The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-28
JOHN G. HENNING HANGED.
Execution of the Man Who Wantonly
Took the Life of Mrs. Lottie Vollmer.
The Condemned Man. Under the Inspiration
of Six Ounces of Whisky. Delivers Ramb-
ling and Disconnected Harangue.
Special to the indianapolis Journar.

Special to the Indianapolis Journal.
CRAwFoRDsvILLE, May 27.-John G. Henning
was hanged here to-day. There was much curios-
ity though little excitement concerning his tax
ing off, yet the streets were thronged with peo-
pie from the country round about, attracted by
the event. 1t was estimated that about :, 800
strangers were in the city, many having come a
considerable distance, hundred or more from
the neighborhocd Of Rockville His sleep last
night was broken. In the morning he awoke
early and ate breakfast The thought that it
was his last meal affected him greatly. He
wrote q letter about 9 o'clock, with an unsteady,
nervous hand. His spiritual adviser. Rev.
Thomas Birch, of the Methodist Episcopal
Church. was with him the greater part OF the
morning. and a number of acquaintance came
in and talked with the condemned man.
The scaffold. the same upon which Coffey was
hanged, was at the northwest corner of the jail
yard in space about forty FIVE feet square. in
closed on three sides by high, tight board fence
the Jail windows looking into the Enclosure from
the fourth side Since used for the execution of
Coffey it has been a favorite playing place with
a large number of Charlottesville boys, who have
been trying to break their necks by all manner
of gymnastic pranks. On number of occasions
Henning, from the Jail window, has ordered
them away. claiming the scaffold, with
grim faeetiousness. as his own property.
The hanging was expected to take slace shortly
after II o'clock, aud the sheriff had been prOdi-
gal in dispensing tickets of admission. These
fayors are likely to make Sheriff Harper more
apan:nc than fria 70 xpho fipkato
were given, to the number of $780, were kept
for an hour and half sweating. struggling
mass of profane humanity, outside an iron gate,
while sixty special policemen were parading the
grassy yard of the sheriffs house cool and com
Portable with plenty air to breathe The pro
voking complacency of these policemen of a
day added fuel to the Indignation of the perspir
ing ticket-holders.
The death warrant was read to Henning at
Eve minutes past by the sheriff. 1t was shortly
before this time that tumbler half full of
whisky. at least third of q pint, was given him
to drink. The sheriff came out, looked over the
gallows and returning to the Jail door reappeared
with deputies conducting the murderer, who was
attended by his pastor Hennng ran up the
fight of stairs leading to the platform as nimbly
as squirrel, and he appeared 1T the top,
carrying Bible in his hand. looked over the
crowd and smiled Rev. Thomas Birch offered
prayer. praying for the time to come when
thesscaffold will no longer be necessity and
jails will be empty and that this will be FASTENED
by doing away with the curse of lntemperance.
At Ills z. NJ the prayer ended, and Hepning,
with an attempt at smile, came to the front OF
the gallows and leaned upon the railing. He
said there were a great many faces there he
thought he could recolect, though they were
not familiar and then nodded to half dozen
persons here and there in the throng whom he
recognized.
The reporters to the number of six or more,
who stood before him. note books in hand. pre-
pared to take his confession, were much disap
pointed at the senseless, homogeneous rhode
montade thai followed He did not begin to
speak at once. but walked backward and for
ward, apparently trying to collect his thoughts.
You'll find that Ell talk to YOU he said,
with leer at the expectant faces;
III talk as soon as n
got my mind fixed up Braeine
himself he began to humble words. patches of
texts. mingled with muddy illusions to his
crime. and feeble denunciations of the jury. The
sheriff began to be impatient. and urged him to
say something IL he had anything to say "Aly
heart is so full can't speak the sentiments of
my mind. said the miserable wretch. 81 Was
raised Dunkard, and as / came to this section
of country became a drunkard-thats all the
difference He rambed on, and again abiding
to the murder, spoke OF the intimacy between
so foul as to cause shudder to the crowd and
prompt some one on the platform to admonIsh
him to use more chaste tongue He swayed
from side to side. and it was evident to many
that he was drunk, though two or three persons
who knew him said the LIQUOR he had taken had
scarcely affected him. and his talk WAS no more
rambling and disconnected than usual
Samson was an Israelite from God unto
God" he rarnbled HE had a sweetheart;
don't you see how she beguilsd him? The mas
rfrotr and fnn lax hat
was Sam Good. There was sin in that house of
Vollmers. 1t planted there when George
Vollmer died. It began to be evident that ne
was talking against TIME. and the sheriff took
hold of him and placed him upon the drop 1t
was then 1:36 p. NJ. He prayed Father in
heaven have mercy upon me- May Thy all-see-
| ing eye have mercy upon those twelve men who
took my life Father forgive them in heaven-I
will, you bet. Tell the boys. King David and all
| his tax -gatherers. Jesus of Nazareth died upon
the cross. Have faith. lClappine his hands. J
Do you see met l am Israete | don't
know what that is, but have heart as pure as
| that lamb" Turning his head toward some one
| on the platform who had demonstrated with him:
"You will never stop my talking until | am
dead He says vengeance is mine ! am going
to talk. Hello!'
| Meanwhile he was being pinioned and his legs
were strapped Put me where you want to-
| This as they moved him on the trap. May /
be the last man who dies upon this scaffold.
am nothing but sinner. but cleave to the man
who came into the world Stick to it. boys
| Amt ert9 My body goes to mother earth, and
| the soul goes back to God who gave it,
The black cap was pulled over his head. He
talked on: "Oh, Lordl Forgive those men; they
| know not what they do" 1t was then Id, and
while he was talking, the drop fell. 1t was a
| Ave. foot drop The poor wretch took the plunge
like piece of lead, his neck breaking. There
were few feeble quiverincs of the body, the ir-
regular, then Fastening pulse beats, then slower.
| slower, stopped-and all was over
Physicians were at the body as soon as it fell,
| and in thirteen and one-half minutes they pro-
nounced life to be extinct The body was cut
| down at 1:59, and taken in charge by undertaken
| Voris. From that time until o'clock the re-
mains, placed in coffin. were exposed to view
| in the Enclosure, and about 1900 people looked
| upon the body. He will take it to Montezuma,
| In Parke county. this evening" and there bury it
| tomorrow.
| 1t was plain, commonplace. unromantic
murder by man of low intelligence, made a
| brute by drink. The hanging was also matter