The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1881-06-03
THE HANGING OF JOHN 3.
DOUGLASS.
He Meets His Death With Firm
ness.
THE ASCENSION" METHOD ADOPTED.
From the Nddis0nidn, 18th.

From the Nddisonidn, 2Sth.
Yesterday, at IL o'clock, the decree of the
district court concerning John B. Douglass,
who murdered Alice carp near Sterling, was
carried into effect and the majesty of the law
vindicated by the judicial execution of the
malefactur.
The manner of execution adopted by Sher-
iii Plattncr was a novel one in this country,
and, instead of dropping the victim, ele, ates
him from the ground. The apparatus is
simple one and consists merely of "A beam
about ten or twelve feet high, over which
the rope il passed. A little to one side of the
beam il all enclosure six feet high. at the top
OF which is trap, upon which rests heavy
weight, in this case about 80 pounds. The
culprit il placed standing on the ground on
the other side OF the beam. II short distance
from under it, The rope is placed around
his neck, leaving about three feet of slack,
and when the moment of execution arrives
weight falls with almost lightning velocity,
and the doomed man il jerked into the air
with suddenness that rarely fails to break
his neck and cause almost instantaneous
death.
At half-paSt ten o'clock the doomed man
was brought from his cell AMI his >hackh.s
removed, AMI hr wa washed and dressed
preparatory to execution. He converstd
some what freely ut this time, and said that
he was born at West Unity, Adam, county,
Ohio, on January -, ls4j. He was, there
fore, in the 31tlI year of his ag,. He has a
mother, sister and seven broth RS living in
that vicinity. In response to questions from
deputy Sheriff Hau>chili. DnuglasS said that
he was ready to die and gave directions re-.
gardng the disposal of his property. He
also repeated his denial that he hal commit
ted previous murders and said that his for
mer allegations were prompted by desire to
appear . blooded and brave" He manifested
no excitement and appeared perfectly calm
and selfpossessed throughout. AT Has he
was brought from the Jail to the sheritf's Of
flee aud asked the usual qu .Stion il he had
any statement to make, to which hr replied
that hr had nothing t" say. Sheriff Platnrr
then read the death warrant. and th, prisoner
was conducted to the place OF execution.
1t was at this time that he manifested the
only appearance Of NERVOUSNESS, AMI the in
tenSity of his emotion and the struggl.lt was
costing him to maintain "a bold dcn..anor to
the END WAS apparent i'll his eager, ina ,ty, yet
nervous, strides AZ he almost ran to the TEN
porary court yard where the gallows was
erected On stepping under the beam, how
ever, he regained his composur-, AMI while
he was being pinoned he stood with upliftei
hands and apparently engaged in prayer.
When the binding of his hands and feet was
finished, Rev. w. A. Shannon offered brief
lut earnest prayer, and 1T IT. conclu lon the
black cap was drawn over the hea | of the
victim of offended justice, the signal was
given, the trap I'll. and the body of the muir
derer was whlrled into the air where il
swung-a terrible memorial of the majesty of
the law and the results of unbridled passion
and bloodthirStiness.
Death was apparently painless; for, EXCEPT
a few slight contractiou~ of the mu cles d,i-
ring the first minL ate OF Suspension. no mo-
ton indicative of life in the swinging boiy
was observable, and in four AMI half min
utes from the falling Of the trap the pulse
had ceased to beat, ht. hal frt. the spirit of
Douglass had winged its flight into the inn
measurable ocean at eternity and the last
earthly chapter of bloody AMI revolving
tragedy was ended.