| point t6 drive to a deserted area, He then forced Poole to leave the
car and took his money, ring and watch after which he struck him over
the head with the pistol, knocking him unconscious and shot and killed
him. Poole's car had Washington liscense plates and these Henderson
exchanged for Oregon plates which he took from another car, He fled
east and when the car.broke down in Iowa he caught a bus to Philadel-
phia, Pae, where his mother and step-father lived, At their urging,
_ he surrendered himself to the Army authorities as a deserter, When
F, Be I. agents arrived to question him about the shooting of Taylor
and the murder of Poole, he admitted that he had taken Poole's watch
and rings which he still had in his possession but claimed that he
could remember nothing about killing him, His conviction and the
death sentence were affirmed on appeal and then a strong last minute
effort for clemency was made when the foreman of the jury that had
convicted him and one other juror signed a statement that some of the
other members of the jury had expressed prejudice against the black
race and demanded the death penalty, The Governor declined to inter-
vene and on January 23, 198, Hendersen was put to death in Oregon's
gas chamber. He had never admitted that he remembered bhe murder of
Poole and his last words were: "I have never in life killed a man."
BRECON JOURNAL, Portland, Ores, 1-19; 1-20(Photo) and 1-22- He
18), PACIFIC (2nd) 392; 186. PACIFIC (2nd) 519
point to drive to a deserted area, He then forced Poole to Leave the
car and took his money, ring and watch after which he struck him over
the head with the pistol, knocking him unconscious and shot and killed
him. Poole's car had Washington Ligcense plates and these Henderson
exchanged for Oregon plates which he took from another car. He fled
east and when the car broke down in Iowa he caught a bus to Philadel-
phia, Pae, where his mother and step-father lived, At their urging,
-he surrendered himself to the Army authorities as a deserter, Wha
F. B, I, agents arrived to question him about the shooting of Taylor
and the murder of Poole, he admitted that he had taken Poole's watch
and rings which he still had in his possession but claimed that he
could remember nothing about killing him, His conviction and the
death sentence were affirmed on appeal and then a strong last minute
effort for clemency was made when the foreman of the jury that had
convicted him and one other juror signed a statement that some of the
other members of the jury had expressed prejudice against the black
race and demanded the death penalty. The Governor declined to inter-
vene and on January 23, 198, Henderson was put to death in Oregon's
gas chamber, He had never admitted that he remembered bhe murder of
i git in life kil. a man"!
Feet g sens Rte ee Hi eesG, Eccl, "L1ey 150 photo) and Pda2tSie
18), PACIFIC (2nd) 392; 186. PaGIFIC (2nd) 519
point to drive to a deserted area, He then forced Poole to leave the
car and took his money, ring and watch after which he struck him over
the head with the pistol, knocking him unconscious and shot and killed
him, Poole's car had Washington liscense plates and these Henderson
exchanged for Oregon plates which he took from another car, He fled
east and when the car broke down in Iowa he caught a bus to Philadel-
phia, Pas, where his mother and step-father lived, Ab their urging,
he surrendered himself to the Army authorities as a deserter, When
F. B, I, agents arrived to question him about the shooting of Taylor
and the murder of Poole, he admitted that he had taken Poole's watch
and rings which he still had in his possession but claimed that he
could remember nothing about killing him, His conviction and the
death sentence were affirmed on appeal and then a strong last minute
effort for clemency was made when the foreman of the jury that had
convicted him and one other juror signed a statement that some of the
other members of the jury had expressed prejudice against the black
race and demanded the death penalty, The Governor declined to inter-
vene and on January 23, 198, Henderson was put to death in Oregon's
gas chamber, He had never admitted that he remembered bhe murder of
i fe i ife kille man,"
Boots and his, last words wares, "E Peve By enatol and 1-22-1510"
18h, PACIFIC (2nd) 392; 186 PAGHFIC (2nd) 519
Bala iil se i career agar eta
2 Buca
"HENDERSON, Wardell H,
Henderson, alias Aaron T, Robinson, was a black man born in Winstone
Salem, N. C., on Nov, 26, 1919, After he left high school before
graduating, he was employed for three years in a cigarette factory
and rose to the postion of assistant inspector, On April 4, 191,
he enlisted in the.U, S, Army and served until March 1, 1915, when
he and another black man, Jerry Taylor, deserted at Fort Lewis, Washe,
and went to Vanport, Ore., where they lived in the same building with
their common-Law wives and worked in a foundery. The relationship
between the two couples was friendly until the two women got into an
argument and the men then fell out with each taking the s ide of his
own woman, The bitterness between them became deeper when Taylor
failed to repay $1,00 that Henderson had loaned himyand the Hendersons
moved into another apartment building, In mid-December, 195, Hender-
son quit his job and on the afternoon of Dec, 2l, he purchased a revol-
ver and bullets, That night he had been drinking when he encountered
Taylor in a bar and they got into an argument ARXKKE over the 41,00,
Henderson shot Taylor in the leg and fled, going by his house and
telling his wife what had happened and giving her some money with
instructions to go to the home of her family, He went to a bar on
the Vancouver Highway and as Walter Poole, a white man, entered his
automobile, Henderson got in on the other side and forced him at gun
HENDERSON, Wardell H,
Henderson, alias Aaron T, Robinson, was a black man born in Winston=
Salem, N. C., on Nov, 26, 1919, After he left high school before
graduating, he was employed for three years in a cigarette factory
and rose to the postion of assistant inspector, On April 4, 191,
he enlisted in the.U, S, Army and served until March 1, 19)15, when
he and another black man, Jerry Taylor, deserted at Fort Lewis, Washe,
and went to Vanport, Ore., where they lived in the same building with
their common-law wives and worked in a foundery. The relationship
between the two couples was friendly until the two women got into an
argument and the men then fell out with each taking the s ide of his
own woman, The bitterness between then became deeper when Taylor
failed to repay $1.00 that Henderson had loaned himgand the Hendersons|
moved into another apartment building, In mid-December, 195, Hender-|
son quit his job and on the afternoon of Dec, 2h, he purchased a revol-|
ver and bullets. That night he had been drinking when he encountered
Taylor in a bar and they got into an argument BRXKKE over the 41,00.
Henderson shot Taylor in the leg and fled, going by his house and
: A B ne 4
polling bis wite shee bad pepeo es er omivs “We went toa bar on
the Vancouver Highway and as Walter Poole, a white man, entered his
automobile, Henderson got in on the other side and forced him at gun
HENDERSON, Wardell H.
Henderson, alias Aaron T, Robinson, was a black man born in Winston=
Salem, N, C., on Nov, 26, 1919, After he left high school before
graduating, he was employed for three years in a cigarette factory
and rose to the postion of assistant inspector, On April l, 191,
he enlisted in the.U, S, Army and served until March 1, 19h5, when
he and another black man, Jerry Taylor, deserted at Fort Lewis, Washes;
and went to Vanport, Ores, where they lived in the same building with
their common-law wives and worked in a foundery, The relationship
between the two couples was friendly until the two women got into an
argument and the men then fell out with each taking the s ide of his
own woman, The bitterness between them became deeper when Taylor
failed to repay $1,00 that Henderson had loaned himgand the Eendersons|
moved into another apartment building, In mid-December, 195, Hender-|
son quit his job and on the afternoon of Dec, 2h he purchased a revol-|
ver and bullets, That night he had been drinking when he encountered
Taylor in a bar and they got into an argument BXXKHK over the 41,00,
Henderson shot Taylor in the leg and fled, going by his house and
GLE an ME se mee ne ana meen realive Cs mere tere bar cn
the Vancouver Highway and as Walter Poole, a white man, entered his
automobile, Henderson got in on the other side and forced him at gun
stone fy de ae ion wh ech ane rg
