The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-08-01
DOUBLE HANGING AT LOUISVILLE.



LOUISVILLE. July Sl.-Charles Dilger and
Harry Smart were hanged at Goa o'clock this
mcruing in the jail-yard. At $50 o'clock,
Father Brady and Father Nicholas gave way
to the deputy sheriff, Henry Bell. who read
the death warrant to each of the men. They
stood In their cell doors. both handcuffed.
and listened attentively TO the reading.
The line OF march to the scaffold was
formed at 5:45 o'clock. Both Dilger and
Smart walked firmly up the steps. digger
leading the way unassisted. Father Mich
olas read the service of the Catholic
Church, the crowd maintaining breath
less silence Deputy Sheriff Ragland,
meanwhile took his place near the trap
rope. Both men were very pale during the
reading. At the conclusion OF the services,
Smart and digger babe goodbye to the turn
keys They then took positions on the traps;
Smart laughed as he stepped upon the fatal
door. Deputy Sheriff Hikes pinioned them
with bands at O'Clock.
The rope was cut at Goa o'clock, exactly.
and both men shot down through the traps.
Smart turned round, and probably died in
stantly When Dilger's body dropped the
end of the rope which formed the knot was
seen TO unrayel, and the moose refused to
tighten. The knot so far united as to be
only held in place by one coil, and the rope
was caught directly under the point of his
chin. The scene was sickening. 1t could
be seen at glance that death would not
result inside of two OF three hours unless
something was done. and the strained
breathing OF the unfortunate man could be
heard over the entire yard. The noise was
a sharp. rasping one. so peculiar as to rem
der it hard to describe. Two of the officers
leaned down through the trap. and: catch
ing hold of the moose near the neck, drew
to the platform. Another rope was quickly
made fast to the cross-beam over
head, the drop being the same
as before; When the ..,J moose s. was was
W Wiser told fif the rope Sad sppea
its knot, he said: This shows that should
not die" He again placed himself upon
the trap by making two hops. The drop
fell the second time at Sos: The new rope
the knot slipped clear around to the back
of his neck. 1t frightened however, and the
work was done. At 6:32, "a minutes after
the drop fell. he was pronounced dead, and
few seconds later was cut down.
The Crimes of Dilger and Smart.
The crime for which Charles Dilger paid
the severest penalty of the law, was an
especially brutal and revolving one, the
double murder of two policemen, officers of
the law. who were acting in the discharge
of their duty. on Thursday. Aug. 16. 1888,
at2 o'clock in the morning. when the city
had been for many hours wrapped in peace
full slumber, on Lafayette street,
one of the most disreputable thorough
fares in the city. The scene was
lively one. At that hour. just as the off,
GERS. James W. Jones and Joe Rosenberg
had left the corner of Preston and Lafay-
cite streets, they were startled by cries of
'murderp help" in a female voice. The
cries came from the house No. IS Lafayette
street, a house Infamous for the crimes and
murders committed within its walls. The
officers ran III and found Charles Dilger in
Buggy" Burns. with whom he was living.
The officers disappeared within the door of
the room, but what took place IN there has
never been discovered. A few minutes
later. a man, hatless and coatless, ran down
the steps with blood streaming from his
head. 1t was Charles Dilger. and he con-
tinued his flight until arrested two hours
later in the western portion of the city. In
the hallway of the landing on the second
floor was found the dead body of officer
Jones. In his head was deep wound from
a knife. The blade had penetrated the
brain. In the heart was another knife
wound. Either would have caused his
death. From the room occupied by Dilger
there Dilger's second victim was expiring.
Stretched on the floor at the foot of the bed
was oficer Rosenberg. He was insensible.
From q knife wound on his right temple
dripDed drops of blood. He died the next
afternoon. Dilger was captured by the
police two hours after his double crime had
been committed. After two trials and an
appeal to the Supreme Court, the Governor
refused TO commute his sentence to life
term In the penitentiary, and his execution
took place to-day.
The crime for which Harry Smart was
hanged to-day was one of the most revolt
ing ever recorded in the history of the
State. There was no direct testimony, but
the circumstantial evidence was of the
most positive and stron gest kind. On the
5th day of July. 1888. Smart. his wife, who
was low prostitute named Laura Haight
before he married her, Meisner Green and
an abandoned woman named Belle
Ward, concluded to leave Louisville
and go to Madison, Ind. Smart had former
ly lived there. and he thought they could
all do better there than in Louisville. They
started up the river in q row boat. On the
9th inst. the body of an unknown woman
was foGnd floating in the river at the foot
of Clay street. Her throat was cut. and a
tied to her feet. The next morning the
body OF man floating III the river was
found. A forty-pound stone was also tied
TO his feet. His throat was cut, and there
was q hole in the back of his head. Decom-
position was so far advanced that his
features were unacceptable. Wesley
Green, the brother of Meisner, identified
the body by the clothing. Acquaintance
OF the Ward woman identified her also by
the clothing she wore. The police followed
this evidence up with a strong chain OF
corroborative incidents. and the condemned
man was unable to secure even another
trial.