Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-04-03
THROUGH THE TRAP,
The Nicely Boys Meet Their
Doom a Few Minutes Past
l:3O Yesterday,
NO UNTOWARD ACCIDENT
Adds Unnecessary Horror to the Ex-
piatiOn of Their Crime.
THEY DECLARE THEIR INNOCENCE.
Sheriff Good Proves Himself Both Humane
and Efficient.
NO UNTOWARD ACCIDENT
THEY DECLARE THEIR INNOCENCE.
RELATED TO THE NOTED JAMES BOYS

and his assistants have found it their dut,
to execute the sentence of death. Almost
generation has elapsed since such a scene a:
that enacted in the Jail to-day was witnessed
here, and naturally it attracted great atten
ton. The wide publicity of the crime fol
which the brothers, Joseph and David
Nicely, to-day suffered the penalty of death;
the length to which the trial was drawn out
and the various appeals to a higher court
to the Pardon Board and to two Governors
the almost tragic attempts at escape, anG
the feigned insanity of one of the prisoners,
all Of which has been duly set forth in THE
DISPATCH, have served to excite an interest
in this case that was more than State wide.
The Morbid FIocking to Somerset.
People moved by the morbid desire to see,
or even be near, the scene of the hanging
began to arrive last evening, and excursion
trains to-day added to the number until the
town was crowded, although the two
corridors of the Jail from which the execH-
tion could be viewed, at most could not &C
commodate more than three score of people.
Sheriff Good began TO receive applica-
tious for passes from all parts of the State
ten uays ago, but aware that the jury, physi-
clans, reporters and a number Of sherifs from
adjoining counties would crowd the space at
his command, he Was compelled to disappoint
many anxious siGhtseerS.
The execution took place in the upper south
corridor where double trap is built in the
floor; and those who were placed in the lower
corridor had to be satisfied with sight Of
about two feet of the lower eXtremities of the
victims after the traps had fallen. Sheriff
Good. like most big men, is big-hearted, and he
has treated his prisoners with unusual kind
ness. For some weeks their meals have been
a la carte. Nothing was refused them that
whim or appetite suggested.
Buoyed Up by Delusive Hopes.
The Nicelys' spirits have been so buoyed up
from time to time bv hopes of pardon, commu-
tation or respite that their thoughts, until
lately. have never turned to religion. Joe's
either feigned or real condition made his case
hopeless in this respect, but Dave, under
the minstrations of Elder Granger. of the
Disciples Church, seemed really repentant.
Early in the evening Elder Granger, accom-
panied by several others, repaired to the jail
and administered the sacrament of communion
TO Dave. At this time Dave seemed perfectly
Self-pOised, and not a tremor could be OBJ
served in his muscles voice
The night was passed as might be expected
Of men IN their situation. Joe, for while, was
extremely restless. Dave went to sleep at / 80
and slept till O'clock. When Dave awoke,
Joe had fallen into deep sleep. By $50 all
idea of sleep had passed from both prisoners.
a breakfast of bread, butter, eggs and coffee
was served at $50 A. N. SHORTLY after break
fast the barber called, and they were shaven
early in the morning.
Tie town was full of rumors of confessions.
but none of these could be traced to an au-
Ihoritative source, although the belief was gen.
eral that confession would be made by one
or both prisoners during the day.
Joe Confesses That He Was shamming.
There was an affecting scene in the jail at IL
o'clock this morning. Joe seemed to have COM
pleteiy given up. He was standing behind the
bars OF his cell, with big tears rolling down his
cheeks, and when anyone went near him he
asked to be forgiven. He sent for the Sheriff
and told him that if he had been the cause of
any trouble ne wanted him to forgive
him. said Joe: 81 tried to escape and
made several attempts. am sorry l injured
any one, but my life was dear to me, and
thought if l could save it would do So" He
then sent for the deputy sheTitfs and all per-
sons connected with the Jail and asked to be
forgiven. The tears were rolling down his
cheeks all morning, but they seemed 10 be
more from remOrse than fear.
When asked by the correspondent how he
felt Joe sald: y am doomed to die-I know
there is no hope for me now, but l will die
braYely don't want to be any more trouble
10 the officials. have no hard words to say of
anyone" He wrote and signed the following
statement:
Nearly all the evidence against US was
perjury. l was unjustly convicted. Goo
knows ! am innocent. l am glad that God in
His wisdom returned to me my reason that l
might declare on the scaffold, if necessary,
that am innocent OF the murder of Henry
Cmberger. JOSEPH NICELY.
Declare Their Innocence Before Heaven.
Near noon General CofIroth, General Koontz
and W. II. Rupple, counsel of the condemned
men, went to the jail at their invitation. and in
a solemn interview, both prisoners declared
their innocence and called on heaven TO wit
ness the truth of what they said. AS l:3O P. NJ
approached. the hour fixed for the execution,
Notwithstanding the rumors, no confession was
forthcoming. Those holding passes had al
ready sought the jail.
Shcriff Good is prompt official, and it was
only few minutes past the Set time when Dave
Nicely. with Elder Granger, the Sheriff, Rev.
Nr. Beal and Joe, followed by Deputies Barron
and Dickey, emerged from the head of the west
corridor Of the JAIL and the condemned men
promptly stepped upon the traps. Little time
was lost after the ropes we're adjusted. Dave
and Joe each consumed about minute in say
ing that they felt safe. far as his future was
concerned, harbored no enmity, and was willing |
to die.
The last voice had hardly died away before
the blackcaps were drawn over the mems |
faces, the traps sprung and they dropped |
through the floor some five feet. Dawes body |
made about two revolutions, his shoulders !
gave mighty heave and he ceased struggling
Joe Dies the Harder.
Joe seemed to have a stronger hold on life |
For several minutes there was a hoarse gurg-
ling sound from the compressed wndpipe and
his hands opened and closed convulsively. The |
traps fell exactly at lS7 P NJ, and in % minutes
they were pronounced dead, and Dawes body |
was taken down and carried to its coffin in |
the front Office. About a minute later Joe's |
body was similarly disposed of.
Mr.. Lowry, the undertaken from Ligonier
promptly took charge OF the bodies and will |
take them on their last trip over the mountain |
to their old homes. Everything connected with |
the execution moved smoothly and with |
dispatch. Sheriff Good has only held his CON- |
mission some three months, but has proved |
himself an efficient officer.
Various estimates are placed on the crowd |
here to-day. 1t probably numbered 5000 per- |
sons. Hundreds filled the streets in front of /
the jan and Court House, standing in snow
storm and IN mud SIX inches deep. Many wo- |
men were seen in the crowd. The ubiquitous |
piCkpOCket was here and is the gamer by sums
ranging from s. 10 SlS0
Related to the James Bandits
A dispatch from Greensburg says: 1t has
been learned that the Nicely boys are related
to the James brothers, the noted Western
desperadoes, Mrs. Nicely. their mother, being
a cousin OF the father of the James brothers
Joe, one of the condemned men, is be-
lieyed to have been at one time, when
in the West, few years ago a member of the
James gang. After his return from the West
he frequently and to his great delight boasted of
his relationship with these desperate robbers So |
great was their lntatuation for them that Dave
Nicely, Joe's brother, named one of his chill
dren Jesse James, thinking 1t a great honor.
Herman Umberger, who was murdered bv
wife being half sister of Mrs. A. A. Nicely, |
tie mother of the bays.
HORSFORD'S ACID PHOSPHATE,
The Best Tonic