St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-03-23
CELL TO SCAFFOLD.
A Deputy Gives His Experience in
the March to Death.

n Oeputy 0tVcS his experience In
the March to Death.
The deputy sheriffs were all tired out
last night and had all gone home when
a GLOBE reporter called at the Jail.
Jailer James Riley relieved Deputy
Sheriff Hines at O'Clock, when the lat
ter went to bed. Riley was with the
boys at an early hour in the morning in
order that Deputy Sheriff Wall, who
had been with them all night, might
get a little sleep.
Il was sitting near the CELL" said
Riley, ''when Pete woke up and called
to me. | went to him and stood by him
while he told me that he knew all the
details of the shooting of Thomas Toll
lefson. He swore by all that was holy
that he did not fire one of the shots.
and intimated that his brother Henry
could tell who did fire the first shot, if
he only would. He did not say in so
many words that Freddy" fired it, but
drew my own conclusions. Pete spoke
of the affection he bore for Henry and
which Henry had for him. and said that
he felt sure that before making con-
feSsion Freddy" had got a promise
from the county attorney that he Pete)
should get a light sentence. He said
as he knew that Freddy" could
not hold out for many years, and
then the truth would come out
and he would be free man once more.
AS said, Pete did not say that .'Reddy''
fired the shot, but from what he said l
feel certain that that is what he meant.
He was greatly disappointed at not
hearing from st. Paul, and as the time
went by became somewhat agitated.
The priests remained with the boys all
the time and kept them as calm as could
be expected.
During the morning both Tim and
Pete sent out for all the deputies to say
good-by to them. Fin seemed to he
more affected than Pete when we said
goOd-by, and cried considerably. Just
fold | took rundown collar up to
Pete to replace the standup one he had
on. This change was mad in order
that the collar might not interfere with
the rope. As l handed him the collar
he gave me look which l will never
forget in this world. Not word did
he say as he changed collars. ] wish
he had; it would have been easier for
me.
when we went up to get the boys
and take them down to the gallows
there was nothing said. The priests
were praying all the time until the drop
fell. Going down stairs and across the
corridor the boys were as firm as could
be, but l noticed that Tins responses
became louder and louder and more
forced as we neared the scaffold. Going
up the steps both boys shook little,
After taking our places on the platform,
Pete weakened, and once whispered to
me to hold him up. was then holding
him up all | could, and for moment
it seem as though we would both fall.
Pete kept leaning forward, and finally
said:
"Riley, move me forward little.
will you. 1 am afraid of hitting nv
back on the edge of the floor when l
fall"
81 moved him forward a trifie and
this seemed to help him. His responses
were so faint that they could be heard
only few inches away. When the
black cap was drawn over his head a
long moan broke from his lips, and he
whispered family:
"'Oh. God, l am being punished too
much for what l have DONE
This was the last he said, except to
murmur response to the prayer of the
priests. The drop fell just as he had
said: oh, God, have - The long
wait on the scaffold was the result
of misunderstanding between MI.
Eye and the priests. He thought that
they wanted to finish the prayers be-
fore the drop was sprung, and so gave
them plenty of time, while on the other
hand the priests were ready as soon as
the caps were drawn, and wanted the
traps sprung while the two boys were
in the midst of prayer. Had it not been
for that understanding, the traps would
have been sprung some four or five
minutes sooner. Well. it's all over, and
/ am glad. The strain on the sheriff
and his deputies was intense, and could
not have been endured much longer.''
WAS HE INNOCENT.
Was Pete Barrett innocent of firing
the first shot that struck Tollefson in
the hip? Many are now inclined to be-
lieve his assertions were true. as is re-
lated elsewhere he so stated to Tailor
Reilly short time before he went to
his death, and on the scat.
fold said the same thing. There
is another corroborative circumstance
and that is the evident grief of Father
COrbett, to whom he made full confess
sion. The priest kissed him just before
the moose was adjusted, and since the
execution, has been Frustrated with
grief. This makes many think, Cath
Olics especially. believe he knew Pete
is innocent of firing the shot.