The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-10-21
BUNGLING EXECUTION.
Jehn W. Coffee Launched Into Eternity at
Charlottesville.
Tn. Rope Breaks Twiee-The Last Night
and Day on Earth-History or the
Crime-Incidents-
Etc.
Special TO the Sentinel.

CRAwFoRDsvILLE, Ind, october 16.-fhe
hanging of John w. Coffee for the murder
of James McMullen and wife, last January,
was characterized by much Seemiag ignor-
anee and inhumanity. The criminal was
never more than half-witted. and had made
several statements of the crime wholly at
variance with each other, and last night, 10
Mr.. Jerry Keeny and your reporter, ne made
At least a dozen more. All this went to
prove that the man was utterly irrespOnsi-
be. At about , o'clock this morning, after
spending the long hours of the night in ram
bling disconnected talk, he became wild with
nervous excitement and awakened the Jail
inmates with his vehement cries, one mo-
snent praying and the next cursing. A ply
sician was sent for and heavy dose OF chloral
was administered. He soon fell into trou-
bled sleep, but it only lasted few minutes
when he began to groan and toss about on
his cot. and from that time until the hour of
execution he was perfectly helpless.
At about o'clock several reporters and
Others were admitted to his cell, and the vic
tim was tortured until II o'clock, under the
pretense of obtaining still another confession.
IN this torture the preacher who was called
as his spiritual adviser took a leading part.
Instead of endeavoring to lead the
thoughts of the condemned man
to the welfare of his soul, he
assisted the reporters with the most incon-
siderate zeal in their efforts to get state
ment of the crime from him. He did make
statement. but it was like all the others, in
consistent with itself and improbable to the
last degree.
Finally the attention of the Sheriff was
called TO this inhumanity, and to the fact
that coffee was unable even to sit up, and
that DO reliance was to be placed in any
statement he could or would make, and he
was urged to clear the cell and leave the man
alone with his God, for little while. An
effort to do this was made, but il was insist
ed that the statement he had made should
be read to him, or he be permitted TO sign it.
This farce was gone through with.
By this time it was II O'Clock. Coffee
was then held up while his clothes
were put upon him, his groans
and Shreks increasing in fre-
quency and vehemence. After he. was
dressed he was carried out into the yard and
up onto the scaffold. by this time the little
pen surrounding the scaffold was crowded to
its utmost capacity, while 800 men, women
and children were upon the outside.
When asked if he had anything to say, he
stated that his last confession was in the
main true, and it was the one he intended to
die by. 1t is not known whether he meant
his last published confession or the one he
had signed this morning, nor can it be told
what part of it was true and what not true
After all the preliminaries had been arranged
the trap was sprung at 1928. and Coffee fell
to the ground with a sickening thud, the
rope having broke near the knot.
He was gathered up and again carried
onto the scafIold. The rope was readjusted,
while two men held him in their arms.
Again the trap was sprung, and again he fell
10 the ground, the roap breaking near the
beam. BY this time all was confusion, and
''shamel" ''shame" ''terrible!" was heard
on every side.
He was again picked up and carried to the
place and held in the arms of the Sheriff's
attendants while the rope was tied across the
beam, and he was then let fall once more.
This time he was eased down and the rope
held. In twelve minutes he was pronounced
dead, and the crowd sluged out.
The fact is he was but little better than
dead man when he was first carried out, and
it is the general belief that he never breathed
after the second fall. IL he had not been
made drunk on whisky and chloral he would
have died from shere fright before the time
for the execution.
The rope originally an excellent one,
but for two or three days past some one has
been testing it by letting it drop weighted
with a sand-bag, All this was done in plain
hearing of Coffee, and had a terrorizing ef
feet upon him. These repeated tests"
strained the rope, 50 that when il was need
ed il failed, and this occasioned the awful
scenes az the execution. a few more such
bungliRg executions as that of Coffee, and
Indiana Will abolish capital punishment.
The Grand Jury yesterday refused to find
new indictment against Dennis, who was
recently granted new trial by the Supreme
Court ON account OF one OF Conee's alleged
confessions.
BRIEF HISTORY OF The CRIME.
ON the night of January : last James Me
Mullen and wife Mary, residing one mile
north Of Elmdale, were murdered and their
bodies almost consumed in their house. On
the night of the 9th of January, John w.
Coffee was arrested mt the house OF Til Sloan,
In Fountain County. At the Borners in
quest, Coffee was placed in charge OF
Ben Swank. from whom he escaped
about o'clock in the morning of the
sth. When suspicion rested on Coffee he
had on the pants and boots Of McMul-
len, and the hose of Mrs. McMullen. About
. o'clock in the morning after the arrest he
was brought through this city taken to
Elmdale, in the vicinity of the murder.
Coffee confessed to the crime, detailing to the
detectives all the particulars OF the murder
and the burning of the house. He said that he
found Mr.. McNfulIen sitting in the kitchen
by the stove. and that he killed him with
stick of stove wood. Mrs. McMullen was
in the next room, preparing the beds for
the night and upon hearing the screams