Typed as spelled and written
Lena Stone Criswell

THE DAILY DEMOCRAT
Thirteenth Year - Number 6
Marlin, Texas, Thursday, April 10, 1902
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WANTED HANGING PUBLIC.

       Roan expressed a desire that the hanging take place in the court house yard where all could see it.  He wanted to make a public speech to his race and requested a colored minister from Blue Ridge to preach his funeral publicaly before the house of execution so that he might hear it himself.  This of course was denied him.  The preacher told him that it would do him no good to have his funeral preached to the public and further advised him that his friends had done about all they could for him in prayer and that the rest would be between him and God and that he could better put in his time praying himself than asking others to pray for him.
       Although John has a large family connection none of them have shown but little interest in him since he was sentenced to hang.  None of them have been about him.  He received a letter Saturday from his sister saying that his brother, Ben Roan, was coming to see him, but up to nine o'clock Tuesday morning Ben had not called.  John has said little about his relatives ince his incarceration.

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Copyright permission granted to Theresa Carhart and her volunteers for printing
by The Democrat, Marlin, Falls Co., Texas