The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1891-11-05
WEluCS is WARM.

I trust you will grant me little space
on the same subject. I do this on my
own responsibility and without the
knowledge or consent of the ''fresh
young reporters
Nothing further is needed to confirm
the statement made in the city papers
to the effect that Editor (?) Hays, of
tho Sleepy Eye Dispatch, witnessed
the execution on the inside, than his
screed to which you give prominent
place in the Gazette of the 10Th inst
He talks glbly about hearing the re-.
porters swear at the guards, and has
the time elapsing between the first
and second drop down fine. How could
he do this were he not on the inside?
In what horrible colors he paints the
reporters! But to a man up tree
these young men don't seem to be very
much worse than an editor Heaven
save the mark who, if all reports be
true, palmed himself off upon the
sheriff or his deputies as another per-
son to whom a pass had been issued,
and who braced himself for the ordeal
by sitting up all night at Hotel Fran
co.'s playing cinch and poker.
ave heard and we blushed for
them," says the immaculate purveyor
of public virtue. So he blushed, did
he! Must have been strange and
unnatural sensation. No wonder the
rope broke!
In your issue of Oct. 20 you say
something editorially about the Co.
heen affair to the effect that the re-
porters had nothing to say about
'botch work" for the reason that
Sheriff Billings squared himself with
the newspaper fellows in advance"
There was no "botch work." neither
was it necessary for Mr.. Billings to
square himself in advance" He
treated every reporter like gentle
man and after the execution gave them
all the details, in marked contrast to
the Redwood authorities.
Either 1 must be in dense ignorance
of the meaning of the English Ian
guage or you are determined to will
fully misrepresent everything that the
city papers say concerning the late
lamented execution. In your last is
sue you quote from the Tribune de-
scription of MIR. Mead which you say
reflects" upon that gentleman. That
description wrote myself to be used
in connection with the Holden affair.
1t was hold over and used in the first
or mail edition and second, or city edi-
ton the day that Rose was hanged,
but was crowded out OF the extra con-
tanning the details. I leave the public
to Judge whether it is other than COM
plimentary.
To an outsider it looks very much
as though the Redwood press was try
ing to cover up bungling execution
by abusing the reporters. am not
{ 9 ending the boys for any misrepre-
sentation. simply wish to state the
other side. The sheriff laid himself
open to criticism when he took Rose
out to be shaved and have his picture
taken. The law expressly states that
the prisoner shall be kept in solitary
confinement till hanged. The trip
from New Ulm was unavoidable; the
parade about the streets was in direct
violation of the law. Now, in order to
give Sheriff Mead chan ce to square
himself | ask him to answer the fol-
lowing questions through the columns
of the Gazette:
l. Did you tell any of the reporters
that man whom you did not know
but whom some one afterward told
you was Hays, of the Sleepy Eye Dis
patch, was witness of the execu ton,
having gained admission on pass is
sued to another person?
2. Can you say positively that Hays
was not witness on the inside?
3. Have you reason to believe that
aforesaid Hays was a witness of the
execution?
4. If you have any doubt as to the
presence Of aforesaid Hays on the in
side, how can you reconcile that doubt
with your official report to the gov
ernor that the execution was conduct
ed according to 1aw7
s. When Rose was hung the second
time was he held up erect on the drop
or was the body allowed to lie upon it
as reported!
might say further that within a
few hours after the execution several
of the prominent citizens of Red wood
voluntarily expressed to Mr.. Leonard,
the Tribune representative, their opin-
ion of the affair. And they did not get
their information from the reporters.
I have their names, but will refrain
from giving them inssmuch as one of
them at least might want to "hedge,"
now that Redwood has apparently de-
cided to jump upon the quivering
frames of the alleged newspaper
men," A. M. WELLEs,
Telegraph Editor Tribune.
Minneapolis, Nov. I'd, 1891.
The Gazette reluctantly prints the
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