BIRMINGHAM AGE-HERALD, Birmingham, Alabama 9-1 and 9-2-1922
Letter dated Oct, 25, 1977, from Mrs, Josiah Kennedy, Box 98, Centre-
ville, Alabama,
BIRMINGHAM AGE=HERALD, Birmingham, Alabama 9-1 and 9-2-1922
Letter dated Oct. 25, 1977, from Mrs, Josiah Kennedy, Box 98, Centre-
ville, Alabama,
LD, Birmingham, Alabama 9-1 and 9-2-1922
Letter dated Oct. 25,
7, from Mrs, Josiah Kennedy, Box 98
ville, Alabama,
Centre-
HIGH, ive TEE Ui ites
High, a black native of Bessemer, Ala,, had served a prison sentence
for robbery. After his release, he went to Bibb County where he
sought employment in a saw mill at Camp Hugh (Pondville), In the
autumn of 1923, he followed J, M, Arnold an elderly white man when
the latter started home one afternoon and, when he overtook him, he
threw him to the ground, stabbed him fourteen times and left him for
deadyin the public road, Arnold recovered from his wounds and testi-
fied against High at his trial where he was convicted and sentenced
to die. Newspaper dispatches generated gonsiderable sympathy for
High because of a prevalent feeling that a man should not be executed
for robbery, However, the State Board of Pardons after hearing the
judge who had presided at the trial testify before themthat the case
was "as bad as a case could be and without provocation or mitigation"
they refused to recognize clemency and the Governor declined to in-
tervene, He was hanged at Centerville on September 1, 1922. Prior
to his execution, he confessed the crime and asked that copies of the
newspapers reporting his execution be sent to his mother in Bessemer,
High was an exceedingly slender man and, as the fall did not break
his neck, he strangled to death,
HIGH, Ephriam Va Ub ae
High, a black native of Bessemer, Ala,, had served a prison sentence
for robbery, After his release, he went to Bibb County where he
sought employment in a saw mill at Camp Hugh (Pondville), In the
autumn of 1923, he followed J, M. Arnold an elderly white man when
the latter started home one afternoon and, when he overtook him, he
threw him to the ground, stabbed him fourteen times and left him for
deadyin the public road, Arnold recovered from his wounds and testi-
fied against High at his trial where he was convicted and sentenced
to die. Newspaper dispatches generated gonsiderable sympathy for
High because of a prevalent feeling that a man should not be executed
for robbery, However, the State Board of Pardons after hearing the
judge who had presided at the trial testify before themthat the case
was "as bad as a case could be and without provocation or mitigation"
they refused to recognize clemency and the Governor declined to in-
tervene, He was hanged at Centerville on September 1, 1922. Prior |
to his execution, he confessed the crime and asked that copies of the
newspapers reporting his execution be sent to his mother in Bessemer,
Eigh was an exceedingly slender man and, as the fall did not break
his neck, he strangled to death,
HIGH, Ephriam pl MAD, ize
High, a black native of Bessemer, Ala., had served a prison sentence
for robbery, After his release, he went to Bibb County where he
sought employment in a saw mill at peed Hugh (Pondville), In the
autumn of 1923, he followed J, rnold an elderly white man when
the latter started home one er vcanen and, when he overtook him, he
threw him to the ground, stabbed him fourteen times and left him for
deadxin the public road, Arnold recovered from his wounds and testi-
fied against High at his trial where he was convicted and sentenced
to die, Newspaper dispatches generated gonsiderable sympathy for
High because of a prevalent feeling that a man should not be executed
for robbery, However, the State Board of Pardons after hearing the
judge who had presided at the trial testify before themthat the case
was "as bad as a case could be and without provocation or mitigation"
they refused to recognize clemency and the Governor declined to in-
tervene, He was hanged at Centerville on September 1, 1922, Prior
to his execution, he confessed the crime and asked that copies of the
newspapers reporting his execution be sent to his mother in Bessemer,
High was an exceedingly slender man and, as the fall did not break
his neck, he strangled to death,
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