MURDER IN THE FIRST DEGREE

Ben McCline to Die for Killing Alex Benjamin, Who Begged for Mercy While He Shot Him Again and Again.

Corsicana, Tex., Jan 15. - The jury in the case styled The State vs. Ben McCline, colored, returned a verdict as follows: "We the jury find the defendant guilty of murder in the first degree, and assess his punishment as death." The facts in the case are about as follows: "We the jury find the defendant guilty of murder in the first degree, and assess his punishment as death."  The facts in the case are about as follows: On the night of Oct. 3, 1887, a colored festival given at a stone house in Brushy Prairie, Navarro County, Ben McCline, of Hill County, came to the festival and hitched his horse near the house where the festival was being held, and walked up to where Alec Benjamin and three other colored boys were talking and disputing. Ben at once took part in the dispute, and without excuse or cause, opened fire on Alec Benjamin. Deceased fell at the second shot, and while on the ground begging for mercy defendant shot twice more into his body, cursing and abusing deceased all the time, and continued to snap his pistol several times. Then he flourished his pistol over his head and asked who was the next --- of a negro there that wanted to die. He then rode off on his horse and was arrested in a short time by two colored men who had in the meantime armed themselves for that purpose. The case consumed several days of the District Court. Judge Sam. R. Frost delivered an able charge to the jury, and it was pronounced by all as being one of the clearest charges ever given to a jury in Navarro County.

Dallas Morning News - Jan 16, 1888 - View News Clipping