The earliest reference I've yet found is a title-only mention from 1891, in Cedar Vale, Kansas's The Cedar Vale Star of June 12th, where it was performed in a Chautauqua program. (link)

The earliest text I've found is from the April 1st, 1897 edition of the Moulton (Ala.) Advertiser -- see link. Lyrics below.

A SONG
For the Moulton Advertiser.

A A poor unworthy boy who dared
To disregard a father's prayer,
Who came to see a sister dear,
And would not hear a mother's prayer.

Oh who can tell a mother's thought,
When first to her the news was brought?
The Sheriff said her son was sought,
And into prison he was brought.

Only a mother standing by
To hear him tell the reason why;
Her son in prison had to lie
Till on the gallows he must die!

His father sixty years of age
The best of counsel did engage,
To see if something could be done
To save his disobedient son.

But nothing could the counsel do,
The testimony was so true--
It was he the bloody weapon drew,
And pierced his comrade's body through!

To hear him on the gallows tell,
His weeping mother fare-thee-well!
My soul now feels a mental hell,
For soon with deamons [sic] it must dwell!

Darling sister, do not weep,
For soon with deamons [sic] I must sleep;
And on the gallows I must pay,
For gambling on the Sabbath day.

The Sheriff cut the slender chord--
His soul has gone to meet its God!
The Doctor said the wretch is dead;
And his spirit from his body fled!

His weeping mother cries aloud,
Oh God do save the gaping crowd,
That they shall not be cast away,
For gambling on the Sabbath day.

A substantially-similar version of the song (minus the intro, which feels different but much clunkier) was printed in Baxter Spring, Kansas's Cherokee County Republican later that month; see link

The song seems to be popular in the Kansas area, as yet another edition turned up the following year in Mulberry, Kansas's Mulberry Sun; see

The song was mentioned in print sporadically until the 1920s and 1930s, when it was requested and subsequently furnished in a number of exchange columns of newspapers.