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Taken from Wichita Daily Times
April 2, 1908
Page 1
Sentenced to Hang.
Weatherford, Tex., April 2 -- J. B. CASON, who was convicted of killing Jeff McLEMORE near
here in January 1907, was today sentenced to hang on May 22nd by Judge PATTERSON. CASON
appears unaffected by the sentence.
April 4, 1908
Page 1
SENTENCED TO HANG
COURT SAYS JAMES B. CASON MUST HANG BY THE NECK UNTIL DEAD ON MAY 22
JUDGE'S VOICE TREMBLED
And Condemned Man Was Also Visibly Affected and Earnestly Protested His Innocence.
Weatherford Herald.
James B. CASON, the convicted murderer of L. F. McLEMORE, is to pay the extreme penalty of
the law by being hanged by the neck until he is dead, on Friday, May 22nd.
This was the awful sentence imposed upon CASON in district court this morning, and a crowd
of several hundred had assembled in the court room to hear Judge PATTERSON fix the date of
execution.
It became known late yesterday afternoon that CASON was to be sentenced at the opening of
court this morning and in spite of the bad weather, a large crowd was present to witness
the event.
Sheriff POPE and deputies left the jail with CASON promptly at 8"55 and arrived in
the courtroom with him at 9 o'clock. Judge PATTERSON entered from the rear of the
room and instructed the sheriff to open court; which was done. Asking if James B. CASON
was in the room, the answer was returned that he was and he was ordered to stand up.
CASON, who was attired in a light suit of clothes, clean shaved except for a thin, light
mustache, and with his face covered almost with the pallor of death, slowly arose to his
feet and faced the judge.
In a voice tremulous with suppressed emotion, Judge PATTERSON briefly reviewed the fact
that CASON was convicted of murdering L. F. McLEMORE at the April first term of the
district court, the crime being fixed by a jury of his own selection of murder in the
first degree, with the death penalty assessed. The court referred to the fact that the
defendant had been furnished the services of able attorneys who had carried his case to
the court of criminal appeals, where it was affirmed according to the mandate received in
the case. He stated that under the laws of the State of Texas, it was necessary for him
to impose sentence and asked CASON if he had anything to say before sentence of death was
pronounced upon him. In a husky voice CASON replied:
"Nothing more than that I am not guilty, and I ask the court for all the time it can
give me."
That was all he said, and his face was of an ashy whiteness when he made his statement.
Judge PATTERSON assured the prisoner that he had been given a fair and impartial trial and
his guilt established by the evidence to the satisfaction of the jury and the courts that
had passed upon it. Accordingly, there was nothing for him to do but to impose the
sentence and fix the date of execution.
The sentence of the court is that you, J. B. CASON, shall be taken by the sheriff of
Parker county on Friday, May 22, to the place of execution and hanged by the neck until
you are dead.
and if you have any arrangements to make, either concerning this world or the next, my
advice to you is to make them. And may the Lord have mercy on your soul. Remove the
prisoner, Mr. Sheriff.
The crowd began to surge out the front door and the sheriff and his deputies carried CASON
out the back door and to the jail, where he has been placed in the condemned cell, and
will be under constant watch day and night until the hour arrives for his execution.
CASON is still vehemently protesting his innocence, and evidently still has some hope the
governor will commute his sentence or grant him a reprieve. It is not believed he will
make a confession until the last ray of hope is gone, and perhaps not then. It may suit
his purpose to enter the presence of his maker with a denial on his lips, and if that is
the case, there is no method of compelling him to make a confession. The majesty of the
law will be vindicated when he gives his life for the one he is alleged to have taken.
He has about six weeks to make his preparations to pay the penalty and it may be that
during that time, he will make up his mind to make a clean breast of the awful occurrence
that took place in the EDDELMAN pasture, last February a year ago, during which McLEMORE
was murdered, his money and team taken, and an effort made to burn the dead man's body
in order to conceal the horrible crime.