The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1890-07-04
A MURDERER HANGED.

William BROKER, the Pine City MUIR
derer, Pays the Penalty for His
Crime.
Villa m Brooker was hanged at Pine City,
Mimi. The condemned man spent his last
day very quietly. He found solace in his
whiled away much of the time in playing
cards with the deputies, Henry J. Raft and
Manly H. Mason, who were on guard. The
game was occasionally interrupted by Brook.
er stepping to the grated window to salute
friend who CHANGED to pass. On these &C.
casions he seemed to be perfectly rational,
and he said in answer to the query, Glow
are you this morning."
II feel, bully, by G.. I'm going to stand
up like man. The women are at the bot
tom OF this. fit were not for them l would
not be here"
The crime committed by Brooker was the
murder ofLillian and William Combs, the for
mer his sister-in-law, onNov.2 last. Rrooker
went to the Coombs residence to see his wife
who was visiting her sister and bring her home.
AS they lett the house, Mrs. Combs followed
them. hot words ensued and BROKER shot
her. Combs then came to the defense OF his
wife, but too late. and he also went
circumstances, howevr, the latter was
indicted for the murder Of the woman
only, as plea of self-de ense would have
been entered in his behalf. The trial was short
and BROKER was sentenced to death by
Judge F. NJ. Crosby. L. D. Dent OF Rush
City made vigorous effort to secure re-
prieve for his client, but to no avail Brook
er leaves wife and four children.
The following ante-mo rtem statement was
| given to the press at Brooker' request:
| desire to state to the world that what l
did was the result hf protecting the sanctity
OF my home; that my wife was enticed away
| by this man CoOmbe and his wife. and that
my vile would go to their house and stay for
a week at u time and leave no one to provide
| for my sick children: that while she was there
| it was the common practice OF the Coombs
| family to have liquor and invite half-breeds
there, and they would have drunken carous.
ais to the neglect of her duty as wife and
mother.
! also want to say that my wife would 70
to the Coombs house leaving my children
| with no God to eat, and that would have to
prepare whatever God they had. and that
would frequently hear them cry with hunger
and find them naked, with the flies torturing
them, until it made my heart ache to see the
neglect they had suffered On account OF this
Coombs family coaxing and driving her away
My sufferings have been of a character 81 fl
Gent to dethrone my reason. l have found
the happiness of my home destroyed, and
the Coombs family even threatened to take
| the shooting occurred that my
life was in danger, and that if 1
had gone into their house would have been
killed. want to go to the scaffold and die
as man having no i'll feeling towards any
one but hoping those who are prosecuting
| me will some day realize what torture have
suffered, my home being destroyed and my
children neglected during'their sickness and
want.
realize am about to take plunge into
an unknown world in few moments, I also
desire to thank Sheriff Mclaughlin Deputy
Rath for their kindness to me at all times
will now say goodbye to this world of care
and trouble in the hope that may have nv
case tried by the public. who will give me q
fair hearing after all that Is mortal is laid
away.