The semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1882-1886, 1886-01-20
4 BATCH OF HANGINGS.
One White Man, Two Negroes
and a Mexican.
ON TIIE 5CAFFOLD.
Bungling the Execution in
St. Louis-KiIleda Father
and Son.

l AsNs AOAf AAAo.S 1c.-41CuIy OCdii
who was hanged here to-day, was visited
by his father about o'clock last night
after which he spent most of his time writ
ing until o'clock this morning, when hi
went to sleep. He awoke at 8:15. Large
crowds of people surged through the streets
all the morning, tramping between the jai
and the gallows, which is erected in ra
vine forming a natural amphitheatre, about
a mile from the jail. Trains from SedaIia
and Kansas City arrived at 1890, bring
| ing hundreds of people to witness the exc.
| cution, which took place about 1 o'clock.
The crime which Stair committed was
| brutal and cold -blooded in the extreme.
Stair and his companion, a woman named
Manette Osborn, who was to have been
hanged with him, came to Nevada about
the first of last July, from Fort Scott,
Kansas, and opened a small laundry, rep
resenting themselves as man and wife.
Shortly after their arrival, Jacob Sewell,
an elderly man, and his son, 16 years old,
with two wagons, four horses and some
other property, also came here from near
Fort Scott, and went into camp near town.
Stair and Sewell were slightly acquainted
and Stair made frequent visits to Sewell's q
camp. Later on, the elder Sewell
was taken sick and compelled to
keep his bed in one of the wagons,
which had cover, and he was looked after
during these visits that Stair laid a plan to
murder the Sewells, take their teams and
property and start for his former home
in Indiana. On the night of August
9Th, Stair and the woman went to Sewell's
camp, and after short visit returned
home. About midnight Stair made Sc
cret visit, and finding both the Sewells
asleep, killed them with an axe. After COM
pleting the horrible butchery, Stair placed
the mangled bodies in one OF the wagons
and covered them with bedclothes. He then
ing at the camp they started for town,
Stair driving the wagon containing the
dead bodies, and the woman the other one.
On arriving at their house they filled
the wagons with furniture and
started for Marmalon River Bot
tom, 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, who regarded their proceedings as
suspicious, and next day they went to the
spot where the wagon had been halted and
discovered the dead bodies. Information
and Stair and the Osborne woman were
captured about twenty miles distant. They
were lodged in jail, and the next term OF
court were tried and both convicted OF mur-
der in the first degree and sentenced to be
hanged together. Stay OF action, however,
was obtained in the woman's case and she
was granted a new trial. -.-ea..
Stair spoke from the scaffold for half an
hour, protesting his innocence and the in
Aol
they were victims OF circumstances. The
drop fell at 1928, and in Is minutes the
body was pronounced lifeless and turned
over to his father, who will take it to Mar
shall county, Indiana tonight for inter-
ment. Ten thousand people witnessed the
execution, and good order prevailed.
HANGED IN A SHOCKING MANNER.
ST. LOUIS, January 15.--Charles Wilson
(colored) was hanged this morning for the
murder of a river steamer mate some time
ago. He remained calm to the last, still
protesting his Innocence. Wilson killed
William A. David, second mate Of the
steamer "Fannie r. Wabum,'' July 81,
1885, by hitting him on the head with
rock. Wilson had been discharged and or
dered away from the steamer, returning to
get some money he claimed was owing him.
After the trap had been sprung the body
for a moment remained motionless, and
then there was enacted scene OF horror
which chilled the blood OF all who witnessed
it. Two doctors, one on either side,
were each holding a wrist, when violent
cOntortions OF the hanging figure shook
them aside, and before they could regain
their hold On the man, whose actions
showed he was In full possession of CON-
sciousness of all that was going on, he
made frantic struggles to release himself.
His right hand shot up. clutched the rope
and held it firmly. It seemed as if the
man must die by slow degrees from strangu-
lation, but one OF the doctors succeeded in
disengaging his hand. and in short time
the body hung lifeless corpse.
ANOTHER NEGRO HANGED.
BELLEv1LLE, Illinois, January Is. -
Noah Merriman (colored) was hanged here
at noon to-day for the murder of his wife
three months ago.
CAruLhA, Texas, January, Is. Jose
Maria Mondiola, who murdered Hoges,
the Southern Pacific Railroad station
agent eight months ago, was hanged here
this afternoon. Mondiola displayed great
nerve and professed penitence for the
crime. He died in four minutes.
LAKE PROVIDENCE, Louisiana, January
WLlaln UeOrge (coloreu) was executed
within an enclosure of the Jail here to-day,
for the murder OF Peggy johnson in Au-
gust, 1882. He was perfectly self-pos-
sessed, and acknowledged that he feigned
insanity during the trial. At the last mo-
ment he cried out: II did kill Peggy John
son." His neck was broken by the fall,
but from some cause his throat was gashcd,
and blood. spattered all around. George
was once quite a prominent politician at
Vicksburg. He was a pension agent and
preached that he would be leader Of his
race.