The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-07-14


- ~ Wssh-1ase
WsrA - Mshss
xew York Sun
100 To- Atkinson, better known
4nots executioner, y aresAdsnt
9rh1pensh ward ct Broskiyn-
neat lifsIe cottage II "a
evsnue, near The corner a
~stsset-
- 8 Joe -.sent mp his city
@ v,efim At wiIkesbarre. IA
-- hensed was MichseiR ix5elo.
@Us[rosed Mike. He died fos
a Psymaster J. Bfainefd
- stable Boss Hugh FIan,
- - 18Th Of October last The
p. manner in which Mr.. A.
$50 10 secure his latest 1ob =
About three weeks go
ss~1 ~. search, sheriff Of Lu-
wuuty, Pa. concluded to hays
Srnns5enced s<rson hang Red
s r1;ke. - the last hanging in
k-Hed hen 8 failure. At that
1nr3erer named volkavitch
xkssa efruuR up By the sheria.
SS~vrooaily attended to The
man was slowly strankied
DE rope broke, and The seal
@1e way. The papers Of the
criticised the job, and CEN
- sheriff for his banging
10 vas the reason Sheriff
zsss Nnrluded 70 have Ked-n0se<i
Ssneed by . professional execu-
- had heard ot . good job At
and he sent . brief note 70
here asking who had done
AJoe Atkinson Was the
6riff Search Immediately
s6mmissioners Hart and Eng
SSmerne county, ard the COM
discovered ExecutiUneF
1s address. They reported
- ~ sheriff. and be addressed
living letter to Atkinson:
wurrssARRE, Pa, Jane 2, lss7.
$50 Atkinson, Esq.-Akur N.Y.
k91rd mat yvu are the Official ex-
4N Nee York state, aud being Ia
~ - y0B uen8e1 1880
< 7nw nrst class job. | would me 70
Z<s- TH2Srrmenu with you TO send up
2Sed IKE ON jane -. ] viii be IN
v So on "Wednesday next. w0uid
3 - 700 In relation 70 the matter.
S1.S ~ q the Westminster hotel, - !
I'm ~S11n there while In the city, Re
Z&es~i.r sfe.. III. W. SEARCH,
sheriff OF Luxerne county.
n the dsy specified Executioner
ttriasuu proceeded 70 the Westmin-
- kofel and sent up his card to
6kev3d 6enrch. The sheriff gave him
Z cordia; greeting and opened a bottle
q uiue "a honor OF his distinguished
srerk The men finally got down to
6odneos. and = queer business i wss.
r.. Atkinson told the sheriff inat ne
nncttd IN assistant. and that the fare
~ hoeh Of them 70 and from Wlks-
- would be $50. Then $40 worth
= lnmbes vas needed, and Mr.. Akin
sua,s nrAfFoad would have 10 be shipped
ffom the TOmbs in New York. The
No. can. moose and piniOp rope
v0uld cost SO more, and Dick. his as
sixfant. would want ~ for cutting
tn weight rope. Then there were
other things needed pair of sister
kooks. ten pounds Of nails. = pair
Of thgee-inch butts. e ana
button, besides his own time, which
Vas worth at least 80. In oil Joe hg-
urcd MP the cost NJ $40. This was tpo
much money. thought Sheriff search,
and after much dickering he finally
agreed u pay SIS 10 Mr.. Atkin~on.
pPoyiding everything went along
ssnooshIy, and Ked-nosed Mikes neck
vas bfoken at the first drop OF the
veishs. Joe said he would do the job
x Ven a. any OF the others he had
6oue. q not better, and he left the
nod. alter being informed that ne
would g notified when and where to
shin his ealiews. A few days later he
fccsiysd Ibis letter:
HsSpsicg W. SEARCH,
sBEEiFF or LrxEgESE,
WuxEsnAhKE. Pa. June Is, 1889
Joseph v. Atkinson, Esas-Dtar str: ship
yoaf apparatus d Thomas W. Hart. Ash
~, 1Juzerene county. Pa, by way Of Cen
trsi miissy Of New Jersey. Let me know
when you ship the same, 30 that | can be
on hand 70 receive IL. Respectfully. etc.
n. w. sEAkcH. sheriff.
Executioner Atkinson replied by say
ing that be would ship the" apparatus"
meaning the g~ailows-on Saturday,
June Y. and he did so. Then he re-
ceivsd the following teiegraphic dis
pstch:
w~iLxEssAasg. Pa, June n, 1855.
JosspA y. afkfasos. Eg., zT7 Eeerereea
Ap<ssSs Come sunday night Take bus
% Bristol house. Miikesbarre. Answer
II. w ARc sheriff.
Joe Immediately notified sheriff
search that he would reach Wilkes
harreon Sunday morning. He packed
up his box containing a black cap.
two nooses. . pinien rope, and an axe,
and scnt il W to the railroad depot
In New Jersey. lie followed on Satur-
day evening", and upon arriving at
Wsikesharre went directly 70 the
Bristol house. After seeing the town
on Sunday night he retired 10 his room
u keep out Of the way Of local news
paper men, and At go o'clock on
Monday morning he went To the iafl.
where he met his assistant, Dave.
Together they erected the scafiold in
the jail yard, completing their work
hy noon. Atkinson then called upon
the condemned man and tried 10 cheer
him up by saying that ii would lie all
Up before he knew H. He begged
Nike 70 keep up courage, and he en-
cou.aged the prisoner by saying that
- tAtkinsonl had never done a bung-
ing Job in his life. While visiting the
oeumed man Joe sized him up, aud
eotd the sheriff that he would use q
uetshf OF 40 pounds "a heavier
veieht than he had ever used before.
vn TIE following morning the execu-
uonef was up bright and early, whist
ing bis fayorite tune. The Girl I
Lett Behind Me-" T:se rest Of the
story Is best told by Mr.. Atkinson
himself, who arrived home in Brook
tyn from Wilkesharre ON "Wednesday,
and was seen In {. J. olvany's saloon,
q 10 Evergreen avenue. by a re.
porter.
II arrived AZ the W~iikesharre Jail
about O'clock ON Tuesday morning.
Mr.. Atkinson, and vent ui.
reciiy 10 the sheriff. He appeared TO
ne very nervous. and began tn talk
ABOUT different things. | told him
u he lett the entire job 10 me ia
XII Mike in less than two minutes. 50
ne said he wouldn't interfere with
any OF my arrangements. But just a.
sooh ~ ! had begun arrangements to
TIE Job the sheriff came over aud
asked the Il | needed foot straps.
What are they'll asked straps TO
bold Mikes teet together said lie.
well, said L. Mike Won't need any
straps To hold his feet together after l
get through With him. Then an