2 or 3 things I know about her

My name is Wesley Robert Wells. I am a Negro, American citizen. My prison number is 24155. I am 42 years of age, six foot, 170 pounds, dark brown color, strong of body. I have been in prison since I was 19, with only a few months in the “free world outside” in 1941. Here is my record:

In 1922, when I was 12, I was sent to reform school in Los Angeles for two years, for stealing a car. When I was 16, I was sent to the Preston reform school for doing the same thing. Paroled 18 months later, I was back in Preston again within 20 days for violation of parole.

Out for a few months, I was caught with stolen property, given one to five years’ sentence, placed in San Quentin prison in July, 1928, then transferred to Folsom prison. In 1931, while in Folsom five months, I got into a “free for all.” One of the prisoner died days later. I was tried, found guilty of manslaughter and sentenced to serve 10 additional years at Folsom.

In 1941 I was released on parole. Three months later I was back in Los Angeles jails for stealing a car. I was sent to Folsom for one to five years. In 1944, in another fight in prison, I was found guilty of possession of a knife. By law, I got an additional five years to life sentence, the adult authority, however, delayed in fixing the exact sentence.

On April of 1947, I was found guilty of throwing cuspidor at a guard, who was injured, under California law, I was sentenced to die.

The Supreme Court of California, in a four to three decision, okayed the law and my death. I appealed, was turned down, then appealed to the U.S. Supreme court. In the Supreme Court it was five to two, like the baseball scores. I was turned down again.

Thursday afternoon, January 27th, 1950, on my 870th day on Death Row, four guards came for me to take my “last walk. I had torn up old letters, given away personal effects and prepared myself to die.

I was escorted downstairs to the death cell, the “green room.” as we call it, there was a mattress on the floor for a bed, and two strong headlights blazing down on me, five feet away, two guards watched my every move. I prayed silently. I thought how cruel life really was