Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-02-23
euITEAu AND THE GALLONS.
The seaHoId Ready for its Victim and
In Good Order.

Previous EXECUTIONS OpoH 49,"
Law AZ TO Executions
Washington Evening star FebruaUe
The scaffold upon which the con-
yicted assassin Guteau will be execut-
ed, Is now standing In the washington
fail. where Il has been used for us
deadly work before. IL was construct
cd in 1879 for the execution OF James
Peyton, a cOlored man, convicted OF
the murder Of Jacob Day, and sentenc-
ed 10 be hung June 20. 1879, but on
June Is Of that year, his sentence was
commuted to imprisonment for life,
and ne thus escaped the rope prepared
for him. Peter Lewis. indicted for the
same offense, was tried at the same
time. convicted of man-slaughter and
sentenced TO the Albany penitentiary
for ten years.
pECAPITATIoN BY THE ROPE.
The first time the new scaffold was
used was for the execution of James
Madison Wyatt Stone. April 2, 1880,
and his head was literally severed
from his body by the rope. Stone
was convicted Of the murder OF his
wife October 8, 1879. and sentenced
10 be hung December 20, 1879. While
the case was pending in general term,
this day passed, and the execution OF
the sentence was suspended until Feb
ruary "a, 1880. The president grant
ed a reprieve until March 20. This
being Coed Friday a further respite
was granted for one week, and the ex-
ocution took place April 2. About a
week before the execution Stone ex-
planned 10 his counsel, Mr.. A. X.
Browne, the workings Of the struct-
uTe. and pointing TO the trap, said:
"Yes; there Is where Ill stand, and
I'll fall through t." This he did; but
he was so TAT and heavy that the rope
cut his head of, and while the blood
from his trunk was squirting against
one Of the uprights Of the structure,
his head rolled of on the ground in an
ether direction. This execution took
place In n yard made in the northeast
angle Of the building. built Of eighteen
feet boards, and there was compare
lively but small number Of specta-
tors mot over 1907 present.
DOUBLE HANGING.
The last case Of murder In the dis
trict In which the death sentence was
passed was that of Joseph NeversOn,
alias Babe Bedford. Edward Queenan
and sandy Pinn. the three colored men
who were convicted OF the murder Of
George Philip Hirth, January z, 1880
This case probably excited more inter
est than any preceding trial for murder
in this district, excepting. perhaps, the
Sickles-Key case, which resulted in a
verdict of acquittal. The Bedford
Queenan-Pinn trial commenced at the
December term, 1879, before Judge
Hagner, and as i'm the case of Guiteau,
IL was the last trial. however, the jury
finding verdict of guilty as indicted
on March /, 1889. The counsel Of the
accused men, II. III. Wells, jr., and
Randolph Coyle, (both of whom had
been assistant United States attorneys,
the latter being one of the assistants at
this time), Messrs. T. +. Miller, G. NJ.
Smith, j. +. Riley and J. A. Hayward
filed a motion for a new trial, which
was argued and Overruled. and SEN
tence was passed on March Is that
they be hanged within the walls of the
jail on April 80. The case was then
appealed on exceptions, and the sen.
tence was thereupon suspended, in
compliance with the terms of the
statute. until after the next general
term. On hearing Of the general term
the judgement below was affirmed June
z. Efforts were then made by counsel
and friends of the parties to have the
sentence COMMITTED, and twice the mer
were respited by President Hayes, ans
Communication of the sentence of Pm
to imprisonment for life having beer
secured, the other two. Bedford and
Queenan, were executed November 10
lSSO-the drop falling at l 80 O'Clock
p. m. on that day.
DESCRIPTION or TIE scAFFoLp.
The scaffold is now standing i'm thu
north wing Of the building where Il
was last used in the execution of Bed
ford and Queehan. Since then IL ha,
been thoroughly painted a drab shade
II Is Of Georgia pine and stands TWEEN
ty.one feet In height. The cross-beau
is OF six-by.eight timber (strengthenet
by heavy top piece for double work)
supported by tinbers eight inche:
square. The platform is thirteen feet
from the ground and is made OF two
inch boards, on stout joists. morticee
and bolted, and Is eleven feet SQUARE
IL Is supported by six eight-inch up
rights In addition to those supporting
the cross-beams. About three and one
half feet above the platform there "a ,
surrounding rail. The trap is five fee
square, framed In the center of IN,
platform, and is flush with Il. Il /,
attached TO the platform by two heay,
strap hinges, and Is held in place by
the end OF the U.shaped iron. At IN,
bottom OF the iron is attached small
out strong rope passing over n pulle,
AZ the back OF the structure into n bo,
about four inches square, through
which the rope runs into one of tn,
cells, where some person. unknown e
outsiders. Mt the signal from the war
zen usually a motion with handker
chieD gives the fatal pull. The plat
form Is reached by a fight of step,
with railing on each aide. The step,
are somewhat peculiar. for they have
rise OF about seven inches and n treaf
OF nearly twelve. making them abou
the easiest steps in the district to "a
cend under ordinary circumstances.
now THE DEADLY MACHINE Is WORKED
To complete the structure and max,
II ready for use II is necessary that tn,
rope should be attached and the hinges
oiled. For a single hanging It is Gus
tomary to use rope Of Manila seven
eighths OF an inch in diameter and thir
ty feet long. IL is not the custom here
as In some cities. TO use n rope special
ly made for the purpose and have 1
prepared outside the building, for tn
officers Of the Jail here are always equa
TO the occasion. In fact with the ex
ception Of the manufacture Of the rop,
and the iron the structure has beer
L..