1912: GA - Wm. B. Walker Hanged for Murder of Wife, Alma
(1) WIFE KIDNAPPED WHILE HUSBAND WAS IN COURT.
Special to The Georgian.
Columbus, Ga., Jan. 28.-Lured from her home by a telephone message that her husband who had gone to Seale, Ala., to testify in the whiskey cases made in Girard last week, was under arrest and needed her assistance, Mrs. Alma Walker, wife of W.B. Walker, was taken in a buggy by Seah Jones, a bar-tender of Girard, it is alleged, and kept for four hours, the man driving the team several miles out of the city. Her husband returned on the noon train yesterday to find that his wife has mysteriously disappeared, and at once appealed to the police to aid him in finding her, but the search was fruitless until the woman, having been let out of the buggy by Jones, returned to her home yesterday afternoon. Her husband swore out a warrant for Jones and he will be arrested if he remains within reach.
Source: The Atlanta Georgian and News, Atlanta, Georgia, Thursday, January 28, 1908; Pg. 3, Column 2
(2) INDICTED ON CHARGE OF MURDERING WIFE.
Macon, Ga., Nov. 10.-W. B. Walker, a farmer of the Hazard district, was indicted yesterday by the grand jury for the murder of his wife, and will be tried at the present session of Bibb superior court. A true bill was found by the grand jury after three witnesses had testified. It is charged that Walker poured gasoline on his wife and then set her afire. He is now in the county jail and denies strenuously that he had anything to do with his wife burning to death.
Source: The Atlanta Georgian and News, Atlanta, Georgia, Thursday, November 10, 1910; Pg. 2, Column 3
(3) WALKER IS ON TRIAL FOR KILLING WIFE.
Alleged That He Burned Her to Death With Gasoline.
Macon, Ga., Jan. 17.-W.B. Walker was placed on trial in Bibb superior court yesterday for the murder of his wife, Mrs. Alma Walker. It is alleged he burned her to death with gasoline last August.
There was little difficulty in getting a jury, and at the close last night all the evidence for the state was in.
The negro woman, who lived near the Walker home, and who ran into the house on hearing the screams of Mrs. Walker, when placed on the stand testified that Mrs. Walker, as she was dying, said:
“Classie, he did it! He did it on purpose! He stuck fire to me!”
The defense will present its evidence today.
Source: The Atlanta Georgian and News, Atlanta, Georgia, Tuesday, January 17, 1911; Pg. 2, Column 4
(4) Walker on Trial.
Macon, Ga., -W.B. Walker was placed on trial in Bibb superior court yesterday for the murder of his wife, Mrs. Alma Walker. It is alleged he burned her to death with gasoline last August. There was little difficulty in getting a jury, and at the close last night all the evidence for the state was in.
Source: The Atlanta Georgian and News, Atlanta, Georgia,Saturday, January 21, 1911; Pg. 11, Column 3
(5) Murder Trials Postponed.
Macon, Ga., Nov. 30.-The cases of William B. Walker and Edward Alford, charged with murder, set for trial yesterday in the superior court, was postponed until January, when a special term of court will be called for the purpose of disposing of these cases. Walker is alleged to have killed his wife by setting her clothes afire with gasoline at his farm on the Houston road near Macon several months ago. Alford is charged with the murder of his wife and mother-in-law, Mrs. Exum.
Source: The Atlanta Georgian and News, Atlanta, Georgia, Wednesday, November 30, 1910; Pg. 7, Column 6
(6) Walker Convicted.
Macon, Ga.,-William Walker, who has been on trial here for several days charged with burning his wife to death, was found guilty of murder by the jury this afternoon and sentenced to hang on March 10 by Judge Felton. It was charged by the state that Walker saturated his wife with gasoline and then set fire to her.
Source: The Atlanta Georgian and News, Atlanta, Georgia, Saturday, January 28, 1911; Pg. 6, Column 1
(7) WALKER HANGED; MURDERED WIFE.
At Macon Yesterday at 11:04 Man Executed Protesting Innocence.
(Special to The Banner.)
Macon, Ga., March 8.-William B. Walker was hanged at four minutes after 11 o’clock this morning for the murder of his wife. Life was pronounced extinct in fourteen minutes after the sheriff had sprung the death trap of the gallows in the execution room of the Bibb county jail.
The execution was, of course, in private, and there were only a very few who could have been present that witnessed the execution.
There was no excitement in the city over the penalty.
Walker died without making a statement one way or the other concerning the crime for which he was sentenced.
He never lost his nerve and seemed stronger than ever physically this morning.
His body was this afternoon sent to Milner, his old home, for burial there by relatives.
Source: The Athens Banner, Athens, Georgia, Saturday Morning, March 9, 1912; Pg. 1, Column 3