Morris tribune., 1882-07-20
A HORRIBLE AFFAIR.
The Execution Of Thomas Eagan the
Wife Murderer, at Sioux Falls,
Dak-The Drop Falls Three Times
Before the Culprit is Deprived of
Tift, OwinU tO Rotten ROnes

Dak-The Drop Falls Three Times
Before the Culprit is Deprived of
Life, Owing to Rotten Ropes.
On Thursday, July Is, occurred at Sioux
Falls the first judicial hanging ever done in
the territory of Dakota. Nearly two years
ago Thomas Egan, who suffered the death
penalty, most foully and cruelty murdered
his wife, with whom he had lived for nearly
quarter of a century. From evidence pro-
duced at the trial it would appear that they
had frequent quaTrels which at length cul-
minated on this fatal morning in her death.
He deliberately sent the children away, and
while she was washing dishes at the table
came Behind her, and after throwing a rope
around her neck and strangling her, pound
ed the life out of her with club. The
body was then thrown through trap door
into the cellar, where it was found three
days after horribly multilated. The skull
was fractured and the head was covered
with frightful gashes made by the club. 1t
appeared also as if she were not dead when
thrown down, as she was discovered partly
reclining against the wall of the cellar,
which added to the horribleness of the crime
Eagen was arrested and tried, and although
there was evert effort made by his attorneys
to save him. he was convicted and sentenced
to be hanged at Sioux Falls by Judge Kid
der of the Fonrth judicial district of the ter
ritory.
On Thursday, 18th, after eating hearty
breakfast, hearing the sentence read,
and some religious exercises by Catho-
lie priest, Eagan Vas taken to the gallows
All eyes were intently fixed on the prisoner.
His face was somewhat pale, but his lips
were firm and he seemed to exhibit no sign
cffear. He was straight, heavy-set man,
weighing 180 lbs, with a retreating forehead,
heavy projecting eyebrows and an ugly
looking eye. His general appearance was
plain black suit with clean white shirt,
collar and tie, and low shoes. He walked
straight up to the platform to the scaffold,
taking his place on the fatal trap,
turned around and faced the crowd below.
The sheriff now asked him if he had any
thing to day, bnt his lips still were kept
sealed to his secret, and he shook his head
and answered in a low voice, 'No." His
legs were now tied, he himself assisting the
officer by placing his feet close together.
The black cap was put on his head, but not a
limb quivered. The moose was adjusted and
and the fatal moment had come. While the
priests were chanting their solemn service,
and while the attending officers and crowd
were holding their breath in silence, the
sheriff touched the trigger which alone kept
Thomas Egan from his death. There was a
crash IS the door flew back against the
boards, and body, deprived of its footing,
shot through the door; and now, horror of
horrers!
The rope snaps like piece of thread, the
body drops to the earth with dull thud,
partly on its back, and rebounding rolls
over on its face. The crowd are paralyzed
with astonishment and fear. An unearthly
gurgling sound now breaks forth from the
prisoner. His neck is not broken, but the
cord is wound tightly about it and he is
strangling A half dozen men now rush for
ward, one siezes him by the arm, another by
the leg, another by the waist, another by the
head. tits seventy five feet from the ground,
where he has fallen back to the jail-door,
and around to the platform Of
conveyed through the crowd, the broken
rope in the meanwhile dangling from his
neck, while his horrible groaning strikes ter
scaffold, another rope is adjusted and the
sickening details once more gone through
with, the trap falls again and the half dead
man drops once more; but worse. The rope
was not fully adjusted before the excited
sheriff again touched the trigger and down
the body goes second time but not with
sufficient force to accomplish the desired re.
suit.
Hisneck is still unbroken, and the slow pro-
cess of suffocation is all this time going on.
The attendants seize him by the arms and
again pull him on the scaffold while the
death struggle continues. The first rope is
Hopping from his neck and he still ha life
enough, so one says who was on the scaff-
old, to brace his feet for the third and last
fall. If at this juncture some one had mer-
cifully stepped up and put a bullet through
hood
act which would have certainly
been appreciated by the crowd. The
rope is finally fixed, the door drops once
again, the man shoots down, and there is O
snap which is heard all around the yard and
outside. There is a struggling of the shoul-
ders, twitching of the legs convulsive
shudder and all is still. The body swings
| slowly around. There is no motion of leg
or arm or muscle, and in eight and one half
minutes the doctors pronounced him dead,
and shortly after the body is taken down.
Yes, he is dead at last, and the sight-seers
heave genuine sigh of relief The corpse
was now cut down and the pin;oned arms
and legs released. The dirt was brushed from
the clothing and the body laid in a coffin,
where it was afterwards viewed by the crowd,
both outside and inside the Jail. The effects
of the strangulation were fearfully evident
| about the neck. The first cord had imbedded
| itself, but the action of the heart had forced
the blood under it and the flesh was swollen,
purpled and discolored. There was sight
| less stare to the eyes and blood was flowing
| out of the corners of his mouth. After all
those desiring had seen the corpse it was
boxed up, and early in the afternoon it was
taken to the Catholic burying- ground where
| twas buried, and with it the club and cord
with which he killed his wife.
John Boyle OReilly, Boston poet ana
Irish leader, has this record: .'Imper-
ial convict, No. 9,S43; absconded Febru-
ary Is. 1862" He escaped from west
| Australia. He has reason to sprinkle
patriotic ink upon the British crown.
| J. s. Mill: Our whole working power
depends on knowing the laws of the
world-in other words, the properties of
the things which we have to work with
and to work among, and to work upon.