State of Georgia Certificate of Death #15735
POD: 785 Cooper, Atlanta, Fulton Co., Georgia
Name: Annie Mae Aiken - 785 Cooper St
female white married
Husband: Samuel F. Aiken
DOB: DK
Age: 38
Occ: none
POB: Ga
Father: L. E. Cates, Ga
Mother: Annie Townley, b. Ga
Informant: Elmer F. Cates - 785 Cooper St
Filed: June 19, 1929 - L. S. Hornton
DOD: June 18, 1929
Cause: Gun shot wound of head - Homicide
Place of Burial: Tanners Ch Yd on 6-20-1929
Undertaker: Harry G. Poole - Atlanta, Ga
*
"The Bee"
Danville, Virginia
Thursday afternoon, July 4, 1929
Aiken Must Die in Chair
Sentenced to Death for Murder of Wife; Pleaded "Unwritten Law"
ATLANTA, July 4 (INS) Stoically accepting his fate, Sam F Aiken, a
painter, today was under sentence to die in the electric chair August 23 for the
murder of his wife last month. He also faces a murder indictment for the
murder of Boyce Hunter, a neighbor, who was shot down in the Aiken home at the
same time.
Following a brief trial in Fulton superior court, a jury brought in a
guilty verdict against Aiken at 8:30 last night. He had based his hope for
acquittal on the "unwritten law" charging that Hunter had wrecked his home.
Counsel filed notice of appeal.
*
"The Anniston Star"
Anniston, Calhoun Co., Alabama
Friday, August 22, 1930
pg 1
Two Prisoners Condemned to Death Escape
Aiken and Fair Saw Way to Freedom from Fulton Tower in Atlanta
Atlanta, Ga., Aug. 22 (LP) - Two condemned murderers who escaped late last
night from the Fulton County Tower were the objects of a far flung police
search today. They sawed their way to freedom and were still at large at
daybreak.
The fugitives are Sam F. Aiken, sentenced to death for fatally shooting
his 38-year-old wife and Boyce Hunter, 34, a neighbor, on June 18, 1929, and
Fred Fair, a North Georgia criminal, convicted of fatally wounding
Policeman J. E. McDaniel on the afternoon of August 16, 1928.
Aiken's conviction was affirmed by the State Supreme Court and his
execution date was to have been set next week. The high court also upheld Fair's
death sentence on July 30. His execution date has not been set.
The two men descended 15 feet down a blanket rope to the courtyard and
then used a ladder to go over the 25-foot outer all and to freedom.
*
"Appleton Post-Crescent"
Appleton, Outagamie Co., Wisconsin
Monday Evening, February 15, 1932
pg. 2
Photo is Downfall
Sam F. Aiken, alias C. W. Shaw, shown here, can blame a photograph for the
fact that he now faces the electric chair in Georgia, where he escaped
from a prison two years ago, just 12 days before his scheduled execution for
murder. A man in Houston, Texas saw Aiken's picture in a detective
magazine, recognized him as an employee of a local restaurant, called police.
_http://search.ancestry.com/browse/view.aspx?dbid=6581&iid=NEWS-WI-AP....
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10,1737,1258,1774&pid=488717314&ssrc=&fn=&ln=Sam+F+Aiken&st=g_
(
http://search.ancestry.com/browse/view.aspx?dbid=6581&iid=NEWS-WI-AP_...
02&rc=725,1471,791,1508;813,1471,857,1508;879,1471,1011,1508;1110,1737,1258,
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*
"San Antonio Express"
San Antonio, Bexar Co., Texas
Tuesday Morning, February 16, 1932
pg. 9
Clemency Asked by Slayer's Wife
Houston Woman to Present Petition to Atlanta Prison Board
By Associated Press
Atlanta, Ga., - Feb. 15 - Mrs. Sam Aiken, wife of the man sentenced to die
in the electric chair Feb. 26 for the slaying of his first wife and
another man, today sought clemency for her husband from both Governor Russell and
the prison commission.
At the Governor's office she was informed the chief executive does not
pass on clemency request until the prison commission has acted and at the
latter offices she was told her petition must be formally presented before the
board reviews the request.
Aiken, who escaped from the Fulton County jail 18 months ago, just 12 days
before the date set for his execution, was recaptured recently in Houston,
Tex., where he had lived, worked, and married under the name of Sam Shaw.
Mrs. Aiken came to Atlanta from Houston on funds raised for her by public
subscription. She brought a petition signed by Texas citizens, asking
commutation of Aiken's death sentence to life imprisonment.
She said she would engage a lawyer and formally present the request for
clemency.
*
*"El Paso Herald-Post"
El Paso, El Paso Co., Texas
Wednesday, February 15, 1933
pg. 1
Death Sentence for Ex-Texan Upheld
Chair Faces Man Whose Second Wife Would Die With Him
by United Press
Atlanta, Ga., Feb. 15 - The death sentence imposed upon Sam F. Aiken,
convicted of slaying his wife, Annie Mae Aiken, here June 18, 1929 was affirmed
today by the Georgia Supreme court.
Aiken's second wife, a former Houston, Texas, woman, whom he married while
there as a fugitive from justice, is here aiding his fight.
"If Sam has to go to the electric chair, I am determined he shall not go
there alone," she said. "I am going to hold his hand if they will let
me."
*
"The Abilene Reporter-News"
Abilene, Taylor Co., Texas
Monday Evening, November 29, 1937
pg. 10
Georgia Convict Held at Angelo
Twice-Escaped Lifer Arrested at Goldsmith
San Angelo, Nov. 29 - (AP) - Sam Aiken, twice escaped Georgia life termer,
awaited arrival of officers to take him back to Georgia from a cell in the
Tom Green county jail today.
San Angelo officers furnished a description which led to his arrest at
Goldsmith, Tex., last week. He had been arrested here and released after his
fingerprints were taken.
A report on the prints from the federal bureau of identification caused
the re-arrest.
A Nashville, Ga., Berrien County Sheriff N. N. Hughes said Warden E. J.
Nix, from whose chain gang the convicted wife-slayer fled last April, would
leave today to return Aiken. He said he was notified Aiken waived
extradition.
Aiken's first flight also ended in Texas. He broke jail in Atlanta in
August 1930 after he had been sentenced to death for the murder of his wife
"Annie".
Two years later he was spotted by a detective magazine reader in Houston,
Tex., where he was running refreshment stand under an assumed name. His
second wife, who went back to Georgia with him, was instrumental in getting
his sentence commuted from death to life imprisonment.