Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-08-14
JoKED ON rHE soAFFoLD.
Sensational Scenes at the Execution OF
Wife Murderer.

/
ST. LOUIS, August 13.-Henry Hen
son, the wife murderer, to-day explated
his crime on the scaffold.
About half an hour before the hang
ing the entire crowd present to witness
the execution were admitted to the jail
into which the doors Of the prisoners
cell opened. This rendered Henson
stubborn, for he refused to see any one
except the officials, and it was found
necessary to invite the crowd, newspaper
men included, to retire, which they did.
1t was feared that the execution would
be bungled, as the murderer weighed
over 300 pounds and had large neck
and a small head However, no unto
ward accident occurred.
Henson slept little last night, prefer
ring to talk with his jailors and smoke.
His conversation was OF cheerful char
acter being interspersed with hearty
laughter. As stated before, Henson
would see no one, not even clergyman.
H. II. Edwards, rector of the st. James
Episcopal Church, was at the jail at an
early hour, but the prisoner not only re-
fused all spiritual consolation, but did
so in blasphemous manner. He ate no
breakfast, but drank large glass OF
whisky at six o'clock, after which he
smoked a cigar.
The condemned man refused to hear
the death warrant read and at O'Clock
the march to the gallows began. The
scaffold was reached three minutes
later, and after Henson had bid good
bye to the friends present In jovial
manner, and talked and joked with the
executioners about the chances OF the
execution being failure, the black cap
was adjusted. At Henson's request no
religious services were read on the scat
fold. The drop fell at I'll, the neck
being broken and stretched out about a
foot, proving that fears Of an untoward
occurrence were not groundless. At
7:15 Henson was pronounced dead, and
Is minutes later the body was cut down
and surrendered to his friends. The
last hanging on this scaffold occurred
August II, 1888, when Maxwell, the
murderer of Preller, and Langlaf, the
murderer of his sweetheart, were sent
into another world.
Henson was convicted Of the murder
OF his wife, Ida. The murderer, a stolid
German of middle age, had married
widow with one child. They lived I'M
happily together in boarding house,
which they conducted at 405 South Sec
ond street, Henson being of an insanely
jealous disposition. On the evening OF
February 2, 1889, Henson charged his
wife with receiving the attentions Of
boarder. A quarrel ensued, and hot
words were exchanged for more than an
hour. At last Henson took his revolver
from a dresser drawer, and started to-
ward the woman. The latter's 13-year-old
son interferred and Henson left the
room. A little later he returned, placed
the muzzle Of the weapon against the
side of the unsuspecting woman's head
and sent ball crashing into her brain.
AS the step-son ran from the room
second ball grazed his form.
At the trial defense Of accident. was
made, but the jury found Henson guilty
after being out only thirty-three min
utes. The Supreme Court sustained the
finding and set the execution for July 2.
On the evening of the 1st, however.
Governor Francis granted the con-
1emned murderer reprieve until to-
day, when the laws edict was, carried
put.