The Daily Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883, 1883-07-21
STRANGLED BY THE SHERIFF
Alfred Anderson Hanged in Port
land
lsrEcIAL 70 rHE AsreRIANJ

Alfred Anderson was hanged IL the
Jail yard in this city AZ two o'clock
this afternoon in the presence of a
.arge crowd of officials, press repre-
aentatives, etc, 70 whom had been
granted black bordered tickets Of ad-
mission. Gen. hapus Of the state
militia, had ordered out three compa-
MES, the Emmett guard, Washington
guard and Governor 5 guard. who
were all on hand and added - the
impressiseness u The sc-he. 4 large
throngofall ages including number Of
women. filled every nook where it was
deemed possible to get view "f the
doomed man. Sheriff Sears preserved
the utmost order and throughout the
whole time the greatest silence pre-
vailed among the privileged number
admitted to witness the last scene.
At five minutes To- one be was red out
of the prison 10y the officers specially
detailed by that purpose, accompanied
by two clergymen one Of whom walked
on each side. Arriving IT the scaf
fold which he viewed with an appar-
emily unconcerned air, the death
sentence was read to him, whereupon
he began 4 haraugue Of nearly an
hours duration. 1t consisted of an
almost verbatim repetition of what he
said on the fourteenth Of last month
when resentenced. lie again repeated
that he died an innocent man, though it
was noticed that at no time during
his speech, did he say that he did not
kill his brother, nor did be once
mention his brothers name during
his remarks. He said that the jury
which convicted him of murder were
themselves guilty of murder but that
he forgave them, and said he believed
he would go to heaven. After his
speech he knelt in prayer, Rev. NJ. c.
Larsen praying with him in Scadina-
vian, and Rev. Dr. Marin in English.
He then bade goodbye 10 all,
stepped 10 the place assigned
him, and, picking mp the rope, examin-
ed the moose with the critical eye of a
sailor, drawing j, through his hands
several times and looking at each
strand in the most careful manner,
finally directing the hangman as to
the exact way IN which tine moose
should be adjusted. The black cap
was then drawn over his face, tie
word given, the trap dropped, and he
swung lifeless in the air. After hang
ing thirteen minutes the attendant
physicians declared life extinct.
The murder for which Anderson
paid the extreme penalty OF the law
was committed on the 9th uf October,
1882, on an island in the Willamette.
Anderson induced his brother 10 60
with him on hunting excursion, and,
according to the testimony adduced at
the trial murdered the brother and
concealed the body. The crime
seemed to grow out of jealousy con-
cerning the affections of a girl they
had both known in Chicago from which
place they had come some months
prior to the trouble, and after the
murder had been committed, Ander.
son with the woman went to Seattle
and from there to San Francisco
where they were arrested. She
proved that she had no completely III
| the crime and was released. He was
tried and found guilty, and sentenced
to be hanged April 18th. His coun-
sci obtained a stay of proceedings. but
on a mandate from the supreme court,
Judge Stott again sentenced hIm on
June 14th to be hanged on the 10Th
of July. When asked what he had to
say he made long speech asserting
his innocence. and declaring his life
had been sworn away. The evidence
upon which he was convicted was par.
tally circnmstantial. Since the yer.
dict he manifested the most stoicaI
indifference and TO the last moment
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