 El Paso Herald
El Paso, Texas Monday June 27, 1910 pg 2 LYNCHING IN MT. VERNON POSSIBLE Negro Shoots Man in Sheriff's Posse After Beating His Wife Mt. Vernon, Tex., June 27 - A lynching is likely if scores of men in posses searching the country find Carl Oliver, the Negro who shot R.D. Stanley, a cotton buyer, to death late last night here. The Negro was beating his own wife when a neighbor telephoned the sheriff. Stanley and another man started to the Negro's house with the officer when the Negro arose from a hiding place near the sidewalk and opened fire, filling Stanley instantly.  The Whitewright Sun Whitewright, Texas Friday May 2, 1913 pg 1 The Court of Criminal Appeals at Austin has affirmed the death sentence in the case of Carl Oliver, who was convicted in the Fifty-Ninth District Court at Sherman for the murder of Bob Stanley in Franklin county. Oliver's trial was brought to Grayson county on a change of venue. Dallas Morning News
February 14, 1915 MANDATE ISSUED FOR DEATH SENTENCE Special to The News Austin, Texas, Feb. 13 - The mandate of the Court of Criminal Appeals in the case of Carl Oliver, given the death penalty in the District Court of Grayson County on a charge of murder growing out of the killing of Robert D. Stanley in Franklin County, was today sent to the Grayson County District Court. The judgment of the lower court was affirmed and the Judge of that court will now fix the date for the execution. It is probable that Oliver will file an application with the Governor for commutation of the death sentence to life imprisonment. The Houston Post Houston Friday April 16, 1915 pg 7 CARL OLIVER TO BE HANGED Governor Declined to Interfere in Behalf of Doomed Negro (Houston Post Special) Austin, Texas April 15. - Governor Ferguson today announced that he has refused to interfere in the case of Carl Oliver, a Negro, who is condemned to be hanged next Friday in the Grayson county jail on conviction of the murder of Robert D. Stanley, a white man at Mount Pleasant, Franklin county, in June 1910, and the case was transferred to Grayson county on a change of venue. The governor adopted the recommendation of the board of pardons which was adverse to commutation, and he decided to let the law take its course. He commended highly A. L. Lewis, the attorney, who was appointed by the district court to represent Oliver, who at his own expense took the case to the supreme court of the United States. Sherman Daily Democrat Friday, April 16, 1915 pg 1 CARL OLIVER HANGED FOR CRIME OF MURDER Negro Pays Penalty on Gallows in Grayson County Jail at Noon Today Carl Oliver, Negro, was hanged in the Grayson County jail at 12:02 o'clock today. Sheriff Lee Simmons pulled the trap and Oliver was dead in six and a half minutes. He made no statement on the death trap. His neck was broken and he died without a struggle. His body was turned over to the colored people for burial. The crime for which Oliver paid the penalty was the murder of Robert D. Stanley, a white man, at Mount Vernon, Texas on June 5, 1910. Early Morning Hours The last day on earth for Carl Oliver dawned bright and fair. The sunshine crept through a rift of light blue clouds, covering the earth with a burnish of light that was pleasant to the eyes and sent the blood tingling through the veins of people in a riotous manner. The breeze that fanned the cheek of other populace was refreshing and to the ordinary mortal the world looked good. At the Grayson county jail, in the death cell, was Carl Oliver, a Negro of whom the law had pronounced the extreme penalty. For days he had lain impassive, saying little, eating little and taking little interest in the things about him. In the forepart of the night last night he had slept calmly as Death Watch Arthur O'Mary kept a lonely vigil over him. But about midnight when the watches changed and the second death watch, Tom Hayes, came on, the black man began to toss on his cot and mumble in his sleep. Then he sat bolt upright and looked about him. In a moment, however, he was calm again and from that time on until daylight dreamed and napped at intervals. This morning he awoke and seemed to be feeling better than usual. Mrs. Stark, wife of Jailer Ross Stark, prepared him a tempting breakfast and in company with her husband took it to the condemned man. They spoke kindly to him and Mrs. Stark spoke encouragingly of the future. The breakfast was indeed too tempting for him to refuse and he ate heartily of the fried chicken and other delicacies prepared by the jailer's wife. After breakfast he had a bath and Charles Crawford, a Negro barber, who is at present a prisoner in the county jail, was admitted to his cell and shaved him and cut his hair. A few minutes after this a Democrat reporter was admitted to his cell. Oliver shook hands with the reporter and said: "It is all right this morning. All at once before daybreak I became calm and I am resigned and it is all right. I will be able to walk to the trap and it is all right, I am a saved man, saved from sin and it is all right." Then Carl settled down and talked calmly to the reporter. He told him some things of a private nature but said that in his heart he bears no malice towards any one. Charles Crawford remained in the cell with him all the morning. At 9:30 o'clock Rev. Hill called at the jail and in company with a few members of the colored churches, held a short but inspiring service in the cell with Oliver. Oliver did not join in the singing for he never possessed a singing voice but he joined fervently in a prayer. Rev. Hill and Rev. Bell, also a colored minister, have visited Oliver frequently and recently the condemned man was baptized. At 10:30 o'clock a Democrat reporter in company with a representative of a Dallas newspaper, was admitted to Carl Oliver's cell for the second time. Oliver was still in a cheerful mood and talked pleasantly with the newspaper man. He reiterated his statement of the early morning that he felt better than at any time since realizing that he must hang. He smoked a couple of cigarettes and chatted about the time when he lived in Mount Vernon. He said he had known Sam Jones and his wife, Eddie Jones, and added, "Sam and I didn't think that we would some day come to Sherman to be hanged at the same jail with the same rope," and then added, "but it is all right." He talked of the time he had worked about the ice plant at Mount Vernon and was a happy Negro. He said Sheriff Holley of Franklin county had been to see him and said, "He is looking well and is getting fat." Shortly after 10 o'clock, people began to gather in the jail yard. Many wanted in, but Sheriff Lee Simmons refused admittance to all save those whom he had designated as legal witnesses and those whom Oliver had asked to see. Quite a number of Negroes also gathered about the jail yard and one or two of them continually chanted a religious song. The rope and trap were given a final test this morning and both were in first class condition. At 11 o'clock Sheriff Lee Simmons went into the death cell and read the death warrant to Oliver. It was quiet a lengthy document and it took nearly fifteen minutes to read. Sheriff Simmons read in a clear, distinct voice and Oliver listened attentively. At its conclusion Sheriff Simmons explained in detail its meaning and Oliver's only reply or comment was: "Well, sir, it is all right." In the cell at the time were the newspaper reporters, a number of Texas and Oklahoma sheriffs, and Abner L. Lewis, the young Denison attorney who made such a valiant fight for Oliver's life, and who had just returned from Austin where he went to intercede in Oliver's behalf with Governor Ferguson. Mr. Lewis was successful in that he staved the death of the Negro off for five years, without money and without price, receiving nothing for his services and acting only on the appointment of the court. In reference to this fight, the court of criminal appeals of Texas did an unusual thing by paying a high tribute to Mr. Lewis on the manner in which he got up the appeal. Governor Ferguson paid the young attorney a similar compliment in an interview published in yesterday's Austin American. At 11:45 o'clock Dr. J. A. Swafford, county physician, examined Oliver and found his physical condition to be good. Dr. Swafford stated that Oliver was in better condition than he had been for several weeks. At that hour Sheriff Simmons admitted the visiting sheriffs from out of town to the room in which the death trap is located. At 11:50 o'clock Oliver smoked a cigar given him by one of the sheriffs from out of town who was in the cell. Promptly at 12 o'clock Sheriff Lee Simmons went into the cell and brought Oliver out. He had been told that he could make any statement he desired but said he had nothing to say. He walked onto the trap, between Sheriff Simmons and Tom Hayes, one of the men who had been serving in the capacity of death watch. As he stepped onto the trap he looked at the rope, and then at those about him, but uttered no sound. Sheriff Simmons tied his feet and arms and adjusted the black cap, then fit the rope about his neck. Without any delay the sheriff stepped back and pulled the rope that released the trap door and Oliver's body shot through the opening. He scarcely moved. His neck was broken and the rope cut it to some extent and blood flowed from the wound. Dr. J. A. Swafford of this city and Dr. Frank H. McGregor of Denison examined the body and announced that life was extinct in six and a half minutes. Oliver's body was then taken down and placed in a coffin furnished by the county. Frank A. Sporer of the undertaking firm of Haynes & Sporer of this city, who had been designated as official undertaker, turned the body over to N. S. Everett, colored manager of the Fraternal Undertaking company of this city. The colored people of this city, or at least some of them, had arranged for the burial of Oliver in the Negro part of West Hill cemetery and services were held at the Harmony Baptist church this afternoon at 4:30 o'clock, conducted by Rev. G. H. Hill, the pastor, who has been Oliver's spiritual adviser since he has been in the death cell and who baptized him a few days ago. Sheriff Simmons was assisted at the death trap by his deputies, Tom L. Tennison of this city and Boyd Craig of Denison. Deputy Sheriff Henry DeSpain and others had charge of the arrangements downstairs. Everything went off orderly and Sheriff Simmons carried out his program without the slightest hitch. Sherman Daily Democrat Friday, April 16, 1915 pg 1, 4 CARL OLIVER'S CRIME Killed Robert D. Stanley at Mount Vernon, Tex., Five Years Ago. The crime for which Carl Oliver, a Negro was executed today in the Grayson county jail in Sherman, was the murder of Robert D. Stanley, a white man, in Mount Vernon, Texas, on the night of June 18, 1910. Oliver lay in wait for Stanley by the side of the road and shot him with a double barrel shotgun loaded with buckshot. He also took a shot at another young man who was with Stanley and whose name is Majors. Briefly d the details of the crime are as follows: Carl Oliver was married to a Negro woman, Lizzie Oliver, and lived in the yard of a servant's house belonging to Mrs. Amelia Majors. Robert D. Stanley and family resided in Mrs. Majors' residence with Mrs. Majors and her family. On the evening of the killing Carl Oliver had come to his home in the servants' quarters and whipped his wife. He had whipped her before and had threatened to kill her. On this occasion Oliver had been driven away and Mrs. Majors had telephoned to Sheriff P. H. Holley and asked him to come and get Lizzie Oliver and take her somewhere for protection as she, Mrs. Majors, was afraid that Carl Oliver would return there during the night and harm her. Sheriff Holley had been called to the Majors home several times to settle the trouble between Carl Oliver and his wife and as he had just got in off of a long and wearisome ride, he told Mrs. Majors to send Lizzie Oliver to his house and she could stay all night and would be protected. Lizzie Oliver was afraid to go alone to the home of Sheriff Holley and Robert D. Stanley and the young son of Mrs. Majors volunteered to accompany her to the sheriff's home. The start was made. Robert Stanley walked in front. Lizzie Oliver followed him and young Majors walking behind. None of the men were armed and really expected no trouble. After proceeding only a short way, Oliver stepped out from his place of concealment and shot Stanley dead, but missed his aim at young Majors. Oliver then left the country, but was later located in Houston by Sheriff Holley, who had him arrested. Robert Stanley was a young cotton buyer and had a wife and several small children and his murder created great excitement and vengeance was threatened. When Sheriff Holley took the Negro into custody he slipped him into Mount Vernon without letting the people know it, and the Negro was indicted and his case sent to Grayson county on a change of venue before it was generally known that Oliver had been captured. He was indicted by a Franklin county grand jury Oct. 17, 1910, and two days later Oliver was quietly taken to the court house in Mount Vernon and a change of venue was granted and on the same day the start for Sherman was made with him. Oliver was tried twice in Grayson county both times in the Fifteenth District court. On the first trial, Judge Ben L. Jones sat on the bench. There was a hung jury, eleven voting to hang him and one standing out for life imprisonment. On the first Monday in June 1912, the case of the State vs. Carl Oliver was again called for trial and after a few delays the case was started. Judge W. M. Peck, the judge of the court at that time, was disqualified and exchanged benches with Judge J. M. Pearson of the Fifty-ninth district court. Oliver was without funds and Judge Pearson appointed the late Judge John T. Cunningham of Sherman and Abner L. Lewis of Denison to defend him. These men gave him one of the most able defenses ever put up in the Grayson county court hours. Cal T. Freeman was county attorney and assisted by Ben Gafford, the present county attorney, and Charles Batsell, he represented the state. The legal battle raged for a week and on June 14, 1912, the jury returned a verdict finding Carl Oliver guilty as charged in the indictment and fixing the penalty at death. Judge Cunningham and Mr. Lewis asked for a new trial and on a refusal of the petition, gave notice of appeal to the court of criminal appeals. On April 23, 1913, the case came back from the court of criminal appeals affirmed. The attorneys for Oliver then took the case to the United States supreme court and that court returned it to the court here, affirmed. On March 6, 1913, Judge M. H. Garnett, judge of the Fifty-ninth district court, exchanging benches with Judge Peck of the Fifteenth district court, based sentence on Oliver, setting the date of execution for Friday, April 16, 1915 - - today. Ever since his incarceration in the Grayson county jail Oliver has been a model prisoner. He gave none of the jail officers any trouble, never asked for any favors or made any special requests. From the first he has expressed the belief that he would not be hanged, but that the sentence would at least be commuted to life imprisonment. On being placed in the death cell with a watch over him by day and night, Oliver became very quiet, but for the most time, ate well and slept well, but often expressed the belief that he would not die by hanging. The past few days preceding his execution, however, he grew quite anxious and often asked if anything had been heard from Austin. When the final announcement was made to him, by a Democrat reporter that the State Board of Pardons had reported his case adversely and that Governor Ferguson stated that he would be guided solely by that report, he collapsed and from that time on lay on his cot, refusing to talk to any one about his case or on any other subject. The Courier-News McKinney Saturday April 17, 1915 pg 1 SHERMAN NEGRO HANGS Execution Witnessed by Two Officers From McKinney - Died Quickly Carl Oliver, colored, was hanged at Sherman Thursday at 12:02 p.m. for the murder of Robert D. Stanley at Mt. Vernon, Texas on June 18, 1910. The hanging occurred in the county jail and was witnessed only by those admitted by the sheriff's department and a number of peace officers from other counties. Oliver walked calmly to the death trap, speaking to no one and had nothing to say. He was offered an opportunity to make a statement but declined to do so. Sheriff Albert McCauley and Constable Son Mack of McKinney were among those present at the time the death trap was sprung   FELONY Susan Hawkins © 2024 If you find any of Grayson CountyTXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message. |