delayed by an unsuccessful appeal to the Kentucky Court of Appeals.
While under sentence of death, he managed to fashion a key to his hand
cuffs from a piece of zinc and was then chained, hand and foot, but he
also managed to break thes& fetters, On the night of Feb, 17, 1889,
when the jailer entered the cell to check his chains and to feed him
supper, he attacked him with a stove leg and broke out of jail. How-
ever, as the night was bright, he was recaptured before he had travele
#@ 200 yards and he made no further efforts to escape, The week before
his execution, a petition requesting clemency and signed by several
members of the jury that had convicted him and other citizens was sub-
mitted to the Governor and a counter petition, signed by others, re-
questing that the exectuion take place as scheduled.was also submitted
fhe Governor declined to interfere and at 1:17 PM on March 22, 1889,
Wilkerson fias hanged from a gallows constructed one-half mile from
Scottsville in a wooded talley, Even though only fifty persons .were
allowed within the inclosure, the execution was witnessed by thousands
from vantage points on the surrounding hills.
LOUISVILLE COURTER-JOURNAL, Louisville, Ky., 3-23-1889, page 5 (Wacut
likeness). 9 Southwestern 836 :
delayed by an unsuccessful appeal to the Kentucky Court of Appeals.
While under sentence of death, he managed to fashion a key to his hand-
cuffs from a piece of zinc and was then chained, hand and foot, but he
also managed to break thes& fetters. On the night of Feb, 17, 1889,
when the jailer entered the cell to check his chains and to feed him
supper, he attacked him with a stove leg and broke out of jail. How-
ever, as the night was bright, he was recaptured before he had traveled
® 200 yards and he made no further efforts to escape. The week before
his execution, a petition requesting clemency and signed by several
members of the jury that had convicted him and other citizens was sub-
mitted to the Governor and a counter petition, signed by others, re~
questing that the exectuion take place as scheduled.was also submitted
fhe Governor declined to interfere and at 1:17 PM on March 22, 1889,
Wilkerson fas hanged from a gallows constructed one-half mile from
Scottsville in a wooded valley, Even though only fifty persons .were
allowed within the inclosure, the executionwas witnessed by thousands
from vantage points on the surrounding hills.
LOUISVILLE COURIER-JOURNAL, Louisville, Ky., 3-23-1889, page 5 (¥dcut
likeness). 9 Southwestern 836
delayed by an unsuccessful appeal to the Kentucky Court of Appealss
While under sentence of death, he managed to fashion a key to his hand4
cuffs from a piece of zinc and was then chained, hand and foot, but he
also managed to break thesS fetters, On the night of Feb, 17, 1889,
when the jailer entered the cell to check his chains and to feed him
supper, he attacked him with a stove leg and broke out of jail, How-
ever, as the night was bright, he was recaptured before he had traveled
2 200 yards and he made no further efforts to escape, The week before
his execution, a petition requesting clemency and signed by several
nembers of the jury that had convicted him and other citizens was sub-
mitted to the Governor and a counter petition, signed by others, re=
questing that the exectuion take place as scheduled.was also submitted4
@he Governor declined to interfere and at 1:17 PM on March 22, 1889,
Wilkerson fas hanged from a gallows constructed one-half mile from
Scottsville in a wooded valley, Even though only fifty persons were
allowed within the inclosure, the execution was witnessed by thousands
from vantage points on the surrounding hills.
LOUISVILLE COURTER-JOURNAL, Louisville, Ky., 3-23-1889, page 5 (wdcut
likeness). 9 Southwestern 836
ver hon ty hy pee re
SILL CEURESAIOUAy Ltevitey Key St38F, page 5 (ios
Sikes) 9 soatvertern 96
“WILKERSON, Monroe
Wilkerson, a black many was a resident of Scottsville, Allen Co., Ky.
On Saturday, Sept. 22, 1888, the members of a black church in Scotts~
ville held a pianic on the outskirts of town at which Berry Manion, a
friend of Wilkerson's served more or less as a master of ceremonies,
Around 10 o'clock that morning, Wilkerson arrived at the scene of the
picnic intoxicated and created a disturbance by being boisterous and
cursing. Manion remonstrated with him and asked him to be quiet but
Wilkerson refused and began cursing Manion, Manion then said that he
would go to town and obtain an officer of the law and return to have
Wilkerson arrested, Wilkerson followed him a short distance and then
drew a 38 caliber revolver and bhet him in the back, Manion ran about
40 yards with Wilkerson firing four more shots, none of which took
effect, and then collapsed to the ground and died, Wilkerson fled
into the woods and a posse was hurriedly formed. He was arrested that
night and taken to jail, .The next night a mob of black citizens of
Scottsville went to the jail and demanded that Wilkerson be turned
over to ENWEUE them, The jailer refused and the mb finally dispersed
without taking further action, On Monday, Wilkerson waived his pre«-
liminary hearing and was remanded to the circuit court, At his trial,
he @laimed that he was drunk and had no recollection of having shot
Manion but he was convicted and sentenced to die, The execution was
| WILKERSON, Monroe
Wilkerson, a black many was a resident of Scottsville, Allen Co., Ky.
On Saturday, Sept. 22, 1688, the members of a black church in Scotts-
ville held a pionic on the outskirts of town at which Berry Manion, a
friend of Wilkerson's served more or less as a master of ceremonies,
Around 10 o'clock that morning, Wilkerson arrived at the scene of the
picnic intoxicated and created a disturbance by being boisterous and
cursing. Manion remonstrated with him and asked him to be quiet but
Wilkerson refused and began cursing Manion, Manion then said that he
would go to town and obtain an officer of the law and return to have
»Wilkerson arrested. Wilkerson followed him a short distance and then
drew a 38 caliber revolver and bhot him in the back. Manion ran about
O yards with Wilkerson firing four more shots, none of which took
effect, and then collapsed to the ground and died. Wilkerson fled
into the woods and a posse was hurriedly formed, He was arrested that
night and taken to jail, .The next night a mob of black citizens of
Scottsville went to the jail and demanded that Wilkerson be turned
over to HUWEUE then. The jailer refused and the mob finally dispersed
without taking further action, On Monday, Wilkerson waived his pre-
liminary hearing and was remanded to the circuit court. At his trial,
he €laimed that he was drunk and had no recollection of having shot
Manion but he was convicted and sentenced to die. The execution was
WILKERSON, Monroe
Wilkerson, a black man, was a resident of Scottsville, Allen Co., Ky.
On Saturday, Sept, 22, 1888, the members of a black church in Scotts-
ville held a pionic on the outskirts of town at which Berry Manion, a
friend of Wilkerson's served more or less as a master of ceremonies,
Around 10 o'clock that morning, Wilkerson arrived at the scene of the
picnic and created a by bein
Wilkerson followed him a short distance and then
drew a 36 caliber revolver and bhot him in the back, Manion ran about
40 yards with Wilkerson firing four more shots, none of which took
effect, and then collapsed to the ground and died, Wilkerson fled
into the woods and a posse was hurriedly formed, He was arrested that
night and taken to jail, The next night a mob of black citizens of
urne
The jailer refused and the mob finally dispersed
without taking further action, On Monday, Wilkerson waived his
lamin: ded t
rem
ary hearing and was remanded to the Circuit court, At his Trial,
he €laimed that he was drunk and had no recollection of having shot
Manion but he was convicted and sentenced to die, The execution was
ee Sept, ay eh nnbers of thse church Tn et
