St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-12-15
An Unprecedented Scene in
American History Wv
idly Recalled.
Historical Hanging in Denver
Under a Cottonwood
Tree.
Fifty Thousand People in
Holiday Attire See Albert
Green Die.
Attempt to Lynch an limo
cent Man--Not Dead When
Cut Down.
Denver lCol.l Correspondent.

Denver (Col) Correspondent.
The march of civilization and the
work of the memento fiend have about
Obliterated one of Denver'S most noted
landmarks, the famous cottonwood tree
which Swallowed Albert Green, col
ored man, who was hanged for the foul
murder of Joseph Whitenaw. Green
enjoyed the distinction of being the last
man hanged by the law in Denver. The
historic spot, then prairie, is being
built up rapidly with residences, and
the tree itself is falling before the de-
termined onslaught of the creature who
loves to collect and who prizes such
CHASTITY relics. Denverites still talk
about the murder, and the first question
put after an ''affair'' is mentioned is:
"Was Green mixed up in it?" The
stock until nobody would accuse any
man but Green of committing felon-
Gus act against the law.
1t was before The Introduction of the
cable cars, when the bob-tail street cars
rap out on Broadway, then the most
aristocratic street in Denver. on which
Millionaire Tabor lives with ''Baby
Doe" his second wife, upon which Mrs.
Tabor No. lives in luxuriant style,
while Bush, of the Windsor, lives along
with others of note. Green was mar
ried man, tough character, who had
just been released from the peniten-
tiary, to which place he had been sent
because of the commission of an in
famous crime. He was bricklayer,
and at once returned to his work.
Hard work, however, did not agree
with him, and before he had settled
down to it he began looking about for
an opportunity to replenish his almost
depleted exchequer. 1t was while thus
mentally prospecting that the idea of
highway robbery entered his mind. He
had never before engaged in that haz-
aIdOus business, but the opportunities
for gain were greater and the risk pos
sibly not any more dangerous than the
usual kind.
The work, he knew. had its embar-
RAISING situations. Mistakes. he
thought, would occur, and he did not
want to meet them. He looked for an
assistant, and in the tough and sQualId
quarters of Holiday street found one
who ca Used his capture and death.
Joseph COnnOrs, negro as black as
Green, and with record as unSavOry,
was let into the affair. The plan was
laid out, and the scheme was to hold up
the driver of a Broadway street car and
in the most methodical manner. They
waited for heavy day, when The strong
box would be worth taking. About II
O'Clock on favorable night they sailed
out heavily armed, intent only on plum
der. They went to the turn-table at
Seventh avenue and Broadway, and
there waited for the first car on the
home trip.
Joseph Whitenaw, a man recently
married, was the driver and only occu-
pant of the first car to reach the place.
He stepped from his car and was in the
act of turning it when Green and his
companion covered him with their pis-
tolls and demanded his money. White
nav refused, and, not wanting to iniuIe
him, the two men closed in on their vic
tim. Whitenaw showed fight, and in
doing so invited death. Green took de-
liberate aim and shot, the bullet taking
effect in Whitenaw's left side, and caus-
ing him to fall to the ground. Not sat
iShed, Green advanced and fired three
more shots into Whitenaw as he lay
PROSTATE and dying on the ground.
Then, with the utmost nonchalance.
they took the money box, rifled it of
S35 and fled down the dark and deserted
street. When Whitenaw failed to APP
pear at the barn at his usual time, a
search revealed his body cold i'll death
on the turntable.
Innocent Man in the Tolls.
Every clew was followed promptly by
the police, and finally the strings of
circumstancial evidence began to spin
about poor Woodworking blacksmith,
John German by name. The evidence
against him was of the strongest posi-
bic kind. He protested his Innocence,
but to no avail, and it looked as if Cor
man would meet the death which muir
derers deserve. 1t was while Denver
was jubilant over the capture of the
murderer that new feature developed
in all unexpected quarter. Green's
partner, thinking that danger had
passed and unable to stand the
strain. went off on spree and
while under the influence of liquor told
of his connection and thatOf Green with
the affair. The police heard of the fell
lows drunken talk. and knowing his
bad character arrested him. When
thrown into the sweat box'' he
''squealed," and Green was arrested
while at work the following day. He
savagely denied completely in the MUIR
Ger. but the Jail door closed in on him.
The excitement following the con-
feSSion of Green's partner and then the
arrest of the chief cOnspirator was of
the most intense kind. WhiteRaw had
been popular; one man was on the way
to the gallows for his death, and the
fact that the real murderer was caught
and was negro was more than enough
10 Inflame the public mind, the coored
people included. The exciting condition
of affairs finally eliminated in an at
tempt TO lynch both Green and his part
ner as they lay in jail. The friends of
Whitenaw went to his widow and
asked her if she would sanction such
acts, and she refused. Determined to
do 1t, however, big party assembled at
the outskirts of the city one night and
at a gwen signal rode to the jail. Sher-
if Dillon had received a, pointer
about the attempt, and when the pris-
Oners were demanded he refused to sur
render them. Then the lynching party
discovered that the sheriff had doubled
his guards and had armed them with
Winchesters. This showing and the
Sheriff'S answers convinced them that
an attempt to batter down the Jail doors
would be vigorously resisted.
The attempt, they saw. would be
costly one to many, and after some
hours OF parley they drove away The
murdererS in their cells had been made
aware of the mob's VISIT and on Bonded
knees they begged the officials not to
L
of the two men was pitiful. They we're
almost driven insane.
The laws course was breyity indeed.
The preliminary hearings were gone
through quietly, and the jury ended its
deliberations in the shortest possible
manner consistent with such affairs.
Public sentiment demanded at least
Green's life. Nothing else would satisfy
it. The jury finally decided that the
penalty for Green should be death, and
penitentiary for life for his assistant"
who had assisted the state. A few days
later Judge Miller. before whom the
case was tried, pronounced the sentence.
Then Whitenaw's friends came to the
front. A big mass meeting was called,
and collection taken up for the MUIR
dered mans family. The meeting was
rounded off by vote being taken that
decided, or requested. that Green should
atone by diving on the Snot where he