, 1884-12-13

The hands Of the doomed man we're
quickly tied behind his back with a piece
Of rope, n strap tightly bound about his
chest, another Just below his hips and still
another about his ankles.
During all these preparations, which
were rapidly completed, Cook never
changed a muscle of his face. His eyes
were still riyeted on the ground and he
seemed 10th to raise them for fear that
the sight of the moose might m him.
Finally Sheriff Miller produced a black
velvet bag to draw over Cooks head and
at the same moment the string binding
the moose to the upright was cut, which
allowed the fatal rope to depend immedi-
ately behind the murderer. A very try
ing ordeal had now come. The heavy
moose was then thrown over his head for
adjustment. 1t is rare in the case of the
bravest criminals that the deliberate tight
ening of the clamby circloabout his neck
does not induce spasmodic twitchings at
the corner of his mouth, v when he
doesnot exhibit otherwise the least sign of
nervousness.
Not so with Cook.
As the coils of the heavy moose were
tightening round his throat and the thick
running knot was being deity adjusted
under his left ear not a tremor was notice
able. The expressions of his features
never changed %perceptibly and his face
was no paler than it had been. His lips
were closed and immovable and he seemed
but a passive instrument in the hands of
those who surrounded him. This scene
lasted but a few seconds, the black bag
was drawn over his features and George
Cook had looked his last on the sweet,
smiling face of nature.
All now stepped back from the trap
and for one awful moment the unfortunate
man stood balancing between time and
eternity.
1t was but for a moment.
The death-like stiffness was suddenly
startled by a clang and clatter as the trap
doors banged against the uprights below
and into the yawning opening with ter
rife velocity shot the body of George
Cook. He plunged downward straight as
a plummet. In a scarcely perceptible
space of time there was a cracking of the
cross-beam overhead under the heavy
strain, the rope pulled taut with q fright
full jerk and there was a sudden sharp re-
bound of the human being at the end of
it.
At the moment Cook dropped, 1920
O'Clock, his pulse was humping away at
the rate of 200 beats a minute. One min
ute afterward it had sunk to Is; in two
minutes it showed 30, in three minutes 40,
in four minutes 25, in five minutes is, in
six minutes l6, in seven minutes Is, in
eight minutes Is. in nine minutes 10, in
nine minutes and forty-fve seconds pulsa-
ton had ceased altogether and IN ten
minutes after the drop the heart ceased
beating and Cook was pronounced dead.
The registry was kept by DR.. Finfrock,
City Physician, Dr.. Foster, DR.. Guenster
and DIR. Barnes.
Meantime, the Coroner's Jury, consist
ing of. H. Symons, A. W. Fettig, H.
G. Welsh, Fred Hess, jesse Converse,
and John A. Fischer, were summoned
together.
After hanging fifteen minutes the body
was taken down and placed in a neat
coffin which was awaiting its reception.
Clasped in one of his hands Cook still
held a small c%rucifix.
The doctors believed that his neck had
been broken by the fall. because of the
very few spasmodic contractions of the
body. This proved to be the case,
When the black cap was removed from
Cooks face the appearance of his features
was a revelation to most OF those present.
The eyes were entirely closed. The face
was calm and its expression seemed
scarcely changed from that worn in life.
He seemed like one in sleep rather than
one who had just met n dreadful death.
The neck alone indicated violence. A
deep red confusion ~irregularly circled it,
showing where the rope had pressed.
Afterthe Coroner s Jury had rendered the
usual formal verdict a number of people,
including SOM women, were admitted to
view the remains. The body was soon hid
den from sight by the cofin6 lid and shortly
after noon it was taken to the City
Cemetery and inferred at the expense of
the county.