, 1891-09-05
DRIPPING WITH BLOOD.
Wife Murderer Billings Last
Hours on Earth.
He Shoots Himself Twice with
Suicidal Intent,
But Lives Long Enough to Die
on the GallOWs.

KANSAS Cry, Sept. 4.-The history
OF the gallows tells no more hideous story
than that of the execution OF Louis Bull
ing, the st. Louis wife murderer. at Sa-
vannah, this afternoon. Just before the
time for the execution the doomed man
shot himself, In a vain effort to commit
suicide, aud finally died on the gallows,
shrIekIng for mercy and cursIng his exc
cutioners. Up to a few days e Bulling
seemed cheerful and hopeful IN the lace
of approaching death. He had twice be-
fore cheated the gallows by jail breaking.
He reasoned that a chance still remained
and to it might be added two others
communication of sentence and suicide.
One by one these chances faded away.
Early last week it was discovered that
BullIng had planned to break Jail a third
time. Steel saws were found in his cell
and they were taken away from him. His
faithful parents vent to Jefferson City
and had several personal interviews with
Governor Francis, but the governor was
firm in his decision not to interfere.
When Bulling received from his par
ents the message that the governor was
%obdurate, he tainted and was with diff
Guilty revived, He was a confirmed opium
eater and during last night was given
large doses of the drug. 1t failed to have
the accustomed effect and the condemned
murderer slept less than two hours during
the entire night. Rev. August Lavake,
during Billings waking hours, spent
time in reading the Bible and praying,
exhorting BulliUg to confess his sins and
receive baptism.
Sheriff Barry mad set the hour for the
execution at 10 O'Clock this morning.
When he vent to the cell at 6 O'Clock to
prepare the doomed man for the %scaffoId
Bulling pleaded so pitifully for an exteu
SION of a few hours that the sheriff yielded
and gave him until . o'clock to live.
Bulling ate a light breakfast and spent
the rest of the time pleading with the
sheriff for mercy and attending 10 the
religious exercises conducted by Rev.
Iavake. When 2 O'Clock arrived he re-
newed his supplicatIons to the sheriff and
pleaded Tor one hour more. The sheriff
granted his request. Bulling then asked
for brandy and the sheriff gave HIM a
pint. Injections OF morphine were ad-
ministered, but neither of the drugs had
much effect The sheriff then retired,
leaving the murderer with Rev. Lavake.
at the same time removing the guard
from the cell door at Bullne's request to
be left alone with his spiritual adviser.
Suddenly two shots rang out. The
sheriff ran to the cell. The priest lay
pros'rated on the floor. At his side lay
Bulling weltering in his own blood which
flowed from Wounds IN his breast. He
had shot himself twice with a revolver.
The priest had tainted. A hasty exami-
nation of Billings body showed that one
OF the bullets had entered the left bro asst
and glancinG from the rib had passed
around the body, coming out at the back.
He inflicted only a slight flesh wound IN
his side. He had not lost consciousness,
and when the sheriff ordered four depu-
ties to carry him to the scaffold, he cursed
and swore at them in a horrible manner.
The deputies dragged the struggling man
to the court yard and lifted him upon the
gallows. He refused TO stand up and
they placed him upon a chair. AS he sat
there he presented a revolving spectacle.
He was dressed only in a shirt and
trousers. His hands and face
were covered with blood which
also stained his shirt. Blood was found
pouring through his shoes, whence it had
run from the wounds in his breast, and
formed dark pools on the floor of the
scaffold, dripping from thence to the
ground beneath. He cursed and swore at
the deputies, cried and screamed. for
mercy and shrleked in terror. The sheriff
gave him a lsrge glass of brandy which he
swallowed at one gulp. Finally he was
told to get up and stand upon the drop.
He refused. and four deputies held him
while the rope was being placed. The
black CAP was placed over his head, and,
yelling, screaming and disappearing, he
shot through the opening at exactly 3:2l
o'clock. His neck was broken by the fall
and he died almost Instantly. Rev.
Lavake has beer arrested for giving Bull
ing the revolver with which he attempted
to commit suicide. The priest declines to
be interviewed.
Rev. Lavake was interviewed tonight
regarding Bulling's ATTEMPTED suicide.
He said that he did not give Bulllng the
revolver and had no idea where it came
from. He was on his knees praying
when BuIliDg fired the first shot. The
muscular contraction following the pas
sage ofthe first bullet into Billings body,
the priest asserts, caused Bulling to dis
coarge the revolver accidentally and the
bullet whizzed by his head. He first
thought Bulling had attempted to muir
der him and tainted. Just before Bulling
was hanged the sheriff had a short wits
pered consultation with him regarding
the attempted suicide. The sheriff de,
clines to say anything regarding the con
yersation, but it is considered significant
that Immediately after the execution La
Vake was arrested.