The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1884-07-23
WHO THEY WERE.
r.. Ven Hung BY Sheriff Cleve-
land at Buffalo
.he post-Dispatch .

/ things WHICH pcleii - -
St.te's model Governor. and
uhom many thousands OF warm per-
o,.I trends here hope to vote fer as
nst,on's reform President-Gro-
rer Cleveland. 1t was as sheriff of
| Ere county that the Governor be-
.,ne known IN a political or official
uav and many interesting anecdotes
| ,,e told by those who remember
| tbose years. During his term of Of
| s,e as sheriff the Governor swung
| ruo men into eternity. The first one
vas the notorious Jack Gattney, a
rckless young 1rishman, who kept
.,loon at the corner of Washington
md Carroll streets, almost opposite
ae Courier office. Gaffney was
,psted in a low dive OH Canal street
TED Sweeny's-playlng cards
with kindred spirit named Patrick
Fahey. The two quarreled over the
,akes and Gaffney shot and killed
Fahev in cool blood. He was SEN
,enced bv the general term in De
cember to hang February 7 follow
ing During these two months there
vas the greatest effort made on the
part of the reporters to find out how
the doomed man spent his time, but
the sheriff turned "A deaf ear to them,
and not few times gave them to
understand that they wanted to know
TOO much. He kept them out of the
ilil entirely after while and they
we're in sore straits. The interest
to the case was intensified at the last
rom the tact that Governor Hoffman
TespIted the condemned man tor 4
week. and that the most strenuous
efforts were made to get cOmmu-
fation OF sentence for the doomed
mn. Meanwhile the sheriff was
more rrgld in his discipline than ev-
er. He even went so lar as to sta
ton an old Dutchman outside with
sulct orders to keep reporters OF the
premises. This outside guard was
ased 10 relieve the guard inside Gaff-
acY's cell, so that he was we'll post
ed on what was going on inside.
One of the reporters, who now, by
the way, is city editor, conceived
the idea of working" the grim
German sentinel outside. He did
not trv to do it all at once, but by a
skiliful working of his points he be
came acquainted with him as the
Young man who attended the spirit
ual adviser. By degrees he became
aware that the grim sentinel had a
weakness for beer. 1t was easy
work after that. for he continued to
meet him every night after he was
relieved, and together the two talked
over the events OF the day IN the
Jail over their beverage. The Ger
man was full of information in lust
the proportion that he was full of
beer. and the facts that filled many a
breezy column OF his paper were
costing the enterprislng news-gath-
erer dear. Sheriff Cleveland was
wild. He questioned every one
about the Jail, but could get no sat
istactlon. At last his eve fell upon
'he sentinel and he was spotted. 1t
was the night before the execution
Tue two We're seen together. That
settled it, for III the morning the SEN
onei was gone and IN his place was
Gaffney swung on the
morning of tie 18th of Fehruarr,
1872. Many citizens OF the city re
member the execution and the quick
ness with which the Governor dis
appeared after be had cut the cord.
THE SECOND EXECUTION
Performed by the Governor while
'aerltt was Ave months later. The
was one of the most des-
p'cable wretches that ever deserved
shameful death--Patrick Morris
'ev. He lived with his poor old
mother IN the v,c,n:ty of The
I'D PsSket Dock IN ake res. 0;