Dallas Morning News
29 May 1897

DAN WALKER DIES THE DEATH
On the Scaffold His Life is Strangled Out for the Murder of his Wife
He Confesses to the Awful Crime, Mounts the Gibbet with a Firm Tread and Makes a Speech of Warning.
History of the Case.  

Bonham, Fannin Co., Tex., May 28 - The die has been cast, the wrangling is over with regard to Dan Walker, the wife murderer.
He is dead.
At 1:20 p.m. Dan was brought out of his cell into the jail office, where Sheriff J.J. Riddling, in the presence of a number of witnesses and newspaper reporters, read to him the death warrant.
He also read three telegrams, two granting respites, the third, ordering him to execute the sentence of the court, after which Mrs. Nichols, wife of Rev. W. Nichols of the A.M.E. church, pinned a button-hole bouquet on the lapel of his coat.
Dan was then conducted to the scaffold, which was built in the jail yard, enclosed with a high fence.  Dan ascended the stairs with a firm step and took a seat on the scaffold.  A song, "Dark Was the Day and Cold the Ground, Where Once Our Savior Lay," was sung.
Rev. Nichols then read the third chapter of John, when Elder Jones, colored, offered prayer, after which there was more singing and prayer, when Dan was led forth and told he had a right to say anything he wanted.
Dan spoke for about ten minutes, giving good and welcome advice, saying he was prepared to die, then abruptly closing, said that was all he had to say.
He was bound and just before the black cap was placed over his head he said: "Good-bye."
The noose was placed on his neck.  Rev. Nichols pronounced the benediction at 2:25.  Sheriff Riddling sprung the trap and Dan shot downward into eternity.   His neck was not broken, but he died from strangulation.  His struggles were painful to see and it was seventeen minutes before he was pronounced dead and the body cut down and taken to the poor farm for burial.

HISTORY OF THE CRIME
On the night of July 30, 1896, when the hour was nearing midnight, in Sauktown, a western suburb of this city, inhabited principally by colored people, Dan Walker, colored, murdered his wife.
At the August term of the district court of Fannin county the grand jury returned a true bill, charging Dan Walker with murder.  During that term of court he was tried, found guilty with death punishment, from which verdict Dan appealed to the court of criminal appeals, and there the judgment of the lower court was affirmed.
The history of the crime follows: Dan Walker was engaged in farming four miles east of this city.  His wife left him, came to town and for a while lived with her mother, but afterwards began cooking for various parties in the city.  Dan came to town and tried to get his wife to go back to the farm and live with him. She refused, whereupon Dan sued for a divorce, which was granted him.  Some months elapsed and Dan sadly came back to the city, hunted up his divorced wife, wooed and won her affections once more and they were again married, Dan taking her home to his farm, where they lived together for a while.
One day Dan's wife came to the city, presumably on a visit to her mother. Dan waited three or four days, and when his wife did not return he came to the city and found she had hired out and was cooking for a family.  Dan went to the residence and tried to persuade her to return with him to the farm.  She flatly refused, and Dan remained in the city for several days, staying with his wife at her mother's in Sauktown.
On the night of July 3, 1896, Dan and his wife retired, occupying one of the rooms in her mother's residence.  His wife's mother occupied an adjoining room.  About 11 o'clock she heard Dan and his wife quarreling about something.  Instantly Dan's wife came into the room where her mother was, remaining a few moments.  Dan called to her to come and get his clothes.  She did so, and threw them to him, which he donned.  Some more angry words occurred between them with regard to some other man, who Dan claimed she was intimate with.  Dan became very angry and returning to his room procured his pistol and as his wife was starting to leave the house he began firing at her.  He fired two shots, one of which struck her in the back.  Sorely wounded she ran out of the door and in her terror she endeavored to escape from her husband by crawling under the house.  Dan followed and crawling to where his wife lay, placed the pistol against her left breast and fired, the bullet penetrating her heart, killing her instantly.  So close was he that the flash from the pistol fired her clothing and were burning rapidly when a few minutes later she was pulled from under the house by colored people.
Dan fled and went to the northern part of the city and tried to end his life.  Placing a pistol to his breast he sent a ball through his body.  Failing to kill himself, having no more loads in his pistol, he grew sick and dirty from this wound and returned to the city.  He entered a colored man's house, where Sheriff Chaney soon appeared and had him conveyed to jail, where his life trembled in the balances for weeks, but by skillful medical treatment he recovered.

WALKER'S CONFESSION
A News reporter visited Dan Walker before he was first respited for the purpose of getting a confession or statement.  He was found in a cell in the lower story of the jail.  Dan was perfectly willing to talk, and in answer to questions, said:
"I was born in Howard county, Arkansas, Nov. 22, 1865, moved with my father while young, to Hempstead county, Arkansas, where I lived for twenty years.  I first came to Texas in 1881, staid but a short while, during which time I worked on the farm of J.W. Herring.  About July, 1882, I returned to Hempstead county, Arkansas, stayed there until 1885, then I returned to Texas, and followed cutting ties in east Texas until October, 1885.  I then went to Fairland, Hopkins county, and staid there, working in a gin until Christmas.  I went from there to Sulphur Springs, where I remained until 1888, working for J.O. Wilson.  About Aug. 15, 1888, I came to Bonham, and worked in various parts of the county on farms.  In 1889 I made a crop on Dennis Pollard's farm, west of Ladonia.  In 1890, I came back to Bonham and began farming, east of town.
"In 1890, I was married to Alice Golden, and I took her to Denison and remained there about three weeks, then we returned to Bonham, and went to work farming, east of the city, on Casey Murphy's farm.  On the 21st of July, 1894, my wife left home, saying she was going to town to visit her mother, saying she would be back in a few days.  I consented and she left. I waited patiently for three days and she did not put in appearance, so I went to Bonham to see what was the matter and found her hired out and cooking for Mr. Tom Hackley's family.  I did not speak to her, but went to the courthouse, employed a lawyer, brought suit for a divorce, it being the third time she had left me in that manner.  I obtained my divorce in 1895, and went back to my farm and work.  But I became worried and lonesome; I loved my wife and missed her very much.  About a month after I obtained a divorce she came out to see me.  Soon after she arrived her father came in, staid awhile and we all talked our troubles over and we agreed to make up and live together again as husband and wife.  She staid all night with me, and next morning she went back to the city and made her home at her mother's.  I frequently went to see her while she was there.  About a week after the above named visit she came to see me again, and told me that if I was not going to marry her right away, she wanted her part of the household goods.  I loaded them on my wagon and brought her and the goods to town and delivered them where she was staying.  I then came back to my farm and continued to work, during which time, I frequently visited her.
"We were remarried in 1896, and my wife continued living in the city.  About two weeks before I got in this trouble, my wife moved down to her mother's in the west end of the city.  I still worked on my farm, coming backward and forwards to see my wife.  The day when I got into this trouble was the happiest day of my life.  We were living happily together.  I staid in town all that day, and did not return to my farm.  Expecting to have a good time, as my wife's cousin, Gus Walker, was coming from Sulphur Springs and my wife was cooking for the occasion, I went to town, secured an ice cream freezer, intending to make some ice cream for the occasion.  That night, after all had retired to bed, about 11 o'clock, my wife got up and said she had to go off a while.  I asked her where she was going.  She said it was none of my business.  I then told her where I thought she was going.  She at first denied it, but finally admitted that she was going there and I couldn't help myself.  From that we got to quarreling pretty loudly.  Her mother arose, came in and asked what was the matter.  I told her Alice said she was going off, and remarked that it was a pretty time of night to get up from my bed and leave me.  Her mother tried to get Alice to go back to bed, but she replied she was grown and she would do as she pleased.  I told her mother to let her alone, that I would leave the house myself.  I told my wife to give me my clothes in her trunk.  She gave them to me and I put them on and started out of the house.  Her mother tried to keep me from going.
"I was about to open the door when I thought of my pistol.  I went back to the bed and secured it.  I was then so mad I could hardly see.  I put the pistol in my pocket, entered the other room and her mother was still begging me not to leave, when my wife spoke up and said: "Let him go and stay.  I don't care where in the devil he goes."  I never exchanged any words, but pulled my pistol and went to shooting at her.  I didn't know at the time whether I hit her or not.  Everything seemed like a dream after I commenced to shoot at her. I have no recollection what occurred.  I don't know whether I followed her out of the house or not.  I could hear the report of the pistol, but I could not tell whether I had it or who had it.  The next thing I remember I ran into a barbed wire fence.  I struggled around and got out of it.  I knew I was hurt.  I was so crazy mad I don't recollect when I shot myself.  I returned to the city in a half-dazed way.  Stopped at Wade Reynold's house; went in; lay down and became deathly sick and I didn't recollect anything until I found myself in jail.
"I have been treated all right ever since I've been in here.  Jailor Hoskins has treated me kindly, and of course I tried to get away the other day, but Mr. Dick is all right.  I think he is the finest man I ever saw.  In fact Sheriff Ridling and all the officers connected with the jail have all treated me kindly and all right."