Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1886-06-18

The First Legal Execution In
y Idaho COunty--Justice Swiftly !.
Administered.

On Wednesday. June 9th, 1856, Theo-
dore Warlich was hanged in the Jail
yard of the courthouse at Mt. Idaho
for the murder of Henay C. Savage on
the south fork of Salmon river last
December. The murder, the trial and
the execution are now old stories and
it is unnecessary to reca apitulate them,
further than to state that the crime Was
committed in December 1885, that tho
murdered man was not missed until
February, 1886. and that in March tho
prisoner was apprehended and con-
fessed to the murder. and that he was
tried, found guilty and sentenced to
hang in the April term Of court, aud
that on June 8. the extreme penalty of
the law was administered for the first
time in this county. The swift execu-
ton of the laws as illustratrated in this
instance is highly commendabe Fea-
tnre Of the case, and will nave it's effect
upon those evil characters who go about
the world with murder in their hearts.
And the details of the murder, too,
teach moral lesson, for this crime WAS
committed in the midst of desulate
region with no other witness than that
all seeing eye to whom nothing is invis-
lble, and who readeth the hearts and
thoughts of men like an open book.
Every circumstance conspired 10 shield
the prisoner from discovery of the
crime, and yet, in the inscrutable logic
OF events the truth of the murder was
revealed. Even before the disappear
IF hx.v tsfi
was taint of murder in the air. and
the instinct of that far-ot community
was aroused, and men went about with
growing suspicion In their hearts that
murderer was among them, and they
let about discovering the facts. spend-
ing time and money until their efforts
were crowned with success-thus adj
ding another illustration of the divine
saying "that'murder will out"
The last hours OF the murderer were
not marked by any remorse. On the
contrary. he spent his time cursing his
victim, the minister who attended him,
and The sheriff and his deputies. Ho
refused TO change his old clothes for
the new SUIT procured for the occasion
and manifested u total Indifference TO
The end. AS the fatal hour approached
he wilted completely and had to be sup
ported to the scatfoll, aud was launched
into eternity in half dazed condition. /,
In something under five minutes the
coroner pronounced him dead and when
the body WAS cut down it was found
that the neck was broken. The end
VAS painless except Tor one violent
contraction of the muscles which almost
doubled up the BODY for few seconds,
but 1t slowly resumed its position of
perpendicular rigidiiy and the pulse
slowly faded away with his life,
The people of Idaho county have
reason to congratulate themselves uport
the swift punishment which followed
the crime, and it is to their credit that
they refused to assist IN mitigating the |
sentence which few solt-hearted peo-
pie proposed. TIE quiet energy of tha
district attorney had much to do in
securing the prompt administration OF
Justice in this case, which In other
hands. might have dragged along for
years, involving the county.in heavy
costs and in the end defeating Justice.
The arrangements at the execution
were admirably planned by sheriff
Talkington and eviuced careful fore.
thought and attention To duty charac-
teristic of that o .,cia The body was
buried In the Grangevlle cemetery at
the request OF the deceased.