The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-20

the night, and as it was supposed that the
hanging would take place in the woods
near where Cephas Atkinson, the father of
the murdered girl, lived, very large crowd
had gathered there as early as 1 o'clock in
the morning, in expectation of witnessing
the execution. The distance of twelve miles
from Fowler was Travelled in one hour and
forty-five minutes. When nearing the place
of execution, man sitting beside Nelling
in the two-seated vehicle in which they were
riding, remarked Jake, now for Gods sake
them rattle"
'Ill try" replied Nelling.
The mob drove past the tree where the ex-
ecution was to be held to deceive the crowd
of curious people who had gathered about it,
and the prisoner was taken up to the house
where he had committed the murder. With
the pale and ghost-like cast given
the surroundings by the drapery of
moonlight, in contrast with the hideous
black masks of the mob, and in the presence
of an impending doom, it was a moment
freighted with horrible associations. As the
mob turned about and started in the di-
rection of the tree which had just been
passed, Melting said Il will soon be with
Ada"
The tree selected for the execution
was large walnut, one limb
of which reached out across
the road. The tree stood within 400 yards
of the Atkinson residence. ut growed for
just this very thing" the hangman said this
morning, after surveying it with evident sat-
isfaction.
ADJUSTING THE MOOSE
The vehicle in which Nelling was seated
was driven under the huge limb which
stretched out across the road. The hang
mans rope was produced and Melting was
told that he had but a few more minutes to
live.
Have you anything to say?' was asked.
Nothing more than 1 have already said"
he answered.
DO you want to pray?" was then asked
him.
NO. was the answer.
He was then ordered to stand up on the
buggy-seat while his hands and feet were
tied. AS the hangman's moose was thrown
around his neck Nelling said: BE sure and
get the rope under my whiskers, so that it
will not hurt"
"D-n you, we want to hurt you," inter-
rupted a man in the crowd.
"Be slow now, boys; there's no use for you
to get excited. You will get through soon
enough" Nelling said with astonishing cool
ness
Cant you lift me over on the next seat,
so that won't drag over it when the buggy
pulls out" and as he was granted this re-
quest, he added, Now, don't wait any longer
than possible" The buggy was then driven
from under him, and as he swung out in
mid-air, one of the lynchers called out; 'If
the ladies of Lafayette have any bouquets
to present, they may now have an oppor-
tunity."
The mob formed in a circle about the road,
and none of the crowd on the outside were
permitted to come near. In fifteen minutes
Nelling was dead. A card was pinned to the
breast of his coat, which read, "A warning to
murderers."
He was swung off at las o'clock, and
thirty-two minutes afterwards the mob
quietly withdrew.
The hangman was man who had known
Nelling for twenty years.
The news of the hanging spread over the
country as if scattered by the Winds and
from the time the mob dispersed, at fifteen
minutes after 2 o'clock, crowd fingered
about the suspended corpse until daylight.
From the hour of dawn until IL o'clock this
morning there was continual stream
of people 1ocking to the scene
from all directions A Photographic view
of it was taken at O'clock Hundreds of
pieces of bark and chips from the tree were
carried away as mementcs.
The body remained hanging until about IL
o'clock, when it was cut down by Coroner
Hitze and taken to the town hall in Oxford,
where it was viewed by hundreds of people.
The rope was buried deeply in the flesh of
the neck, but the expression of the face indi-
Gated that he had died easily,
II believe he was the coolest man among
us,' the hangman said to the Journal repre-
sentative, and he died game"