The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-01-19
Henry Stair Hanged at Nevada
for the AtrOciOuS Murder
of the Sewells.
A Brief History of His Crime and
its Causes-His Denial of
Guilt and His Last
Moments.


human being in the vigor of manhood,
die by the hand Of the law It the end
of rope.
THE VICTIM
was visited by his father at 9 o'clock
last night, who spent TWO hours with
his son, after which he consumed the
time in writing. Stair did not retire
until 4 o'clock this morning. He
passed an unbroken sleep until S:15,
when he awOke, and alter partaking
Of light breakfast he was shaven.
THE DAY.
During last night the weather mo-
derated and light snow fell, which
was soft and mushy this morning. ALI
the morning the air occasionally
showed a struggling fake of the beau
tiful slowly but surely falling TO the
earth.
ARRIVAL OF PEOPLE.
The hotels from the ten cent Joints
to the Hotel Mitchell We're we'll filled
last night, in fact after 10 p. M, the
stereotyped phase of the hotel clerks,
to late arrivals, was-''I can give you
cot" This morning crowds throDged
the streets and marched In droves to
the scaffold, which is situated in the
eastern suburbs of the city, near the
railroad depot in a ravine, a sort of
natural amphitheatre where 100000
people could witnessed the execution
in plain view.
TWO HOURS BEFORE.
At halfpast ten o'clock Rev. w.
I. Mcclure and Rev. A. w. Mister
came to the Jail and were at once ad-
mitted to Stairs cell. He was very
much affected and wept almost con-
stantly throughout the interview
Neither the ministers or the prisoner
were in laxative mood. Sair SEEM
ed for the first time to fully realize
that he was standing On the brink of
eternity.
Shortly before the visit of the min
listers the father had taken fearful
farewell OF his son. His last words
we're: Tell the truth, son, and moth
ing but the truth" The father then
went TO his hotel, and did not 60 to
the scafold.
At 11:30 the death warrant was
read TO the prisoner by Prosecuting
Attorney Blanton, and though he
evinced considerable nervousness, he
did not break down. A blacksmith
was called and fifteen minutes we're
consumed in cutting the rivets on the
iron bands which held the chains to
the prisoners arms and legs.
DRESSED FOR THE EXECUTION.
Stair then dressed himself In q new
suit Of black, white shirt and turn
over collar over a black silk tie. He
then visited Nannetta, the woman
implicated with him In the crime.
The meeting and parting was not of a
striking character and devoid of pub
lie interest.
TRIP TO THE GALLONS.
At 1915 the party emerged from
the jail preceded by the Revs. Nc
Clure and Mister, followed by the
prisoner, two deputy sheriffs, Sheriff
Hill, Judge Barton and Prosecuting
Attorney Blanton, and all filed into
one of Dawson's omnibuses, the win
dows of which were shaded by a cal
leo curtain. During the ride the pits.
oner said but little. He seemed de.
sirous Of gazing outside, when one of
the deputies cut hole in the curtain,
allowing the prisoner to gaze upon
the throng of people following, and all
around the cortege. /
AT THE GALLOws.
At 1910 Stair and his escort
mounted the gallows, whe Mister
read the scripture and uttered sup
plication in behalf of the dying man.
This being concluded, Stair took from
his pocket roll of manuscript and
said to the vast sea of upturned faces: