorney, telling
him (o prosecute and hang the man
who killed "his nephew."
Newsome Suspected Him.
Davenport went to Newsomo's
house early Tuesday morntng to '.tee
him and later sent the note. New
some's suspicions were aroused. at
the shut and when he received the
note lie was convinced that ho knew
tho real murderer. He decided to
turn the <paper over to the authori?
ties.
When Chief Reynolds saw the noto
he at once marked the similarity he
tween the address upon it and the
writing on'the notes written by the
murderer. A peculiar flourish be
(Concluded on Fifth Page.)
mund Crolhpld. n "Holy Holler" and
was acquitted of tho charge of intir
dor on a plea of Insanity today watt
shot anil Killed by IiIh sister, Esther.
In tho Seattle Union station.
Esther Mitchell Joined the "Holy
Hollers" seel at CorvalllH, Oro., and
was one <>r the ntosl ardent of Crof
Hold's followers.
When Inn- brother pursued tho
leader of the "Holy Hollers" lo Scut?
tle and shot him In tho Hlrcet he
pleaded in Justification that Crottleld
had deluded and wronged hiH sis?
ter.
George Mitchell was uci|tillted of
the ctmige or minder on Tuesday
and nearly nil of the following day
hu spent In Hoarchlng for Esther
In Seattle lodging houses. She re?
fused to be comforted after tho death
of Crcfnuld.
ARMOR TRUST MAY WIN.
Navy Department Lete Contract to
Two Shipyards,
(by Associated PrcniO
WASHINGTON1, 1). C. July 12.'?
The secretary of tili? navy today
awarded the contract for tho build?
ing of the two battleships, the South
Carolina and the Michigan,
The ('ramps Company, of Philadel?
phia, Is to build one ship, and the
New York Shipbuilding Company the
other. The ships nrs Identical In
construction, with reciprocating en?
gines.
The Mliiyaio steel Company, of
Philadelphia, through Its agent here,
violently opposed the proposition
made by tho trust that It receive
two-thirds of the contract. They con?
tend that their bid was made In good
faith, and they Offered to give bond
In any amount that they would car?
ry out their promises to the letter.
They sny they can furnish heller
ilrinor philo than the I nisi and de?
liver If mbre promptly. Their bid
aggregated $2011,000 less I linn Hint of
the trust.
$100,000 IN GOLD STOLEN.
Nuggets Prom Alaska Taken From
Hold of Steamer.
_(Hy Asuoeliitod Trees.)
SEATTLE. WASH.. July 12.?Moro
than $1(10.0110 consigned to the Alas?
ka Pacific Express Company here
has been stolen from aboard the
steamer Ida May, and no elite has
been obtained as to who I he robbers
are.
The shipment was sent from Pair
banks ami was transferred at Tu
nana. The Ida May was to transfer
ll lo the Sarah at Fort Gibbon, and
It was there the loss was discovered
Admiral Chouknin Dies,
(tty Atrsuclateil PrcBS.)
SERASTOOPOL. July 12.?Vlce
Admlral Chouknin, commander of
the I Hark Hen licet, who was shot
yesterday supposedly by a sailor of
the battleship Otcliokoff died this
morning without having regained con?
sciousness.
SINGING AWES LION
Mountain Cat Fascinated by a
Female Nlmrod.
HUSBAND RETURNS UND KILLS IT
Snarling Beast Stands Over Woman
All Night, and When She Ceases
to Warble it Makes Ready to End
Her Life.
(By AuHocluted I'rcHfi.)
OMAHA. July 12.?.Mrs. John Un?
derwood, of New York, who has been
camping with her husband In the.
Black Hills, owes her life to sings,
which saved her from a mountain
lion which attacked her.
The animal leaped on the woman,
knocked her down and stood wltn
its forefeet on her breast.
Mrs. Underwood screamed, but sud?
denly remembered that ferocious
-beasts sometimes are tamed by mu?
sic . and began to eing. So long as
?lie sang the animal stood harmless,
but whenever she ceased it growled
and appeared as if about to kill her.
All night long she kept up her
song and in the morning, when she
was almost overcome by exhaustion,
she was found by her husband with
the linn standing over her. Mr. U/i
derwood shot th* animal.
THE WEATHER.
Showers Friday af?
ternoon or night; Sat?
urday, showers, light
winds.
PRICE TWO CENTO
SEVEN YOUNG GIRLS
DROWNED NEAR HOME
-1-1 '??UH-,*
Hie Out Wading They Are
Swept to Their Death In the
Treacherous Water.
NONE OF THE VICTIMS OF HOE
Four of Them Quickly Rescued From
Cedar River, But Fall to Respond to
Restoratives?Three Children Be
longod In One Family and Other*
Were Friends. *
-> '?8*t!f;H
(By Associated Prdsa.)
CEDAR RAPIDS, IA.. July 12.?
Seven girls were drowned today in
Cedar river only threo blocka from
Iholr home, while wading. The
smallest child slipped Into a deep hole
and In trying to rescue her six others
were drowned. Ruth Klorsuy was the
only one of the party to csenpn.
The dead are: Lucilla, Hazel, Gladys
and .Ionic Sweeting; Ruth and Cora
Coyle, ami Clara Usher,
The girls rnuged In age from 7 to
lti yearH old.
Tlie Sweeting children lived with
their father near Hills Park on tho
outskirts of Cedar Rnplds. Clara
Usher was the daughter of Swoot.ltig'*
housekeeper and the Coyle children
were her nieces, who were un a visit
from Sioux CRy, la.
Pour of the bodies were, quickly re?
moved from the water, but It was too
lute Id resuscitate them. The other
b'odlbe were recovered inter.
Half Dozen Mexicans Drowned.
Bp PASO. TEX., July 12.?A
cloudburst and landslide of July to, at
Ocampo (.Jesus Maria), Chlhunhun,
Mexico, almost completely destroyed
the clt ynnd killed scovn or moro por
Bons.
Many others were Injured ant! 'It- la j
expected snmo of thorn will cllo. All
tho killed and injured am Mexicans.
The American roHtdents nre alleviat?
ing (ho suffering of tho wounded.
Ten Tourists In Auto Killed.
LONDON, July 12.?Ton persons
worb killed and many Injured today
In an accident to a motor omnibus
While on the way to Brighton, a sea?
side resort;
While going down Handcrosfl Hill,
one ?f the stucpost declines on the
road, the omnibus overturned.
Plttsburg Millionaire Kilted In Auto.
NEW YORK, July 12.?Robert
Shaffer, brother-in-law to Robert
Phlpps. a Plttsburg steel millionaire,
was killed today when a railroad train
smashed Into the automobile In which
he and a chauffeur were riding, at a
crossing near Suyvillo, L. I. Andrew
Peters, the chauffeur, will die.
TWO WOMEN DROWNED.
While Out in a Launch They Are
Thrown In Water.
RICHMOND. VA.. July 12.?Mrs.
John Gordon and Miss Rose Sat.ter
fiold wero drowned here tonight by
waves from a steamer causing a
launch on which they wero with an
evening party, to enreen and throw
them overboard. Their bodies have
not been recovered.
CARRIE NATION ARRESTED.
Woman of "Hatchet" Fame Accused
of Malting Indecont Matter.
(By Associated, Press.)
DALLAS, TEXAS, July 12.?Mr*
Carrie Nation was arrested at Cle
bnriie by a deputy United Statos mar?
shal on a warrant charging her with
having misused the malls.
She was brought to Dallas and af?
ter appearing before United States
Commissioner A. W. .May was re?
leased on bund in the sura of $2,500.
The examining trial is set for
July 31.
The warrant Is from Guthrie, Okla?
homa, and specifies that she deposit?
ed in the nostofllce a publication
containing an impropor article head?
ed "A Private Talk to Boys,"
SALVADOREAN GENERAL KILLED
War Between That Nation and Qua?
temala on In Earnest.
(By Associated Press.)
WASHINGTON, D. C, July 12.?
General Rcgalado, former president
of Salvador and the leader of the
Salvadorean troops in the present
conflict with Guatemala was killed
In battle today.
The announcement of his death
reached the State department
through a dispatch from United,
States Minister Alerry at San Sal?
vador. The dispatch <Hd not indicate
what the result of the battle, was.