Wayman King is said to have been born in Marianna, Florida in 1876, the son of a local laborer Isaac King (1859-) and Eliza Callaway (1860-). There, upon reaching manhood, he married Lula Wolson on April 24, 1897. King would surface again in Pensacola, Florida in 1899 where he apparently took up with a woman named Victoria Watkins. The woman lived in the vicinity of St. John's Cemetery and had been urging King for a commitment of marriage. King ignored her repeated requests until she finally grew tired of his procrastination. On September 15, 1899, she broke off her relationship with him but on the condition that he could return whenever he was ready to actually take steps to commit! He begged her to reconsider but she refused. In retaliation, he told her he would be leaving town that night but would make her sorry before he left. Although he did not leave town that night, he did return to her house the next morning of Saturday, September 16th. Again, he pressed his case and again she ignored his request. He left in a huff but returned that afternoon and walked up to a window where he saw her sweeping one of her rooms. He pulled out a gun and fired one round through the window from a .44 pistol. The bullet entered her abdomen and pierced her intestines. She was rushed to the infirmary but perished around 10:00 PM that night.
In the meantime, King quickly left Pensacola and headed for Milton in an attempt to escape. All surrounding towns were put on alert, and he was captured by Santa Rosa County Sheriff David Mitchell on Sunday, September 17th. Escambia deputies Frank Sanders and Aaron Kelly picked him up and returned him to Pensacola on the 6:30 PM train. On December 7th, he was tried and found guilty by jury of Victoria's murder, and he was sentenced to be hanged. Perhaps because of a fear of suicide, a watch was authorized by the sheriff for one officer by day and one by night 24/7 to be paid $2.50 per day.
Then came the long wait for Wayman, knowing that his fate was sealed and there was nothing he could do about it. So, to ease the hardship of waiting or out of abject boredom he volunteered to build his own scaffold, the instrument of his death. This alone created an obsession with the news media of the day and the story was published all over the Southeast United States. The original design for the scaffold called for 13 steps, but most likely out of superstition Wayman requested and was granted permission to add an extra step to make it 14. When finished, he jokingly suggested that they test its efficiency by hanging one of the other inmates. Again, the condemned man's joking humor spread across the nation with the social media of the day!
Then alas, came the day of his execution whereby Sheriff George E. Smith walked the prisoner out of the jail at 12:10 PM and into the enclosed courtyard where the platform stood. It was the duty of every Florida sheriff at that time to perform the execution of his condemned charges. They walked up the 14 stairs along with Smith, Deputies Frank Sanders, Hal Alton Cowart, and Aaron Kelly. Also in tow was Father James Patrick "JP" McCafferty and Father English from St. Michael's Catholic Church on North Palafox. There was also Navy Chaplain H. W. Jones and five African American ministers from the local area. Wayman was dressed in a neat black suit and as he stood on the platform, he looked around quietly at all the spectators in the jail yard and in the windows and the top of the surrounding buildings. He then asked Sheriff Smith if he could shake hands with some of the spectators that he knew. Smith surprisingly acquiesced!
One by one they ascended the stairs and he shook the hands of Edward Goldstuker (clothier), James Farinas (foreman), Frank C. Benjamin (police), Andrew Bolline (businessman), and Charles Breckinridge "CB" Parkhill (attorney). In addition to these gentlemen, two doctors made their way up. Dr. Frank Gale Renshaw and Dr. Daniel W. McMillan along with the clerk of the court Angus Murphy McMillan. McMillan was followed by an African American minister at 12:20 PM who knelt with Wayman as both prayed fervently.
As time was running out, Wayman asked Edward Amos and Hans Kelly to please come up and shake his hand. After they walked down, Wayman spied Sheriff David Mitchell out in the crowd. Mitchell had been the one to arrest him in Milton and arranged for his return to Pensacola. Mitchell walked up and shook his hand and bid him goodbye. At 12:28 PM, Sheriff Smith asked him if he had anything to say before the sentence was carried out.
In reply, Wayman spoke in a low, calm voice as he addressed the crowd around him. He stated, "White and Colored Gentlemen: I am sorry to be in such a terrible condition but am glad to know that I have made peace with God. I have lots to say but my time is too short. I am surprised to see so many colored people laughing and pointing at me while I am in this terrible condition. Every one of them will have their day to answer for this. I did not get justice in my trial. I think it a most horrible thing that I should be hanged while Reuben Harris who killed Police Officer Yelverton was let off with a life sentence in the penitentiary. There was no justice in that. As for Sheriff Smith, I think him the best man for the office. He has been very kind to me and has given me everything that was in his power to give."
At that point Wayman's voice became so low that very few could hear his closing remarks. But in the meantime, L&N Engineer William Henry Caro, who was a member of the jury that convicted him, was called up to shake his hand. This was followed by attorney Celestino Moreno Jones, Marshal Frank Wilde, Nicholas Giardina, John Thompson, Conductor J. George White Jr., Julius Menko and Deputy Charles Phillip Bobe who came forth in turn. He then asked Sheriff Smith for a cigar, which was quickly produced. He calmly smoked the cigar as he called up L&N engineer James Irvine Sizer while smiling at the crowd. He then called for a chew of tobacco. Deputy Aaron Kelly handed him a piece, but Wayman didn't like that particular brand and gave it back. Several pieces were tossed up to him until he finally found a piece that suited his fancy and he began chewing it vigorously.
At 12:52 PM, Father McCafferty read to him from the bible. When the priest finished Wayman called for a glass of water which Deputy Charles P. Bobe brought him. At 12:58 PM, the last rites were read to him, and the two men shook hands as Wayman stepped upon the trap door. Deputy Kelly bound his feet and hands and the noose was placed around his neck. A black hood was place over his head and at 1:05 PM Sheriff Smith pulled the lever and Wayman dropped into eternity. At this point several women fainted while others sang hymns.
Pensacola city physician Dr. Daniel W. McMillan examined him and found no pulse. At 1:10 PM, he was officially pronounced dead. His body was taken down and placed in a coffin and carried into the jail. But inside they quickly found that he was not dead and was breathing in a jerking manner and uttering smothered groans. He was taken back to the gallows and a new rope was rigged up and a second noose placed around his neck at 1:29 PM. Holding him up, they pulled the lever again and left him hanging for another four minutes to be sure. At 1:40 PM, he was pronounced dead a second time. His remains were buried in St. John's Cemetery at 5:00 PM in Section #42, Space #2, however there is no marker.
But remember, overall by 1900 the art of hanging as a form of execution had become very efficient throughout the United States. However, it was not without its errors and mistakes along the way. Normally, the rope was placed around the neck, with the knot off to the side where it would cause the greatest amount of damage. Upon the springing of the trap door the weight of the prisoner would cause the hangman’s knot to break the victim’s neck rather than strangling him. Usually, it was a sudden death that came to the condemned man. But mistakes happen! In fact, the day before Wayman killed Victoria Watkins, a young man was hung in Mobile, Alabama on September 15, 1899, for murder. As the trap door fell, his noose slipped, and he fell heavily to the ground. He was taken back up and was hung a second time.
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