The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1888-08-16


startled to receive an application from
Andrew Landgraff, brother of the con-
demned, for a ticket to the hanging
which was promptly refused. The brother
is a brakeman on the Iron Mountain rail
road.
MORNING oE THE EXECUTION.
CRY JAIL, ST. LOUIS, August 1O.-The
morning dawned clear and cool, and, as
the first Fight of Maxwell's last day on
earth entered his narrow cell, 1t height
ened the sickly palor of his face, which
had increased during the night. Shortly
after day break Maxwell threw himself on
the cot in his cell, but remained there
only few minutes. He then arose,
lighted a fresh cigarette ard sat down at
a table, making a poor attempt to read.
He was plainly Ill at ease, and occasionally
glanced furtively out through the gratings
of the narrow window of the cell and out
into the inner yard of the jail. At Il few
minutes before O'Clock he performed his
morning additions and donned his funeral
clothes, tie outer garments being of plain
black with Prince Albert coat.
At 5:1S o'clock Father Tehan arrived
and entered the cell, the door of which
was closed, and those within the Jail
moved away to give all the privacy posi-
BILE. Father Tehan then administered the
communion to the condemned
At the conclusion of the religious ser
vices in Maxwell's cell, like offices were
accorded Henry Landgraff by Father
Tehan. Landgraff had occupied in prayer
the greater portion of the night after
11:3o O'Clock, and appeared cool and col
lected. While the father confessor was
administering the communion to the con-
demned, the deputy sheriffs were engaged
on the scaffold preparing the apparatus
for its work. At5:30 O'Clock Maxwell and
Landgraff sat down to their final meal,
which had been prepared by the
jailer's wife. Each was served
with like dishes, Landgiaff ate
heartily, while Maxwell partook
sparirgly AS he sat at the table it was
plain to see all of his assumed indiffer-
ence had departed and his face was
blanched white. A troubled, hunted look
was in his eyes. He was evidently grow
ing weaker and had lost all hope of stay
ing the executioner's hand. Landgraff
the same old stolld look.
At 6:O5 Sheriff Harrington arrived at
the jill and announced the execution had
been postponed two hours. The only
reason assigned was the postponement
mad been granted at the request Of Max
Wells attorneys.
Maxwell received news of the postpone
nent calmly, though an expression of
great relief was plainly visible on his
features. Landgraff gave it no attention
whatever. At 8:47 Sheriff Harrington en-
tered the cell where Maxwell and Land
graft had been placed to hear the death
read.
When the sheriff announced the final
had come Maxwell paled and
pulled his fingers nervously. His only
demonstration during the reading of the
was biting of the lower lip and
a gulping as though trying to swallow
something. Landgraff received the read
ing of the death warrant stoically. The
arms of the condemned were pinioned and
the march to the soaffold was quickly &C
The men mounted the steps
without assistance. Landgraff was I'M
moved, while Maxwell glanced about him
plteously and it was plain to be seen that
he was weakening rapidly. Neither of the
men had anything to say. The black ca ps
and nooses were adjusted and at 1856
the drop fell. Landgraff did not
move muscle and his death
was evidently painless. Not 30 with
whose breast heaved convulsively
while the limbs were drawn upward. A
stream of blood poured down the breast
of his coat, which, it WAS afterwards found,
came from a cut on the nose, caused in
someway by the rope. Landgraff was
pronounced dead in eleven and one half
minutes, Maxwell in fourteen minutes
Landgraff being cut down at 9:l2 and
Maxwell at 9:15. 1t was claimed that the
neck of each man was broken. There was
an immense crowd about the Jail and
extra police were required to clear the
streets. Landgraff's remains will be
turned over to his brother. Maxwell will
be inferred in Calvary cemetery.
To-day Maxwell furnished document
he called his dying statement, which is a
simple epitome of the story of the crime
heretofore published, in which he reas-
;erls his innocence of the willful murder
Of Preller. Maxwell's crime is so we'll
and widely known that it need not be
detailed again. On April 6, 1885, he muir
lered his friend, @. A. Preller, in the
Southern hotel, this city, by the use of
Landgraff paid the penalty
for the murder of his sweetheart, of whom
he was jealous.
The result of post norton was that
the necks of both Maxwell and Landgraff
we're broken. Maxwell's nose was broken,
and it is presumed he struck some part OF
the gallows in the fall. Several of tho
smaller bones in his neck we're fractured.
The morgue officials state that Maxwell's
body was the filthiest corpse held in the
morgue for many day. His undercloth-
ing was vile, and he evidently had not
bathed in months.
WIFE MURDERER HANGED.
NEW CASTLE, Del, August 10.-Charles
Henry Reidel was hanged at 12:42 this
afternoon for the murder OF his wife and
child on the night of September 16, last.
The murder was committed during the
night, and shots had been fred while the
mother and child we're sleeping. Reidel
then turned the weapon on himself and
fred two bullets into his head, but they
did not penetrate the brain and he re-
covered. After arrest he manifested no
remorse, deportipg himself as though he
had done something proper and iusti'
fable.
Bagging Going Up.
ST. LOUIS, August 10.-AnOther large
advance has been made in jute and bag
pipp, the st. Louis mills having received