The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1872-04-18
i T1PToN. IOWA. APRIL Is. 1879.

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D0oMED TO DEATH.
4 Talk with George Stanley, th.
Iowa Murderer What He nay,
Of Himsolf-How He 1xpeots 4
Meet His Death.
A correspondent Of the Chlcagt
journal writes ~ follows concerning
Geo. Stanley, who was sentenced to b.
hung on the 18th inst. Since the
following was written, however, the
execution has been postponed BY the
Governor In answer to the request ol
the General Assembly until that body
shall have acted upon measures look
Ing to the abolition Of capital punish.
ment:
On the 18th day Of June, 1870. with.
In 700 yards Of the depot ut Ames,
Patterson, section boss on the Chica.
60 and Northwestern Railway. was
found, lying across the track, with
two bullet holes in his head-one un
der the right eye; the other entered
the top Of bis head. and passed Into
the brain. It's unnecessary to add
that As was dead. On the 10th, the
next day sfter Patterson's b0hy was
found. George Stanley was arrested
At Eldora, some fifty miles northeast
of Amts. lodged IN jail. aud. after y
-day's delay, he was taken to Ames.
where the evidence was sufficiently
strong tp warrant the C0roner's jury
IN holding him for tris,, aud hence
Stanley was sent to
THE COUNTY JAIL,
which Is situated In Nevada, the c0un.
~ seat of story county, Hnd III 4 brick
building two stories high aud about
twenty five feet square. The lower
story is used b. the turnkey ~ u
residence; the second story has the
grated windows, and IL all. save the
stair landing. included In one cell
The Sheriff. Mr.. Murphy, kindly
accompanied me to the siaOr Of the
cell. and ushered me into the presence
Of the dNn.ed man. After shaking
hands with Stanley, l took look at
the
and Its contents. Two beds, four
chairs and rough table fastened to one
side Of the cell constitutes the furni.
ture.
GEORGE STANLEY,
the man sentenced to die on 18th Of
April, WAS born in Canada East. He
WAS twenty eight years old IL Febru.
last. His weight when arrested was
$50 pounds; his height Is about five
feet ten inches; his eye gray. deep set,
small aud badly crossed with y pierc
ing look his head sets on tile side Of
his neck rather than on the top his
chest deep and broad, muscles OF his
limbs well developed and exhibiting
much pOwer.
I asked Stanley he had any oljec-
tions to telling aae his story. that IT
might go 20 the people through The
Journal. Seating himself on the bed.
side, with his ankles mAnacled,
George Stanley related 10 ne the
HOMACIDE,
rs he called It. II had two good
chances to kill Patterson, i'll had
|s.s' ----ssn. .sAs---yseaes->she-.v~ kslt~--ss
l killed him at last In self defense "
Then rising to his feet, he exhibited
ave scars-one In his breast, one in
his right groin, one near the navel,
one on left arm, aud one on his head /,
which Patterson inflicted in Q quarrel
about eight months before the killing.
Stanley says: II was looking for
work, 10 the way that came to be
It Ames. aud stopped ct the spring,
where Patterson was killed. to take .
drink Of water and eat my lunch.
Just then he lPattersony came along.
and, ~ ! looked up. he fired 1T me,
the ball whistling past my head,
rather close. Jumped up, ran round
behind the bank, aud thinking he was
after me yet, jumped back on to the
railroad track, and right there stood
Patterson. Now, I either had to jump
fence on the opposite side, climb up
tho bank. giving Patterson chance
to kill me. or else had 10 shoot him !;
90 shot him. Of course. and ut the
first shot his head dropped down on
bis breast, when / fired again; then
be fell. didn't stop 10 see II he was
dead or not, hut ran for the woods as
quick ~ could. When In the woods,
/ stoppe'i and thought had better 90
back aud tell about II, but was afraid
the old difficulty would he brought up
again. aud they would say killed him
mAliciously."
I asked Stanley, How Dc you feel
about the near spprAch Of the execu-
ti0n?
II think I will meet II like a man.
If Am to be hung will be-"
/" Would you rather 60 to States
Prison for life ?"
Certainly would. As long ~
there's life there's hope; but when
you hang man he is gone up. Then
he added. think that this whole
thing IL = judgment Of Gnd upon me,
for ! have lived without God all my
life. fearing neither God nor man.
All that am serrv for In that my
mother and sisters should know that |
was oven In Jail. or had any trouble
with anyone"
Stanley then gave me = history OF
his past life. He had . xfa-faring
way" before the mast studied law for
nearly two years then came to Iowa,
and went 70 work on the railroad ~ y
sectiOn man, and In the latter occu
patti III made the acquaintance of the
man for whose murder lle 10 to swing
on the 18th Of this month.
II 10 remarkable how strong this
man's nerves seem to have been
through all the trial, aud everything
connected with 1t. thought could
perceiys . tremor Of the lips and q
t~itching Of the muscles Of tho face.
But Il was difficult 70 tell, 30 guarded
was he Of his actions. Evidently
GAOfUa 9fanl0v ,rfahoa IN Sais. s,tthn,.,