The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1879-01-21
THE CAMDEN CHOKE.
Sickening Scenes Previous to
Hunters EXecution-The Way
the Prisoner Attempted to Take
His Life.
Now York Hersld.

Now York Hersld.
The Heruyfs special report Informed
the public of Hunters condition dowI
to midnight of THURSDAY. The re
porters had been requested to suppress
the fact that Hunters physical condi
ton excited apprehensions. and tha
it would be necessary to build him vi
on whiskev, or else suppress him by
drugs. Heretofore the facts concern
ing his attempted suicide hsve beer
withheld from the press, and tine.
would not be known to-day were it moi
for the quarrel that wages relentless.
between the Hunter family and hi
former counsel. As / learned from
the Waterman. for Il week or ten days
previous to Sunday last. Hunter. OF
the plea of being cold, was in the
habit of going to the corner OF hi:
cage. near the stove, where he would
take off his trousers and rub his hiT
before going to bed. which he general
ly did at 1890. On Sunday night,
as usual, he undressed, cigar in mouth,
and sat by the stove. The keeper,
Mr.. Nilsson, was knitting wrIstlet,
and as Hunter sat and rubbed and
Nilsson sat and knitted, the two
chatted and joked and laughed. In
view of what was then going on the
nerve of Hunter was something re
markable. Hunter shook his shoul
ders. and. containing of a chill,
pulled a piece Of carpet over his feet,
and until half past eleven continued
to rub and laugh and chat and joke.
That subtle sixth sense, something.
suggested to keeper Nilsson that
Hunter would bear watching, SO he
said:
"Come. old man. l think YOU had
better turn in. its getting late"
"Oh. I'm not sleepy" replied the
prisoner.
why don't you move ?" asked
Nilsson.
Because I'm comfortable as am,
rejolned Hunter.
But you must move. l want ia
see you move" continued the keeper.
Hunter kept on rubbing, and
Nilsson opening the door. rushed At
him in mis- cage. Pulling away the
carpet from Hunters legs and feet.
a terrible sight met the keepers eye.
With a sharp. ragged bit of tin the
determined man had rasped the skin
and cut the arteries of his instep. and
the blood had poured from them to
such an extent that a spittoon he had
to place there was filled and
III ming over. Help was procured.
Hunter was handcuffed and the
doctor sent for. He says Hunters
pulse was l4S, and that he would not
hav. lived FIVE minutes longer had he
not been called in time. Hunter.
who was as cunning as a fox. slammed
and held his teeth so
tight together that it was impossible
to force his Jaws apart with tooth
brush. and finally the Doctor gave
him injections of whiskev. Although
the Doctor pronounced Hunter out of
danger on Tuesday. there has been no
time since when it was certain he
could hold out to the end. This made
The officials very anxious about the
last night. especially as his behavior
when his family were last with him
was strange and unnatural.
From IL o'clock Hunter continued
10 sleep uneasily. He groaned and
and snored so as to he heard
throughout the building. He turned
rom side to side is if in terror of
some dread object. His handcuffed
hands twitched nervcusly. Now and
hen he would clasp them as if prayer.
md again he thrust them from him
Is if they panied him. So fierce were
lis looks and so vigorous his means
hat his watchers thought it best
occasionally to rouse him from his
nightmare. When thus brought back |
or a moment to the life SO soon to
nd the expression of his face was
'itiful. His great eyes in their
unken sockets glared in the semi. /
arkness like those of wild beast in a
JINGLE. His medicine-drugs or
,hiskey-was given him regularly,
nd much more effort was made to
reserve him for the moose than was
ut forth to prepare the moose for
i'm. Occasionally the keeper asked
i'm how he felt, TO which generally
,ere was no response. but occasionally
e growled out "middiing" or pretty
mr." Stupidity as he acted with the
eeper, it was evident that the strong
ian was wrestling with himself and
CRYING himself to something. Occa-
onally from under his heavy brOws-
ID it is said he could not look up
ithout throwing back his head-he /;
,rted forth quick, searching chances,
If to take In the situation, but he I
relapsed into the lethar-
C or frigned condition in which he
ssed the night. At 2 o'clock he q
oaned continually. At 3 he was >
used for medicine. At 4 he woke
finally and made visible effort to q
strong. but the great loss of blood, b
e enfeebling narcotics and the
-rible strain upon his nervous a
ergv were too much for him, and it r.
Is apparent that If he lived to be d
ngrd at all it would be either as a 8,
li-key jug or an unconscious SEM p
,nce Of humanity. u
How are you. Hunters" asked the h
appr, at twenty minutes past I a. NJ. r,
"Middling." whined the old man.
he turned his face away and curled n,
legs up, like chilled aud freezing as
:. II
The doctor and Sheriff and clergy o,
., nn,s,ls.I fnvorkar The .l,.csn. e.,