The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1885-05-20
WARTNER.
Something AlSat sac Man VINO Was to
Have Been Hung on Friday.
New Trial Granted-The Gallovs Already
Prepared-rhs Crtme-latervie~
With tho Murderer

RENSSELAER,, Ind, May ia scaffJld
painted black, giboet, trap-dOor, an om-
inous spring. the clicking OF which Is sug-
gestive of darkness and life gone out, are
what your correspondent saw to-day. But
Wiebren Wsrtner breethes easier, because OF
respite granted by the Supreme Court of
the State, which set aside the sentences OF
aesth passed upon him for the murder OF
John Dreger last October.
The circumstances of the crime sra yet
fresh ia mind, and the atr0city OF the mue-
der, the artfdlness of the man in decoying
his victim TO the river, and then, the mo-
ment his back was turned, slay him as
coolly rs o person would have killed dog,
sre matters too terrible to be forgotten by
an outraged community.
Wsr.Her plead gailty, on the supposition
that the Judge was opposed to cspitsl pun
ishmeDt, but after hearing the evidence, he
was still found guilty, and sentenced to
death. Now the point Is, can Judge sen
.ence to the death penalty on a plea of
guilty, without trial by jury?
1t seems that the prose cution claim that
ia this case there was no trial. and the sem
tence was passed on the admission OF guilt
by the defendant and the unmittigatlLg
circumstances Of the murder rendered no
other decision adequate.
The case will probably 60 over TO the Octo-
Der term OF court, as il Is not likely al ap.
pication for q Tehearing in the Supreme
Court will have been filed before the expir-
alton Of sixty days, owing TO the absence and
illness of the prosecutor. Samuel Z Heo-
man, the Sheriff, had completed the prepsr-
atoms for the execution. The giboet post Is
seventeen and half feet high. the arm from
which the rope is suspended is i've feet long;
the scaffold is nine feet high, the floor twelve
feet square and the trap four feet go usre.
The trap itself and the opening are different
from the usual method, and were planned
bv Sheriff Yeoman and made By John
chamberlain. Instead of dropping the trap
from one side II is made with an opening IN
the middle, and by the action OF lever.
Joint and iron arms, each half OF the door is
thrown down and back against the hoor BE-
heath, which is held securely by steal sprnss.
The handle to the apparatus for springjog
the trap is three feet long, and is concealed
within box az the side Of the soaftold. Tue
iron lever running from the handle parallel
with the floor toward the trap, or center, Is
two feet long and 10 secured to
iolnt or spring, from which an arm OF iron
extends 10 eacn corner parallel with the end
| of the lever, of two feet aud two inches IN
/ lepgth, where they ara fastened By swivel
/ Joint to a strip Of iron running ths length
! Of The trap. These are securely fastened to
! the floor by half-iuch iron bolt ak inches
I beyond the center, thus leaving sufficient
/ room for the arms to work.
/ the body perpendicularly through the apDer
/ ture, and occasions no swaying, as the usual
/ form of door often does. Tho appliance hiss
been tested repeatedly with bags of sand
weighing $50 pounds aud found to work per
fectly.
! The gallows ave surrounded by 40
| eighteen foot enclosure large enough 10 &C
ccmmodste 200 persons.
The man who came so nearly being hanged
to-day is, upon first sight, of mild aud in
offe sive appearance; forty years old, i've
feet and nine inches in height
weight I60 pounds. erect in carriage
of medium brown hair, egg she'll blue eyes
ard fair complexion, with weak, nervous
mouth, one would not select him as the per
petrator of such a cOld.blooded affair.
"Why did you do such thing as this, fol
which you are sufFering" We asked him
ITO keep Dy woman and children from
suffering"
Gould you get no work."
mo" with shake of the head.
But he was your best friend"
"rm sorry did it-Pm sorrY;" he re
TUNED.
he came from Holland two years ago; ths
be was married sixteen years ago to-dsy-th'
day be was to have been executed-to Aagi
Jane HuIszengs, and had FIVE children, whC
are all at the County Poor Farm. He wa
iucsrcerated ON November 4. His cell ia bar
I
cot and blankets. On the table il
TIE corricor into which hi
cell opens were newspapers and
few pictures. He watches eacn one furiivel.
With an expression OF inquisitiys interest
He has been iadoleut in the extre ne sine
living in the county, aud cupidity was tn
sole rpU,lys Of the crime. The victim hat
provided his family with food and at To
time of his murder had accompanied Wert
ner for the sole purpose OF getting tish 10
bis. WARMERS family.
Your correspondent saw the bundle Q
Clothes Wartner buried belonging TO his vlt
tim, the iron pumps which he took with hir
with which TO sink the body, and the sho
gun with which he struck him with an
broke III two, then using sharp splintere
point 10 finish the fendish work By jab5ln
| it into the neck of the dying man.
: Runners are rife in the county that II nj
man life, outraged justics and violated la
can not be indicated legally, there Is anotl
| eT tribunal more potent. 1t is TO be hope
that law and order may be observed IN th
\ I II -