Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1888-02-15
Patrick John Hart Executed at Helena
Yesterday Morning.
He Had Three Trials But Was Con
yicted of Murder Each Time.
How He Spent the Night Preceding
His Execution.
He Met His Doom Firmly and His
Death was Instantaneous.

41ELLNA1 Iva AS
10 the Miner by the Rocky Mountain Tele-
graph with dawn this morning were
ushered in the last rays OF daylight to
GLADDEN. the eyes of Patrick John Hart, the
man convicted OF the murder Of John w.
Pitts at Boulder, November II, 1885. who
after a full and impair ii h'a g before
judicial tribunals OF leland, WAS snte'>'"i
to pay with his lie he penalty '"r t.
malicious and cold-b,ondet! criue OF "hici
he was guilty. After three trials, in two %
which he was convicted OF murder in the
frst-degree, and after two appeals to the
Supreme Court of the Territory, Hart was
pronounced guilty of shedding the bic cd OF
his fellow man without pretext Of sufficient
magnitude to furnish the slightest justIfica-
| tion of the deed. All day yesterday carpeD-
| ters were engaged in
PUTTING Up THE L
in the rear of Lewis and Clarke county
jail, Breckenridge street, fencing in the
space where the legal tragedy was to be en-
acted. An area of ground 2Ox4O feet in
dimensions was enclosed on the east side
of the Jail by a high board fence. The gal
lows was composed of a transverse beam
resting upon two uprights. The uprights,
made OF pine wood, stood twelve feet high.
lie space between being ten feet. Two pull
leys were attached to the top. Through
these a half-inch hemp cable passed. The
moose, made with a slip Knot on the end, |
hung ready for use on the right hand of the
upright. On the left of the upright was
constructed a box of rough pine board. On |
the end OF the rope a weight of 2S6 pounds |
was attached and hung foul feet above the |
ground ready to drop at a signal. 1t was
arranged SO that whenever the rope was |
cut the weight would drop and hoist into |
the air whatever was attached to the
moose.
II FOLLOWING DIARY,
found or Harris table, shows what the
doomed man did during the night. 1t is in
his handwriting: 9:1O, took a bath; 1890,
went to sleep: 12:45, walked up, smoked a
cigar; 1:15, tool lunch; 1:1O, smoked
another cigar; 2:5O, went to sleep again.
From the jaiIer it was learned that Hart
was i'll good spirits. He ate a breakfast OF
beef steak and eggs at S O'Clock, and de.
it with d relish, taking a smoke
after finishing the meal. At $50 his spirit
ual adviser, Father V. J. Vanden Brock.
arrived, heard his confession, administered
holy communion n prayed with the
The Father remained with him
Ill morning until the hour of execution
arrived Sheriff Hathaway read the death
to him at 10 o'clocl. at II
the our set for the execution, a
arge crowdh had gathered in the street in
.ront OF the jail. At lilo Sheriff Hath-
Under Sheriff Hard, Deputy ShAriffs
iibbs, Walker and Jaiier Wilten entered
he Jail.
A r. WAS READY
md accompanied the officer without re-
nonstrance. The procession moved
through the Jail into the g~allows yard in I
he following order: First, Sheriff HATH
way: second, tTntler Sheriff Hard; third,
Tart; fourth. Father Vanden Brock;
sAaeriff Gibbs: sixth, Jailerl
he gallows caught HIS sight for the first r
Inc. He walked with his head erect and
hrtn step to the glbbet, where he DOL his y
ia nd urder the moose. Father Wander, "
'roacA accompanied him to the platform k
nd stood by him until the end. The m 7
er sheriff and deputies bound Harris lie $ !,
with straps. Leather bands were
$50 trapped about his arms and Shout I'll
eis: oner16 Hathaway stepped on the CT
a''"rm ana sad: Hart, have you any p
llng to say?" Harris lips ouivere1 and ..
Is voice sounded low and restrained as no "
the following words, scarcely andi. Il
y: a.
HART's LAST WORDS. To-
L wish you all d restful conscience and q -
'efu' lie on this earth. 1 hope when Won ~
through this door You will bring some ~
tie child that has no father or mother on ~
ls earth for protection. That is all -
we to say. Good bye" What he meant
not known but it is supposed he referred
ms own condition as an orphan and ex- tn
essed the hope that when any of those A.
eseilt lied he would have no father or ~
.ner TO mourn his loss. II q weight fell III
Ii:2S O'Clock and eerca n.iuutr: !,t4, LEI
lending physicians DFs. Mnrrls, Ilur,e ih
q Grant pronounced hin. dead. 4 +
~ the physicians announced char The
art mad ceased tn heat and rreraration. ~
made Tor taking down the body. Al "a
40 the body was lowered into the coffin pls
IAN deal box which had been nrovida5 do
the occasion. Then it was ascertained pa1
VI the mans neck had been broken in gen
places and he had consequently suffered cat
y little if any at all. A guard was tina
ced over the remains and at 2:3O O'clock the
ne afternoon they were inferred in the ian
'noiic cemetery, Father Vanden Brock fed
clatlng. Thus has the world seen the on
'onA matt. yea