CHRISTMAS, John Edward
Christmas, a 27-year-old black man, and his 17-year-old wife, Ada,
lived in Champaign, Ill, Christmas was extremely jealous of his
young bride and, on the night of April 15, 1921, in a rage prompted
by his jealousy, he cut her throat with a razor, Slashing the main
arteries and her windpipe and almost severing her head from the
trunk of her body. Christmas managed to elude arrest for several
days but he was finally taken into custody in a Champaign restaurant
after the police received a tip as to his whereabouts, His defense
was one of insanity, but it was fairly evident to observers that he
was shamming and he was convicted after a five-day trial and sen-
tenced to die by a jury that deliberated for only 20 minutes, He
was hanged on a gallows constructed on the courthouse lawn between
the main building and the jail at Urbana on October Guy) 19 es
RReport of Coroner's inquest, Court Records, Champaign COny Lal,
Clipping from unidentified Urbana newspaper, July 23, 1921
Urbana GAZETTE, Urbana, Tilley Feb. 5, 1957
CHRISTMAS, John Edward
Christmas, a 27-year-old black man, and his 17-year-old wife, Ada,
lived in Champaign, Ill. Christmas was extremely jealous of his
young bride and, on the night of April 15, 1921, in a rage prompted
by his jealousy, he cut her throat with a razor, slashing the main
arteries and her windpipe and almost severing her head from the
trunk of her body. Christmas managed to elude arrest for several
days but he was finally taken into custody in a Champaign restaurant
after the police received a tip as to his whereabouts, His defense
was one of insanity, but it was fairly evident to observers that he
was shamming and he was convicted after a five-day trial and sen-
tenced to die by a jury that deliberated for only 20 mimites. He
was hanged on a gallows constructed on the courthouse lawn between
the main building and the jail at Urbana on October Ole 1921,
Report of Coroner's inguest, Court Records, Champaign Cos, Ill.
Clipping from unidentified Urbana newspaper, July 23, 1921
Urbana GAZETTE, Urbana, Tll., Feb. 5, 1957
CHRISTMAS, John Edward
Christmas, a 27-year-old black man, and his 17-year-old wife, Ada,
lived in Champaign, Tl, Christmas was extremely jealous of his
young bride and, on the night of April 15, 1921, in a rage prompted
by his jealousy, he cut her throat with a razor, slashing the main
arteries and her windpipe and almost severing her
trunk of her body.
Report of Coroner's inquest, Court Records, Champaign Cos, Ills
Clipping from unidentified Urbana newspaper, July 23, 1921
Urbana GAZETTE, Urbana, Ill,, Feb. 5, 1957
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