Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1879-01-01

E
/ detective, had an interview with kehoe,
in which the latter said Hurley should
have had from three to five hundred
| dollars for having done so clean 4 Job.
Jack declined to pay the reward to
Hurley on his own responsibility, but
| called meeting at Tamaqua for the
purpose of determining the amount of
the reward to be paid. The conven-
ton was held at the house of James
Carroll one of the six murderers hang
ed at Pottsville in June, 1877. In
broad daylight the leaders of the bloody
organization assembled. without any
efforts at conceament, To consider a
proposition to reward the brutal murd-
erer. Hurley was there in person to
urge his claims to the reward, and
kehoe stated that the assassin of Com.
er James should be well paid for his
services, but that it was important that
the proper person should get the
money. A committee was accordingly
appointed to decide the matter in dis
pute. and Hurley's claims were recog-
nized. but ne never got the reward, the
funds of the organization being required
for purposes Of defense. Hurley sub
sequently decamped and is still at
large.
Notwithstanding that the hands Of
the Mollie King were stained with
blood, and that he could undoubtedly
have been convicted of several other
murders, he still laughed at his prose
cutors, and had no doubt of his pardon
Then began a desperate struggle of the
prisoners counsel. The full court re-
fused new trial, and the supreme
court sustained the rulings of the lower
tribunal. In March last the death-war-
rant was issued, but was Immediately
withdrawn to give the board of pardons
an opportunity to consider the case.
The board refused on the 9th of April
to interfere by tie vote. Still the war
rant was not reissued, and in Septem-
Der the board was induced TO consider
the case again.
This delay was most valuable to
kehoe's counsel, for, if they could only
5tave off the case until Governor Hart
ranft's term OF office expired, in Jan
uary next, the Molie murderer was
undoubtedly safe, as gubernatorial ct
iquette would have forbidden Hoyl sign
ing the warrant. The board, however,
decided as before, and the fate of kehoe
was in Hartranft's hand During the
recent campaign nothing was done, and
the case entered largely into the cam
paign, the democrats charging that
Hartranft was bound to save kehoe's
life in payment for the Mollie vote. AT
ter the election was over, however, the
Governor in Il letter to Attorney Gener-
nj Lear. made excuses for not signing
the warrant, saying that he wished the
democrats to enjoy what political CAPT
tai they could out of the case, eX-
pressing some doubts as to kehoe's
guilt. and asking for instructions. The
Attorney General replied that their re-
manned just one thing to do, according
to law, and that was to sign the death
warrant, and so on the 18th Of Novem-
Der the document was issued. Still an
other effort was made in X ehoe's behalf,
and a witness was hunted up III Decem-
Der for the express purposes OF estab-
fishing an abb, but the board again re-
fused to interfere, and to-day Jack ke-
hoe, the great leader of the Mollle Ma
CURES, met his death.
Martin Bergin, another Mollie, was to
have been hanged to-day, but was
yesterday respited until Jan. 10 to test
the consntutionahty Of the law of 1877
regarding the writ Of error Alexander
b. Sayre has also been respited for
some reason, and James Mcdonald and
Charles Sharpe, two Mollies, who were
sentenced to death to-day, have re-
ceived breathing until Jan. IA.
The hanging of Kehoe makes the
sixteenth Mollie that has paid the
penalty of his crime on the gallows
since the execution of this class Of
murderers was begun on June 81, 1877,
when ten were dropped into eternity in
one day. Two more are to be hanged
on Jan. IA. James Mcdonnell and
Charles Sharpe, and one on Jan. 10.
Martin Bergin. In addition to these
two Mollies are under sentence of death
in Mountaineering county, making
twenty-one convictions in all within
three years.