The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1890-12-20
HANGED.
Hank Parish Swung Into Eternity for
the Murder Of II. G Thorn pson.

Henry Parish, commonly known
throughout this whole section of country
as Hank Parish was hung at Ely,
White Pine County on Friday last the
18th inst. for the murder of P. G. Thorn.
pson at Royal City in this county on the
3rd Of last August.
From correspondents at Ely and the
White Pine News of The 18th we gain
tho following news of the execution.
Parish bore up remarkably well to
within the last minute. On the night
previous to his execution he remained up
until ] 30 o'clock, laughing, smoking and
talking necessarily. calling for Bob In.
gersols Works, as he said that was his re.
ligion, but in the pious town of Ely, not
copy OF those works could be found
and that one request could not be grant.
ed.
On Friday morning Attorney +. X.
Murphy finished writing for the condem.
ened man and the time was spent in gen.
eral talk until about | | 80 o'clock when
Sheriff Basset read to him the death war
rant. He then put on his coat and
shortly after, his pulse was counted
which was so, he laughed and said to DR.
Campbell "Well Doc how are they? and
a few moments later as the clock marked
2 minutes Of twelve the Sheriff and Dep
uty, the condemned man and physician
moved slowly out Of the Jail towards the
scaflold, which had been erected in front
of the Jail, between it and the Court
House. and around which canvas was
stretched to screen it from public gaze.
Parish mounted the scaffold with firm
step and proceeded to the front railing
from which he addressed few rambling
remarks to the crowd gathered to witness
the execution, which numbered about
fifty. He had requested an hour and a
halls time in which to addressthe public
but after speaking four minutes he step.
ped back upon the trap, and was ready
for the fatal fall.
Parish's remarks were to the effect
that he had been accused of killing from
5 to 20 men, that no had only killed
and was justified in each instance. lie
had not left his wife as currently report.
ed, she had been dead ID years. He had
two daughters in Oregon both well fixed.
That he was an ignorant man, had many
enemies, had always been prosecuted,
was innocent of crime and had good
heart in him. That men had been paid
to swear away his life. That Mr. MUIR
ply had written an account Of his life
and he wanted all to believe it. That
Thompson the man he last killed. with
two others, had hung him up three times
by the neck. But the last few words are
said to have made many of the spectators
looked ashamed for him especially those
who heard the testimony submitted at
the trial.
Sheriff Basset had everything in readi-
ness and when Parish ceased speaking
and stepped back upon the trap his
hands and feet were tied Parish re.
marking "tie them tight so they won't
slip, at the same time asking the Sher-
if how much of drop he had allowed.
He was informed six and half feet
Parish's pulse was then taken again and
was found to be hammering away at Ia
strokes a minute. A trembling of his
lips was quite perceptible and DIR. Camp
bell afterward stated that the mar
could not have remained upon his feel
one minute longer. The trap was now
sprung and the resulting fall instantly
broke the wretch's neck. Half minut
later Doctor Campbell was at his side Blu
life was already extinct, no movement o
the heart could be detected. Five min
utes thereafter and the Sheriff cut tn
body down and cut away the moose iron
the neck, using the came knife witt
which Parish had killed the man 70
whose death he himself had just pai
the penalty. The body was placed il
the court room where it lay for tw
hours, when it was buried. The time oC
cupied from leaving the Jail to spring
ing the trap was only twelve minutes.
No word of sympathy for the conden
; ned wretch was heard from any OF tn
spectators either before or after the exc
cution. From the ii ne Of his sentence t
I that Of his death, Parish was partic,
larly disagreeahls and caused grea
, trouble to his guards who are said
r have done everything they could fc
| his, convenience and comfort, sho
$ Of turning him loo,e, taking him II
t town occasional ly, procuring drinks ct
n In conversing with DR.. Campbell IL
night before his execution, Parish sa
he had killed only three men but ha
4 shot three other Sol BIS, evident
|. regarding the latter az of little cons
qnen'e.
PARIsH's CRIME.
The chine for which Parish thus SUI
cred the extreme penalty known to Il
=, ,,as cn,nmitted nt Royal CITY in til