Museum Matters

The Nov. 10, 1899 Dublin Progress read “At 1:55 p.m. today the trap was sprung by Sheriff R.T. Hume that ended the life of T.A. Wright.”

The hanging was for Tom Wright’s killing of John Adams the Dublin Constable on the streets of Dublin.

Sixteen minutes after the trap was sprung, a physician said that his heart had ceased to beat and he was declared dead and was cut down. His body was then prepared for shipment to Dublin for burial.

Wright had a cool and deliberate demeanor through the whole ordeal. The only time he gave way was when bade a loving farewell to his devoted wife and his loving daughter of 14 years just outside his death cell.

“This scene was heartrending in the extreme and not one of about fifteen persons present as well as the prisoners in the cells but had a tear dimmed eyes.”

His wife and daughter were carried out of the jail and the preliminaries were carried out. Sheriff Hume read the death warrant to the prisoner. Then, Wright waved goodbye to Leslie who was sentenced to death as an accomplice for the crime. He also waved to A.P Hickey who had been one of the death guards who had treated him well at the jail, for seven months.

He was escorted through the jail by Sheriff Humes.

The scaffold stood just outside the jail. Wright ascended up the stairs virtually unassisted occasionally looking about to see the trap he would fall through.

There was an enclosure about the scaffold with two windows that were open.

Reverend C. E. Brown was with Wright at his request. Sheriff Humes stepped to the first window and made a few remarks to the great crowd in the jail yard and the adjoining street. Then Reverend spoke some well chosen words for the crowd.

Tom waved at some friends in the crowd.

Wright then spoke that they should hang only one innocent man who had killed in self defense. “I don’t want anyone to think that I have anything against them or that I harbor any malice toward anyone.” He continued that R. H. McCain and John E. McCarty had nothing to do with the crime.

Wright was then moved to the north window where he repeated what he said before.

Wright said that he had been practically without an attorney, as McCain, who was his leading attorney had died when the case was before the court of appeals and the case was not argued by anyone.

He warned the audience and boys in particular to refrain from the use of intoxicants that would give them trouble and he said it caused them to lose their lives.

He repeated to the audience that his soul would be saved and he would meet them in heaven. He maintained to the last that he was innocent of the murder and what he had done was in self defense. A statement written by Wright was handed to the editor of the Dublin Progress to be published in the paper.

Wr i g h t shookhands with the men on the p l at fo rm and announced that he was ready.

A silk handkerchief was tied over his eyes and his hands were bound behind and ankles were tied together with a buckskin string. A black cap was placed over his head. He stood on the gallows and the noose was adjusted about his neck.

He talked to those next to him about arrangements for his burial and other things he thought of. He also asked the sheriff to tighten the rope about his neck so there would be no slip that would give him a hard death.

The Reverend Brown led in a short prayer. Then the sheriff tightened the rope until Wright said it was sufficient. The sheriff then stepped to the rope that held the trap door. The noose was very tight about his neck and Wright remarked, “Hurry up.” The sheriff asked “Are you ready?” and promptly the answer came “Ready.”

With that word the trap fell and noiselessly the body dropped a distance of 10 feet. Then Wright’s neck was broken with the fall and it was all over in an instant. Not even a shudder ran over the body as it dangled at the end of the rope.

With that, the animosity between him and the law was over.