Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-03-08
KAMPF HANGED.
A VERY EXPEDITIONS EXECUTION IN
WEST VIRGINIA.
The Scene on tho scafrold-The Witnesse'-
A History OF tho
Crime.
rsnoc,., telegram 70 the plspa,ch.l

Special telegram 70 the Dlspa'ca.l
CHARLESTON w. Va, March 7--Felix
Kampf was hanged at II o'clock this morn
ing in the courthouse yard for the muII'I
of his two children in October last. ine
day has been raw. cold one, with SIX
inches of snow on the ground. NotWltn-
standing this n crowd estimated az ABOUT
2. 600 was on hand, and everv available eie-
waited place on fence. house-top. III secoH9-
story windows. and the like was utllH.u.
Exactly at three minutes % II O'Clock nc
prisoner left the Jail. preceded by the cry
police. and taking the arm Of Sherln flch-
ems. walked with firm step 10 tho galioWs'
He was accompanied by Father StehseI'
Deputy-Sherifs SwintuTn and eiGei' hs-
sistant-P decentralization LltiePase'
County-Clerk Smith. Colonel John ;. CuA-
ninCham, 4. NJ. Woodbridge, John Deerlhg'
Gordon Mullins Spicer Miller, ana Dts
Barbour. Lee. Aultz. Physter. ana dump
all Of whom mounted the scahOlu.
SKATLY DRESSED.
Kampf was neatly dressed in new SUIT
Of black with an overcOat ana slouch Hst'
in which he seemed to take. great prlue,
saving that they made him look younger
than ever and he ought to have his photo
graph taken with them on. lie bad
smile on his face and eyinced no evidence
Of fear. He mounted the scahold' shooA
hand. with Father Stenger, Snerln flchGus'
Mr.. Ittlepace. and Dr. AultZ, and theh
stepped forward 10 the trap. deputy
Sheriff Fielder strapped his feet togSstIltL a.
His hands were fa tened by Deputy-oneiH
Swinburu. andSheriit Plckens auJusIeu 'u0
rope and put on the black cap.
Exactly at II o'clock the trap was sprung
and Kampf was launched into eternity WIN
a PRAYER on his lips. less than three NM
utes from the time he left the JAIL.
The moment before the execution
Father Stenrcr pressed his cheek 20 that OF
Kampf. whispered a few words 81 consolaI
ton il his ear and as the trap iel 0hereI
up feryent prayer. commencing the sGuI
of the unfortunate man 10 lue pot VI" ~
gave IT. kaInpfs neck was broken py 'ne
fall and he died without q struggle.
PRONOUNCED DEAD.
Five minutes after the drop fell his Pulse
was beating: two minutes later II was SIM
heating. Two minutes after 1t was beating
very feebly, and three minutes aiteI tho
drop fell he was pronounced dead by lle
attending physicians.
At 1880 the BODY was taken down 10y
Undertaken Barlow and placed IN hahu-
some coffin Ornamented with a suVer piaIe
in the form Of a cross with the inscription
cat Rest and taken TO the CathOhc
CNNffUs Nucib iA4b ANiA'A'i4 '"'
held. a..
The remains were then taken TO the
Catholic cemetery and inferred. =.
He died thoroughly Tcpcntant OF III.
crime and as man who willingly onered
his life as an atonement. MhIle the pody
was hanging and shortly before 1t was pro-
nounced that life was extinct section Oh
the scailOld. which had been insecuTely
fastened. gave way, and Drs. AultZ, Loe.
and Barbour. Mr.. LlttlepaEe and Mr.. AuI-
Inns were precipltatcd to the ground. foT-
tupately no one was seriously hurt. al
though some of them were slightly bruised,
while tho Others escaped without injury.
HISTORY or THE cBIMy.
The crime for which Kampf suffered
death was the murder Of his daughter
MARY. need twenty. and his son William,
aced nineteen. Their mother had been
dead several years, and OWING 10 tneir
fathers QuarrelsOme disposition they lelJ
his home several months previous 10 the
murder and were keeping house for them
selves about "A quarter of mile from ms
Louso. TpOn going home on the nght OF
October 4. 1889, kampf found That
window had been raised and that some nat
irons were missing. He made up ms mind
that his daughter Mary had taken them
and proceeded at once % her house, taNng
with him large dirk that he had carried
for years
BUTCHEREp HIS DAUGHTER AND son.
lie accused ms daughter of having taken
the irons. and, according to his story she
called him lar and picked up hatchet
a. though 10 strike HIM, when he drew ms
dirk and cut two terrible gashes IN her
abdomen Her brother William, who was
living in bed, sprang uptO defend her when
he TOO WINS also horribly cut about the
abdomen by his inhuman father. who then
coolly went home and went TO bed, where
he was arrested about an hour aiteIWaId'
Both Of his victims died within twenty
four hours. oa,
Baden, in 1926.
orHrR VICTIMS.
lie had difficulty with a man there. IN
which he used ms knife with almost fatal
effect, and served two years IN the cham,
gang as q consequence. lie WAS aiterWard
Suspected of having killed his employer,
who was found dead in "A cellar unuer very
suspicious circumstances, his neck beng
broken: but rs there was no evidence
against him he escaped the law. lie came
10 this country III 1851, gong hrst 10 Ne"
Orleans and from there 10 the hauaWha
Valley. He was regarded as a quiet yet
dangerous man when in passion. Ills IN;
telligence was of the lowest character. ana
he spoke the English language with the
greatest difficulty.
An USFEELISG BRUTE.
II was some time before he realized his
Dosition. even after sentence had been pro
nounced upon him, but spent the latter
DAYS of his life IN preparing tor anqtheT
world. He often spoke very tenderly oI
his children and hoped they were, IN
Heaven, but he never seemed TO realize
the full enormity Of his crime.
Rev. Father Stenger, of the Catnolic
Church. who acted a. his spiritual advisor,
saws he does not belive Kampf was fully
responsible for the terrible deed. lie had
no moral appreciation of his crime. Inc
reverend gentlemau's opinion Is based on
a careful study Of tho criminal since MS
confinement.
IFS STORY OF THE DEED.
In Kampfs own statement to Father
Stencer he saws: Il had wedged down the
window. and when | returned home and
found the window open and the irons
gone / got mad and went over to my
daughters to reprlmand her, and instead
of her making an apology. for what she
did she called me liar and struck at me
with hatchet. | then struck at her with
a knife. William tried 10 hit me with
chair, and cut him"
The doomed man always softened when
speaking of his murdered children, ana
frequently said he would shed every drop
of blood in his body could he only bring
them back to life. He spent the greater
portion Of his time since he was sentenced
N praying.
FIRST LEGAL EXECUTION N YEARS.
This is the first legal execution il Ka-
nawha county for over thirty years and
the third that has taken place since the
comfy was formed. The first person
hanged was Lewis Uel, a negro, who was
convicted Of assault and was hanged Fri
day, August 30 1850, on Cox's Hill, near
this city. The last was on Friday, Septem-
Der II, 1853, when Rev. Preston iurley was
swung into eternity for the brutal murder
Of his wife, Mary Susan Turley. In this
lattercase the jury was out ten days before
rendering II verdict.