Daily Los Angeles herald., 1884-03-29

| lynch law. The tenor of comment was
| that the people OF San Bernardino were
willing 10 await the execution as np-
pointed by law, but no longer. 1t was
raid that an organized vigilance COM
mittce had existed all the while, which
could and would, on occasion take Nc
Dowell out of jail and hang him, II he
were not dealt with according TO his
sentence. and that, had it not been for
the fact that the murdered girl, Maggie
O'Brien, and her destroyer Mcdowell,
never were residents of San Bernardino
county, the outraged community would
have revenged themselves when the
reprieve of the Governor was tele-
graphed.
THE scARFoLD.
The scaffold was erected on the west
erp siie Of the Court House, in front OF
the side entrance to the jail, and WINS
enclosed by plank fence about twenty
| five feet. high. The top of the gibbct
was barely visible from the street. 1t
was Of the conventional character SO well
known by woodcuts In dime literature.
It was about l8 feet high, and the fall
was u feet. The fence was OF q
very fimsy manufacture, and through
the interstices and knot holes
numerous curious eyes were peering at
an early hour. The rain which had
fallen ali night had discolored and swol-
| len the pine wood of this dismal struo-
| ture and made it look still more terrible.
A solitary carpenter was on the platform
perfecting arrangements, attending 70 the
trap and fastening the rope. Alter Ut
tie while two men brought sack weigh
| ing 250 pounds, with which the rope
was tested and stretched.
PREPARATIONS FOR THF LAST HOUR.
A great many people kept arriving.
and soon the outer, as well as the inner
room Of the Sheriff's office was filled.
| Then fat man, with little bundle in
| his hand, arrived AMI the word was
passed that the barber had come to
shave the condemned man for the last
| time. Very soon afterwards, at about
| fifteen minutes to o'clock, the prisoner
was awakened and he rrt o,eded 10 bathe
and dress. A very fine black diagonal
suit. new under clothing and linen, and
evening shoes, as well as o light colored
satin neck-tie, had been forwarded to
Mcdowell by his mother, who since an
early hour had been awaiting his wax.
| ing up to remain with him for the few
brief moments which he could yet claim
as bis own in this world. Mrs. Bell then
entered the cell and very soon litter the
Rev. Edgar Dunbar, a Methodist minis.
ter, who has been McDowell's spiritual
advisor since his recapture. made his aP-
pearsnce. The door was then closed,
until the breakfast time for the doomed
| man arrived. Just before this he
ASKED FOR COCKTAIL,
And glass Of brandy was brought him
by one Of the death watch. This; 1t 10
averred by the jail officials. was the only
stimulant given the prisoner from the
| time he woke up until the moment that
he was swung into eternity. A tempting
breakfast had been provided, but Nc
Dowell felt no appetite. He left all IN
tasted, excepting the coffee, which he
drank eagerly. At 9.25 III, casket which
was to contain the remains OF the man
vet alive was brought in through the
main hall of the Court House, and this
gave rise, among the great crowd which
| filed the hall to many jeers and jibes,
shouts and boisterous laughter, which,
| no matter how deserved the punishment
| then to be meted out, we're excessively
| out Of place there, and showed but little
| feeling for the sorrowing mother, on the
floor below, weeping at the horrible fate
so soon awaiting her son.
| At this iuncture the Sheriff gave or
ders TO admit those present into the en-
closure
WHERE THE sCAFF0LD STOOD,
And more than three hundred persons,
| among whom were many women-far
too many-fiIed down the Jail stairs into
the yard.
The HERALD reporter, who until then
| had had no opportunity to obtain per-
mission to enter the cell, now sought
Sheriff Burkhart, but could not obtain
this officials permission. The officer
excused himself by saying that the pris-
oner was with his mother and that posi-
lively no one could be admitted until
she went. However, after interviewing
Under Sheriff Brown, the permission was
very graciously granted, and the re-
porter, in company with detective Har-
ris, entered
THE DEATH CELL.
II is o large, bleak, whitewashed room,
containing an iron tank in the east cor
ner, Q small cot, table and two chairs,
with windows looking upon the scaffold
ami the enclosure. Fortunately the
blinds were down, 90 that the view was
hidden from Mrs. Bell. Mcdowell was
sitting upon . chair facing towards the
door, in front Of table upon which
stood his untasted breakfast, and where,
amongst some articles of underwear, lay
sack Of tobacco, cigarette paper and o
bottle Of Hoyt's Cologne. He was
elegantly dressed and with the right
knee negligently thrown over the left
leg, listening to his mother and his
minister, Mr.. Dunbar. On the opposite
side stood the Rev. s. G. Lines, the
Episcopal clergyman who also joined in
the conversation occasionally.
THE DOOMED MAN,
A tall, blonde, young man OF about
twenty-six years OF age, was well shaped
and. had it not been for m unintellectu.
al face, would have been called pre-
possessing. His features presented that
peculiar iistless and unpleasant appear
ance 90 often noticed in people who use
opium and his dropping eyelids, which
seemed barely able to support the faint
light that permeated the cell, added to
the impression that he was then under
the influence Of the drug or was 50
saturated with it as to have lost the
power to realize the horror of his posi-
tion. He was preternaturatly calm,
20 calm in fact that no possi-
bic doubt could remain in the
mind Of any bystander that 1t was not
the true condition Of his mind. He was
far calmer than any one there present
with him.
Deputy sheriff Elliott, at exactly a
quarter to ten, proceeded to read
THE DEATH WARRANT
To Mcdowell, who listened with great
attention until he had concluded. Then
Mrs, Bell and two ladies who accom-
panied her came and sat with him again,
and the following conversation ensued;
"McDowell, the time has now come
in which, ii you wish to avail yourself
of il, to make . statement here to us or
to your mother"
The prisoner cast . quick glance at
Mrs. Bell, who at once said:
my darling. have you anything to
say now!'
He replied: can can say is that
shall die reconciled 10 God and all the
v orld. am going to be hanged for q
crime that never conmitted. l hope
in the near future-I think it will not be
long before You are all convinced OF the
truth Of this matter"
| Rev. Mr.. Dunbar-"We understand
that you deny nothing but striking the
fatal blowi"
~ did not strike the fatal blow, nor
did have any knowledge Of anything
that did happrn until afterwards. OF
bringing Maggie down, or having her come
down to Cotton. it was through Rosa and
through my invitation. This is the way
this thing happened. I do not know
that one was more 10 blame than the
other in regard To her coming. for the