RAW JUSTICE

Gisborne Times, Volume LXXXII, Issue 12534, 22 April 1935, Page 5

RAW JUSTICE

SHOCKING CASE IN AMERICA. MAN HANGED IN COURTYARD. AFTER HARANCUING CROWD FOR 45 MINUTES. (UP.A. by EJ«" Tol. Copyright)* (Received April 20, 5 p.m. > NEW YORK. April 39. An instance of the shocking manner in which American justice is often administered is reported from Smithland (Kentucky) where, after he had harangued for forty-five minutes 1500 citizens of Western Kentucky who had gathered to see him die, William Deboo, 23. was hanged today in the courthouse yard for attacking the wife of a shopkeeper during a robliery.

Deboo, on the scaffold, denounced Mrs. Marjorie Johnson, the woman he was accused of attacking, ns a Pcrild-bloodcd murderer,” owing to her activities as the chief witness for the prosecution.

Nine separate times the doomed man shook his manacled hands at Mrs. Johnson, whose whereabouts in the crowd had been indicated to him, and he denounced hor loudly: “Why don’t you speak? Are you satisfied to stand there and say nothing and see me die ? You should be here in my place.” The woman’s face remained expressionless until Deboe, in a final outburst, yelled “If I had Had 500 dollars I would not be on this scaffold. She would have taken the money and said nothing.’’ The woman shrieked: “Not if you had offered me a thousand dollars” A third of the crowd were women.

Tn his rnmbliii’g speech, Deboe criticised them for being present. He also denounced Randolph Johnson, the woman’s husband and the State's Attorney Sir. Disinby ns parties to “a terrible miscarriage of justice.” Deboe then went to his death calmly.

Deboe's father and sister of 19 saw the hanging.