The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1889-02-22
ONLY One TAKEN.
JOHN LEE HUNG AT ALEXANDRIA
FRIDAY MORNING AT TEN
O'CLOCK.
Governor Merriam Exercises Executive
Olemency in Behalf Of Moe and
Thus His Neck is Saved.
Particulars OF the Crime TO-DAY
Expiared.

ALEXANDRIA, Mimi, Feb. 15.-This
village has been thrown into fever of
excitement by telegram from Gov.
Merriam stating that Martin Noes SEN
tence was COMMITTED to imprisonment
for life. Great excitement hes prevailed
as the time of the execution rev near,
but it was q tempest IN teapot. Sheriff
De Frate Immediately autographed for
orders regarding Lee, and the reply was
that Lee should hang at the appointed
hour.
p. w. Wildt. an attorney of Faribault,
went to st. Paul with two petitions to
the governor for the Communication of the
sentence of Moe. He interviewed the
governor at some length, presenting the
case to him under the light of the latest
developments, and pleading very hard
for Communication. At first Governor
Merriam would not give him any hope
of executive clemency, but at a later
hour decided to commute the sentence
to imprisonment for life.
Public sentiments varies greatly. A
large number of persons take the stand
that if Moe had not been with Lee and
advised him to shoot, Cherline would be
alive to-day. A smaller part think it
unjust to let the man with the worst
reputation go and to hang the other.
Still others think it but Just to give Moe
the benefit of the doubt 1t is thought
that had Moe had a separate trial in
stead of being tried with Lee, he would
not have been found guilty of murder in
the first degree.
LEE HANGS AT TEN O'CLOCK.
ALEXANDRIA, MINI. Feb. l5-This lit
tie village was to-day the scene of the
execution Of John Lee, who was launch
ed into eternity to expIate the murder
of Charles CherlIne. A former dispatch
gives particulars of the stay put on pro-
ceedings by Governor Merriam in COM
muting the sentence of Moe to life i'm
prisonment. Lee passed last night in
company with Pastor Scott OF the Bap-
fist church in religious reading and con-
versation. The execution took place in
the vacant space north of the jail and the
gallows of solid oak were WHAT'S known
aas the Guiteau trap. Lee was marched
on to the trap at 10 a. In. and the sheriff
pulled leVerwhich unloosened the pegs
at each corners and the man dropped
into eternity. crowd of people
had collected around the Jail drawn
bv that morbid curiosity which a
hanging always incites. The gallows
were inclosed by q wooden shed
to shut out public view pf the execution,
and no one bat sheriffs 81 counties, doc
tors, clergymen and newspaper report
ers were allowed inside toe rreu S're--
THE CRIME.
John Lee was born in Iowa, Yves rs
years old and has lived i'm Douglas cogn-
ty % years. He is Sweda and has ben
employed as farm laborey.
He was fairly intelligent but spo;e
English quite imperfectIy. HehaNAMfot
a bad face, and would hardly have BEEN
taken for murderer.
Martin Moe his accomplice in tae
crime was Scandinavian by birth, %
years old, and bad only been five yeirs
In America.
The murder took. place last Junet lat
Brandon village four miles NORTHWEST
Of Alexandra. Moe had the reputation
of being troublesome character, Edt
Lee was not considered a dangerous or
quarrelsome fellow. Lee had been keep
ing company with young Cherline's SIS
ter and Cherline had objected to Lee
coming to the house, and this is SUP
posed to be the cause which led to the
murder, as Lee swore vengeance. Shoft-
ly afterwards Lee and Moe went on a
spree which lasted four or FIVE dafs.
They drank freely of alcohol, whisky
and beer, and were furiously drunk
nearly all the time from Saturday until
Wednesday.
On June 10th the two were making the
quiet streets of Brandon ring with Their
drunken orgies, and were frequently
heard to say that they would kill some
one. They afterwards went into hare
ware store and each purchased cheap
revolver and box of cartridges. Al
seven O'Clock that evening after having
been drinking alcohol freely all day the
two men met Charles Cherllne standing
on a street corner. Without word Of
warning, Lee stepped up to his victim
and shot him in the head, piercing his
brain with the bullet; then he and Moe
made their way out of the village hid
ing in field all night. They were found
and arrested the next morning and bare
ly escaped lynching.
THE TRIAL CAME OFF
before Judge Searle last October. County
Attorney III. jenkins appeared for the
state, and G. G. Houpt, of Fergus Falls,
was appointed by the court to defend
the prisoners. The indictment against
the men charges Lee with premeditated
murder and Moe with melting and aid
ing in the crime. The men were tried
together for the offense and a number
of witnesses were called who testified to
the facts. The defense set up the plea
the men were drunk, and that there was
no Fermentation or concerted action.
The jury, however, found them both
guilty and Judge Searle pronounced the
death sentence. Since that time the,
men have been in confinement in thd
county jail at Alexandria, awaiting th6
issuance of the death warrant.