The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1891-10-29
A TASTE OF JUSTICE.

a IAS1L OE
Editor Hays, of the Sleepy Eye Dis
patch, had his righteous wrath aroused
by the behavior of sundry fresh re-
porters at the Rose execution, ano
scored them last week in the following
vigorous fashion, in speaking of theil
actions:
We heard, and we blushed for them
a half dozen alleged newspaper men
representing the city dailies, quarrel
ing with guard who kept them, az
we'll as all others, away from certain
parts of the building. Mingling with
Roses dying words, we're the sounds
Of this unseemingly strife; as his soul
was torn from its clayey tenement
those fresh young men we're damning
the guard and swearing they would
roast the sheriff. Yet they claimed tc
be working for the greatest civilizing
influence known to the enlightened ma
tions of the world-the press. A few
hours afterward we read the reports
which these gentlemen sent their re-
spective papers and there we saw &C.
casion for further humiliation; their
reports were disgrace to the profes-
sion. They We'd with each other to
see which could print the affair in the
most horrible manner. They ignored
opinions of the attending physicians,
who say Rose was virtually dead when
the first, r0De broke. and lengthen the
time between the first and the second
drop, crowd the small room with ia
vorites of the officers, with local news
paper men, and worse than all saytthe
man hung there and slowly strangled
to death. We are better acquainted
with the men who roasted the sheriff
than with the sheriff who hanged the
man; the first mentioned prostituted
q noble profession to repay fancied
slight: the latter did a most painful
duty according to the best of his abil-
ity and did it we'll. No one had any
cause to find fault with Mead; the
Rose hanging was less cruel and less
barbarous than hangings usually are
God knows they are all horrible enough
and it is hard to fathom the abject de-
prayity of one who will represent them
any worse than the facts will warrant.
Last week the Gazette contained a
quotation from the Minneapolis Trib-
une scoring the Rose execution, and is
therefore in duty bound to print an
other article from the same paper re.
1ecting on our sheriff:
Sheriff Charlie w. Mead is the last
man who would reyel in the blood,
curdling scenes of an execution. And
yet when standing face to face with
his stern duty, he performed it man
fully and courageously and carried out
the mandates of an outraged law, with
a calm and unflinching determination
that showed the stuff he is made of.
One would have to travel far to find a
more courteous official or truer man
than is Sheriff Mead. A politician he
is not, but an excellent sheriff all con-
cede him to be. Until the fall of 1886
Mr.. Mead was prosperous farmer re-
siding in the western part of the coun-
ty. The Republican county convention
rendered him the nomination of sheriff.
He accepted it and was elected with a
good round majority over two COM
petitors. Two years later and again in
1890 have the good people of the coun-
ty Endorsed his administration with a
reelection, in both instances there be-
ing practically no opposition.
In appearance Sheriff Mead is typ
ical well-to-do farmer. In stature he
is slightly above the medium. His
physique gives one the idea of great
endurance. He dresses plainly, wears
a SLOUGH hat in all seasons except win
ter,when he makes change to heavy
fur cap. His face is covered with q
full beard of slightly reddish tinge,
while from underneath the shaggy eye
brows look as kindly a pair Of blue
eyes as ever saw light. There is not a
more popular man in the county.
Warm-hearted, sympathetic, generous,
almost to q fault, big bluff-spoken
"Charley' Mead, as the boys call him,
would share his last loaf with a poor
creature in want. From the first he
has hoped that he would not be called
upon to carry out the stern mandate
of the law upon Rose, but when the
case was finally decided, he faced the
situation and when the dread moment
came,performed his terrible duty calm
ly and unhinchingly, although his big
warm heart was bleeding for the poor
wretch whom he launched into etern-
ity.