, 1886-01-16
The Story of a Double Murder.

NEVADA, Mo, Jan. l5.-Henry d.
Stair, who is to hang here to-day, was Wis
tied by his father about 9 o'clock last
night, after which he spent most of his
time writing until 4 this morning, when
he went 10 sleep. He awoke at S:I5.
Largo crowds of people surged through
the streets all morning, tramping between
the jail and the g%allows, which is erected
in a ravine forming a natural amphithea-
ter about a mile from the Jail. Trains
from Sedalia and Kansas City arrived at
1880, bringing hundreds of people to
witness the execution, which will take
place at | O'Clock. The crime for which
STAIR is to be executed was brutal and
cold blooded in the extreme. Stair and
his companion, a woman named Nannette
Osborn, who was to have been hanged
with him, came to Nevada about the LIST
Of last July from Fort Scott, Kas., and
opened a small laundry, representing
themselves as man and wife. Shortly
after their arrival, Jacob Sewell, an eld-
erly man, and his son, l6 years old, with
two wagons, four horses and some other
property, also came here from near Fort
Scott, and went into camp near the town.
The Stairs and Sewclls were slightly ac-
%quainted, and Stair made frequent visits
to Sewells camp. Later on the elder
Sewell was taken sick and compelled to
keep his bed in one of the wagons, which
had a cover, and he was looked after by
Stair and the Osborne woman. 1t was
during these visits that Stair laid the
plan to murder the Sewells, take their
teams and property and start for his for
mer home, somewhere in Indiana. On
the night OF August 6, Stair and the wo-
man Osborne went to Sewells camp, and
after a short visit, returned home. About
midnight STAIR made a second visit, and
finding the Sewells asleep, killed them
both with an axe. After completing the
horrible butchery. Stair placed the man
gled remains in one of the wagons and
covered them with bedclothes. He then
went after the woman, and on again ar
irving at the camp, they started for town.
Stair driving the wagon containing the
bodies, and the woman the sther one.
On arriving at their house they filed the
wagons with furniture aud started for the
Marmalon river bottom, about five miles
away, where the next day or night Stair
buried the bodies, In passing through
the woods they attracted the attention of
some men at work there, who regarded
their proceedings as suspicious, and the
next day they went TO the spot where the
wagons had been halted and discovered
the dead bodies. Information was imme-
diately given, pursuit organized, and Stair
and the woman Osborne were captured
about twenty miles distant. They were
lodged in Jail and at the next term Of court
were tried and convicted of murder in the
first degree and sentenced to be hanged
together. Stay of execution, however,
vas obtained in the woman's case, and
she was granted a new trial
Stair spoke from the scaffold for half
an hour, protesting his innocence and the
innocence of the woman implicated, say
ing they were victims of circumstances.
The drop fell at lbs, and in fifteen min
utes the body was pronounced lifeless and
turned over to the father, who will take
it to Marshall county, Ind, tonight, for
interment Ten thousand people witnes-
sed the execution and good order pre-
vailed.