Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1889-08-15

BOULDER August g. Special. IA
small delegation of Helenaites arrived last
evening to witness the execution of Bryson.
Detective Walters and Officer Best repre-
sented the official department and Harry
Collins and Louis DeLestry the press.
There are also alderman Donnelly, Herman
Richter, and c. B. Nolan. Shortly after
the arrival of the Helena train Brysons
father arrived with sheriff Halford to see
Bryson. The interview lasted about twen-
ty minutes. The elder Bryson requested
PRIVATE INTERVIEW
with his son but the sheriff refused it, and
referred him to Judge Blake, who was tel
egraphed to, but stated he bad no authori-
ty to act. The preparations were all COM
pleted yesterday.
THE GALLONS CONSTRUCTED
is of the simplest Kind, consisting of two
uprights and cross bars. The rope runs
through pulley on the cross bar and is at
tached to the drop-weight. The con-
demned man will stand on the bare ground
and be jerked into the air by the drop of
the weight, his neck to be broken by the
rebound.
The sheriff's officer will stand out of
sight behind a boarded screen while cut
ting the rope holding the weight. The
rope has been completely stretched by 400
pounds for several days.
Bryson is
SPENDING HIS LAST HOURS
quietly but nervously, still anticipating the
communication. He requested Sheriff Hal
ford to sit up till IL o'clock, SC that mes
sage from the Governor might be received
promptly. His request was granted will
ingly. About 8 o'clock Rev. Cutler and
Mrs Reeves appeared at the Jail to con-
duct prayer services, in which BrysOn par
ticipated After that he again asserted his
innocence and expressed great hopes for a
Communication. He then prepared written
statement, reviewing his case and compar-
ing the evidence on both both trials, and
also wrote his theory of the murder to be
published later. The jailor brought him
some oranges. He talked freely with him,
saying he was looking for "hoist," but if
the other way, so much the better. He
then sent the other prisoners some cigars,
telling them to smoke heartily.
A LETTER TO HIS CHILD.
Bryson then penned the following letter
to his daughter:
BOULDER, Mont, August 8th.-To Miss
Maud Chase Bryson: Dear Ddughter-I am
writing this letter to you in far distant
land where all are strangers to me; where
they judicially murdered me, your father,
for another mans crime. You don't re-
member me as you wss too young to re-
member me when you saw me last. Your
mother may teach you to hate my memory
but don't do it, Maud, for just as sure as
there is God in heaven, just SO sure am l
an innocent man. The reason I write this
letter to you, Maud, is because want you to
know me as 1 am not as others have
painted me. The reason 1 left your
mother will never be known
to any living person in this world, for 1
took her for good, better or worse. don't
think ever said an unkind word to her in
my life nor raised my hand in anger. Still
I left her. It may all have been fatal
mistake, but it is too late to rectify in this
world. At the same time cherish love
for YOUR mother. Nurse her when old, and
never say an unkind word to her. Have
heaven for your guiding star, God for your
spiritual adviser and never depart from the
path of virtue and righteousness Should
you marry, let your choice follow the gen.
tleman. Be careful what kind he is. Let
him be honest, sober, courageous, upright
and aboveboard in all actions. Try him
we'll, and if you find him wanting in any
of these principles, discard him
and try another. Standing on the
brink of the grave as l am
at the present time l thought it proper to
write this letter to you, for love you with
a love bordering on frenzy. This letter is