given it, and both men made complete confessions with Gray also re«
vealing the name of another woman to whom he had given the death wea-
pon and it also was recovered, Both were indicted for the murder and
Gray was sentenced to death, The conviction was affirmed on appeal
and on May 8, 1903, he was hanged at the St. Louis jail, When asked
he had any last remarks, he replied in the negative and requested
the Sheriff to let the drop fall as soon as possible, His neck was
broken by the fall, This double execution in which Gray shared the
gallows with another condemned murderer was the first private execu-
tion in the city of St. Louis,
BIRMINGHAM NEWS, Birmingham, Alabama, May 8, 1903
ST, LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, St. Louis, Mo., May 8, 1903.
72 SOUTHWESTERN 698, : ;
Noter I need to know the disposition of Pitts' case,
given it, and both men made complete confessions with Gray also re-
vealing the name of another woman to whom he had given the death wea-
pon and it also was recovered, Both were indicted for the murder and
Gray was sentenced to death, The conviction was affirmed on appeal
and on May 8, 1903, he was hanged at the St. Louis jail, When asked
he had any last remarks, he replied in the negative and requested
the Sheriff to let the drop fall as soon as possible, His neck was
broken by the fall, This double execution in which Gray shared the
gallows with another condemned murderer was the first private execu-
tion in the city of St. Louis,
BIRMINGHAM NEVS, Birmingham, Alabama, May 8, 1903
ST, LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, St. Louis, Mo,, May 8, 1903.
72 SOUTHWESTERN 698,
Note: I need to know the disposition of Pitts' case,
given it, and both men made complete confessions with Gray also re-
the name of another woman to whom he had given the death wea-
Both were indicted for the murder and
Gray was sentenced to death, The conviction was affirmed on appeal
and on May 8, 1903, he was hanged at the St, Louis jail, When asked
he had any last remarks, he replied in the negative and requested
the Sheriff to let the drop fall as soon as possible, His neck was
broken by the fall, This double execution in which Gray shared the
gallows with another condemned murderer was the first private execu-
tion in the city of St. Louis.
vealing
pon and it also was recovered,
BIRMINGHAM NEWS, Birmingham, Alabama, May 8, 1903
ST, LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, St. Louis, Mo,, May 8, 1903.
72 SOUTHWESTERN 698,
Note: I need to know the disposition of Pitts' case.
Renee oh,
12 somes 6,
GRAY, Sampson (tBudt)
Gray, a black man, lived in St, Louis,:Mo,, where he was employed as
a laborer by Howard and Evans Clay Pipe Company which was located
near Macklin Avenue, Gray lodged at the same house as did a fellow
worker, George Jones, and his wife, also black, Jones, an industrious
man, had considerable savings and on the morning of June 9, 1901,
when he left the lodging house, had over $150 in his possession, Dur-
ing the day a third man, John Pitts, noticed the large sum of money
and he and Gray made plans to kill Jones and rob him, That night
Gray lured Jones from the house under the pretext of meeting some
women and took him to a spot on Macklin Avenue where Pitts lay in
wait. The original plan was for Pitts to strike jedgSfrom behind
with an iron pipe, but when Pitts lost courage at the last minute,
Gray shot Jones in the head, Pitts then took the revolver and fired
a second bullet into Jones head and they took $1,00, all of the money
that they could find, and Jones! watch before fleeing, ‘The body was
found early the next morning and in addition to the two wounds in the
head, a knife was sticking through his right wrist, Gray, who had not
returned home the previous night, was immediately suspected and when
it was lurned that he and ZaHEx Pitts had spent the night in the same
place, both were taken into custody, Jones! watch was recovered from
a pawn shop where it had been pledged by a woman to whom Gray had
GRAY, Sampson (fBudtt)
Gray, a black man, lived in St, Louis, Mo., where he was employed as
a laborer by Howard and Bvans Clay Pipe Company which was located
near Macklin Avenue, Gray lodged at the same house as did a fellow
worker, George Jones, and his wife, also blacke Jones, an industrious
man, had considerable savings and on the morning of June 9, 1901,
when he left the lodging house, had over $150 in his possession, Dur-
ing the day a third man, John Pitts, noticed the large sum of money
and he and Gray made plans to kill Jones and rob him, That night
Gray lured Jones from the house under the pretext of meeting some
women and took him to a spot on Macklin Avenue where Pitts lay in
wait. The original plan was for Pitts to strike jedgSfrom behind
with an iron pipe, but when Pitts lost courage at the last minute,
Gray shot Jones in the head, Pitts then took the revolver and fired
a second bullet into Jones head and they took $1.00, all of the money
that they could find, and Jones' watch before fleeing. ‘The body was
found early the next morning and in addition to the two wounds in the
head, a knife was sticking through his right wrist. Gray, who had not
returned home the previous night, was immediately suspected and when
it was lurned that he and X#HKE bitts had spent the night in the same
place, both were taken into custody, Jones' watch was recovered from
a pawn shop where it had been pledged by a woman to whom Gray had
GRAY, Sampson ("Bud")
Gray, a black man, lived in St, Louis, Mo,, where he was employed as
a laborer by Howard and Bvans Clay Pipe Company which was located
near Macklin Avenue, Gray lodged at the same house as did a fellow
worker, George Jones, and his wife, also black. Jones, an industrious
ny had considerable savings and on the morning of June 9, 1901,
when he left the lodging house, had over $150 in his possession, Dur-|
ing the day a third man, John Pitts, noticed the large sum of money
and he and Gray made plans to kill Jones and rob him, That night
Gray lured Jones from the house under the pretext of meeting some
women and took him to a spot on Macklin Avenue where Pitts lay in
wait. The original plan was for Pitts to strike jedg$from behind
with an iron pipe, but when Pitts lost courage at the last minute,
Gray shot Jones in the head, Pitts then took the revolver and fired
a second bullet into Jones head and they took $1,00, all of the money
that they could find, and Jones! watch before fleeing, the body was
found early the next morning and in addition to the two wounds in the
head, a knife was sticking through his right wrist. Gray, who had not
returned home the previous night, was immediately suspected and when
it was lurned that he and HaWKK Pitte had spent the night in the same
place, both were taken into custody, Jones' watch was recovered from
@ pawn shop where it had been pledged by a woman to whom Gray had
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