The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-05-13
GAME TO THE END.
Charles Ford Expiates HIS Awful Crime on
the Gallows.


Charles Ford Expiotes HIS Awful Crime on
the Gallows.
OTTAWA, III, May 9.-CharIes Ford as he is
known on the records OF the law has suffered
its extreme penalty for the crime of murder.
For very shrewd reasons, he, during life, con-
cealed his true name and nativity. He pre-
tended to be of Irish antecedents when in fact
both his parents were German and his real
name was William Rudolph The motive for
this deception was based on the circumstance
that the Irish American element Is unusually
strong In this country and that number or
the officials whom he encountered were OF that
extraction. With this knowledge he Rugged
the delusion that by assuming TO be IRISH he
would have an uncomfortable pull and
thereby escape punishment.
Last evening dramatic incident occurred In
the jail Office. RudOlph's wife Kate was, at
the condemned mans request, brought into
his presence. She lad bat few moments
previous pleaded guilty in court to completely
of Moores murder and been sentenced 10 i'm
prisonment at hard labor for fourteen years.
The meeting of the two companions IN crime,
whose brief conjugal union has brought them
only prison bars, was one genuinely Affecting.
Their late. so close at hand, seemed 10 draw 10
the surface in both some redeeming qualities
of human nature. For twenty minutes the
pair wept and talked together and were then
separated forever. During this interview the
deprnved wretch dis played the only sign
of emotion which be has exhibited for
weeks. lie has been absolutely without hope
since the governor refused clemency. and his
attorneys abandoned him, publicly announcing
beliefin bis guilt
Rudolph wns baptised into the catholic faith
by Dean Heating of st. Columbus church last
night. Rudolph reminds me strongly, said
Father Heating sfterward. "of one OF the char.
acters in Victor Hugo's Les Miserables.'" lie
was actually surprised that anybody should do
him kindness. Every ones hand has always
been against him and his against every ones
pitied the boy, and must say that ia all my
twenty.One years as a priest never administered
sacrament 10 a person who showed deeper re-
ligious feelings. BY his wish christened him
William Amelia Rudolph, Amelia being the
name of his mother of whom he seemed to
know little, but spoke reverently yet.
Until nearly midnight Rudolph paced slowly
back and forward in his lonely cell with eyes
closed, as if in a dream. At one time, when
silence in the Jail and suspense OF waiting
passed human endurance, he resorted TO an
extraordinary method OF relieving his tension.
This was to stop his mNnotOnous walk and de-
liberately dance jig before the Gstonished
eyes of the death-wstch. So amazed was that
individual that Rudolph actually broke into q
hearty laugh, but with a sudden revuslon OF
feeling stopped dancing with the remark; 1t
Is too bad, isn't it. tor young Teller like me to
have to die"
This morning found Rudolph, or Ford. dis
playing the same wonderful nerve that has
characterized him from the beginning. Father
Heating was with him at sun rise and remained
by his side. crucihx in hand, until the last mo-
ment on the gallows.
Standing on the scaf1old before the moose
was adjusted the doomed man joined Father
Heating in repeating the Lords prayer and
the AVE marie" and said alone the act of the
contriton. When asked by the sheriff if he
bad anything to say be replied that Father
Hauf
said that the prisoner IN the face of the doom
waiting him denied that he was guilty OF the
main charge against him; that he would meet
his fate with charity toward all and melace
toward none and that he was going without
fear before the greatest OF oil tribunals, asking
only the prayers of the witnesses OF his death
TO the Merciful Father.
Life was pronounced extinct at tho expira
ton of sixteen minutes
Rudolph's avowed ambition was to beat the
the record for gsmeness on the scahold, and be
did il beyond doubt The most extraordin-
airy feature OF the affair, coupled with the
utter absence of any show of fear on his part.
was his total abstentiou from the display or
the slightest trace of bravado. Death was APP
pareEtlY painless and the loss OF consciousness
instant, though the mans neck was not broken.
ION the morning of June a last the body Of David
Moore of Omaha, travelling salesman for the L. B.
Scott lumber company of Merrill Wis, was dis
covered in Allen park the head crushed in by re-
peated blows with car-coupling pin. Kate Ford,
her husband, Charles Ford, William o Brien and
Minnie Winierling were arrested for completely In
the killing. O'Brirn tried in August and sen
fenced 70 Imprisonment for life. Ford was tried In
November, found guilty and sentenced to death.
JudgeStpp. the al judge so unnamed by over
work during the trial that he collapsed with nervous
prosiratOn two days following the verdict, aud Tor
time 10 was feared he would be able TO listen
10 a motion for trial. Six weeks spent at a
private sanitarinm and the judge returned with his
mind restored and his bodily health improved sutf-
ciently TO admit of his sitting the motion for a
rehearing which he denied On the trial OF Ford
1t was shown that at his nstigation his vile
| decoyed Moore to Allen park presumably for
purposes of robbery or blackmail. The woman was
OF bad reputation previous 90 her marriage 10 Ford
o'Bren was Ford's accomplish. The day before the
murder Ford aud his wife quarreed and in the fear
that she would not keep the appointment with
Moore Ford engaged simple minded woman OF the
town named Minnie Winterling to meet Moore But
Mrs. Ford repented, consequently the four were
present. The two women have not been tried
Ford's father was hung at Sing Sing his mother $
brother is doing time at the prison for train
wrecking, his sister keeps notorious house in
Toro to and his mother driven from ". Thirty
eighth-st, New York, where she kept thieves
paradise in Tos. She also chased out OF Chicago
and her second husband also named Ford, IS in the
Indiana state prison Charles Ford had also served
term ia the Illinois penitentiary and two terms in
the New York reform school. He was born in the
slums of New York ard has been tramp since boy
hood