Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1880-03-13

totype of Rand, the ruffiaD, he was
wanting in that desperade's courage;
as the last day had come his pluck
was about exhausted, and as the re-
porter asked him how he felt the
question needed no answer. He was
the perfect personification of despair.
Dressed in The most ragged garb aud
an utter disregard for
cleanliness, he was at once an object
of pity and disgust. The reporter
asked him for statement, but receiv-
ing an evasive reply, urged him to |
put himself right before the world
whatever he should say would be |
published without additions or al
1erations. He looked down at the
floor moment, and then back at the
man Martin, who was to suffer the
same penalty. Martin, who has been
his cell innate, seems TO have gained
CONSIDERABL INFLUENCE OVER
HIM,
and it is said constantly advised him
TO make no confession or statement.
Turning his face to the reporter he
said: 81 eau say nothing more than
what have said all the way through,
and that is that | am not guilty. Or
course there is no hope for me now.
but shall die an innocent man. l
was not well defended, and the wit
nesses who swore against me swore
to what they knew to be false. L
have said that the principal witness
against me was the man who. COM
mitted the murder, and am still firm
in that belief. Had my attorneys
needed this suggestion and made
proper efforts to bring out the facts
to which l refer, think the result
would have been different. l know
the chain of circumstances against
the was very strong, and to most
people il appears as i'll was guilty,
! but how many men have been hung
| by circumstantiai evidence much
stronger than that produced against
me, and still were innocent. Then l
lacked friends and money, and with
out them man has but little show
when he is charged with murdeI."
He continued in this strain. The
reporter
| GOT WEARY OF IT,
and was Oh the point of bidding him
l
see YOU at the scaffold and explain
this more in detail" He supplement-
ed this, however, by saying that ii
would not be confession, for he
was not guilty Of the crime, and a
confession to that effect would be
false. This statement will appear
somewhat remarkable when 1t is
known that his sanity was never
questioned that since his conviction
be had professed christianity, and
after all confessed that he was a
murderer. Before parting with him
he handed the repoi ter slip which
contained few important events ol
his life. He was born i'll Virginia i'll
1845, and when a small boy his par
ents removed to Illinois, where tney
remained until 1859, when they re-
moved to this county. He was al
through the war in the 24th Mis-
souri,, and gained some distinction
for bravery. In the statement was &
request that he be buried by the side
of his wife and children. Promptly
at O'Clock the iron door of the .ial
opened and the sheriff, with his pris
ouer surrounded by guard of 1O(
men, with glistening shot guns ant
revolvers,
STARTED FOR THE GALLONS.
The ugly machine Of death was erect
ed about one mile north of the city
i'll gulch running by small stream
Heavy underground surrounded it
making the place inconvenient TO
the thousands of men, women ant
; children who came to witness ,h
Sf,tr
silv constructed, the trap being helt
in its place by a string that seemed
scarcely strong enough 10 hold
moderately sized youth. No weigh
was attached to the trap to keep i
from swinging against the hanging
man after the string was cut. Cor
maintained considerable self-posses
sion until he came ill sight ef tn
: scaffold, and then his courage desert
: ed him aud he gave down completely
q his two spiritual advisers being com
8 PEELED to support him as he ascende'
q the stairway. n chair was given hin
6 and he sobbed aloud while tile sheri1
e suffered over the death warrant
consuming about ten minutes i'll it
reading. He then kneit down and
o short prayer was offered by his spir
\ itual adviser, Rev. Il. E. Robinson
- The sheriff then said "Well, Joe,
y you have anything to say, how is tn
\ time to say it, 81 have nCthin
= to say.
t. AM WILLING TO DIE.
: he answ cred, and without furthe
e delay the sheriff assisted him on
!, the trap, which fairly trembied III
der his weight. The work of tyin
!. his hands and feet occupied but
u moment, but he continued 10 SO
r during this time aud was supporte
+ by his ministers. After the moo:
+ was adjusted the sheriff felt In h
e pocket for knife to cut the core
It and was surprised TO find that h
!, had left his at the jail. Another ws
e quickly secured, the slender cor
d severed, and Core shot out of sigi
IS like piummct in deep water. TT
= fall was about nine feet, almo
e enough to separate the head eutirel
e from the body, but it only dislocate
IT Cores neck and caused il to stretC
u considerably. After hanging for ii
's teen minutes the body was take
d down and turned over to Il brothe
c. in-law, the only relative known TO |
20 present. In the afternoon, Two hou
e after the execution, Rev. Il. T.. Ru
s. inson sent for the reporter al
)t showed him
IL THE WRITTEN CONFESSION
which Core gave him one hour b
fore he was taken OUT to the gali0w
Il 1t covered some eight or ten pages
g legal cap, but shorn of surpiusage
S. was simply Il confession t. the kiln,
as of George King. The pistol wi
Of which the deei wos done was secure
y from Bill Lindsay, who Is the wltne
T. that he charged with swearing false
of against hlm, and who, in fact,
20 claims i'll the confession, was t
is cause of his commits ting The murd,
y. In his statement he tries To justi
e. the act by making out case of pa
d. tial seli-dc!euce. lie asserts that
as and the murdered mam met and h
o. some words, when King started +
of him with an AK while on his hor:
as He drew his pistol and fired one she
er which took effect in Kings face. |
b. then fired another which struck hi
e. i'll the body, when King fell. Co
II, then dismouIted, and pickin"
ne Kings AK, to use his own wor,
H. finished him.
lo CORES CRIME.
ry On Tuesday, January 81, 1879, t
he community was startled by one Of [
most bruta! murders that ever