Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-27


Eeisatal powerful fellow. and under the in
centive of whisky and commlseraton 1or ms
brother had become reyensetuL he walked
around moodiy mutterlnc dIre threaes aEainst M
aryone who took a hand IN the execution oil MS
brother.
Il don't want to get into any trouble" he
said; but won't let anyone hurt my nrotner.
If they let him alone it VIII be better Ter
them"
McAleese and Mara sized up the mar, ana
noticed that the W ashington police VINO are ac,
Quain.ed with him were growing nervous and
afraid of serious trouble at the execution
The PIttsburg officials sought the Sheriff and
told HIM that Basil should be searched before
he was admitted to the lailyard. The man was
called into the Sherifts office and promptly
and without parley relieved of a nearly empty
quart whisky bottle and a 44-caliheT revolver
with each of the five chambers loaded.
Ready for the Execution.
Itwas 2:lOP NJ when Sheriff Lockhart or
dered the door of the execution yard opened
for the admission of ticket-holders, and about
l5O persons filed in. The yard was about SOx4o
feet. The front was cut of from public gaze
by a temporary 20 foot fence. and the other
three sides were formed by the walls oil the
Court House and Jail. 1t was a dreary lncioS-
ure in which the coolest of bleak winds loVeu
TO nger, and was carpeTcd with soggy turI. a
door IRON the courtroom led directly onto the
scatfo!d which was about five feet above the
ground. Above was a heavy oaken crossDeam
upon which hung the moose Attached 70 @ .ne
a. q
and raise The body after death. halt dozen
narrow steps led up from the yard onto the
scaGOid. ..s
a. soon as he saw 1t that il had been strained
and was unsafe. Ii had been tested three
Times with 4 dead weight OF 10 pouhos' anu
while il stood this, il had lost Its elastclty anu
va, fable to break under much less strain;
The Sheriff was not in the yard then. ana ulu
not hear Mr.. Bopp's remarks. SO notnlhE WAS
done to remedy the evil pointed out.
ha l
cause of death of the CRIMINAL, answered TO the
roll cali, the door OF the ward was fastened anu
silence settled down. which was only s broken y!
Basil West as he muttered to himself, Whlle
O'NIsra and NcAleese Kept beside MN anu
watched him closely.
4 Fight in the Cell.
At 2:20 p. NJ. a scene occurred in the cell OF
the condemned ran that is beyond description
Weakened by his long illness, and doubly
broken down by his unsuccessful attempt at
suicIde West was still as strong as lion. he
fought the moment the Sheriff 5 party entered
his cell. There was little of spiritual advice
gwen the desperate man, who struck at pnysl-
Clals Sheriff. and ministers alike snort
marley rnsued between the physicians and the
Suerlff that resulted in the placing oil west
under the influence of ether.
oDIate> OF chlorutorn. This was used as last
desperate means, and even then II was unsuc-
C,.ssful a. the demoralized man seemed TO
realize, even in a half unconscious condlIlon,
what was being DONE and fought 1eaflully
with attendants and physicians.
Ii was then decided that he must be strapped
TO a board la order tc quiet as lar as possible
the f-ht he seemed determined to make on the
2allovs. An ugly struggle followed the at
JempS o bind him to the board. and one oplate
after the other was administered. This had
the desired quoting effect and he was bound
10 the bOarQ.
Bound Full Length on a Board.
Exactly at $50 P. NJ, just so minutes before
the limit of the ueath warrant, the condemned
man was brought onto the scaffold He had de-
clared his inability to stand. and would not
make the slightest attempt to use his feet. As
il was ueCes airy, to get the required fall, that
the man should assume an upright position On
the scatfold, Sheriff Lockhart had procured
six-foot board 10 which the condemned felon
was bound by strips of white cloth fastened
about the shoulders. elbows, knees and ankles.
West was dressed in a handsome black suit,
white shirt and collar and neat black tie. His
feet. naturally very large, had become swollen
bv dropsical affection, and II was found I'M
possible TO secure pair of shoes large enough
10 fit him. A handsome pair of black slippers
had been purchased but they were too small
and they were placed on the scatfold.
After West had been bound to the board he
was placed on z stretcher, to be carried from
his cell to hls death. He would not talk while
his last toilet being prepared; he had no
words of love. hatred or forgiveness to leave;
be maintained dogged silence as TO his guilt
or Innocence. and no minister of the gospel was
vich HIM to guide through The valley OF the
shadow of death with prayer or counsel de
had lost all nope here, and the higher vistas OF
the beyond were closed to him.
ParaIyzed by Fear of Death
When West was carried onto the scafold his
ewes we're closed, his head rolled from side to
side, and in all but color he had the appearance
oil a dead man. The complaints he had made
Of PARALYSIS for several days were explained
be was suffering from the paralysis of fear.
The stretcher was set down, and the man and
board slid off. The Sheriff, assisted by several
of the Jail officials, raised the board to which
West was bound 20 an angle of about 200 from
the perpendicular. With some difficulty the
moose was adjusted West allowing his head to
lie rolled back and forth. as if his neck was
broken. Then Sheriff Lockhart stepped for
ward and euYeiOped the mans head in the
black cap. which came down below the chin.
AE this time not limb of the condemned
man moved, not a tremor passed over bis
frame.
Basil West leaned against the wall below the
scatfuld and watched the proceedings His
slouch hat was pulled down over his eyes and
in his mouth he held the end of a toby which
had long since gone nut, He said nothing and
made no move. while his countenance ex-
pressed the deepest dependency.
Breaking of the Hangman's Rope.
Everything was ready fer til last act of the
tragedy Sheriff Lockhar5 and the official hold
irE West in a nearly upright position ex-
charged glances: quick movement of the
Sheritf's foot, the double trap parted and
syvqnC open and down. West shot noiselessly
through the opening and was caught by the
slack rope at the end of a 40-lnch drop; there
WAS cre2k as the hangman's knot ughtened
up tic moose: the body rose nearly foot on
he rebound, when there was a snap-tne rope
had parted, and its frayed ends were lashng
the air.
Vests hodv descended with rush through
ia < he Cell Oue n q h0a ard t0
which lie bound struck the earth and
threw him violently forward against the sup
ports of the rear of tie scaffold his head strlk-
jnE scautIing with sufficient force to cut the
scalp and start the blood flowing
There was pause for a moment The Sher-
If started DaeS aghast from the trap Then the
audience started forward TO the assistance of
the half-hanged felon. who lay groanIng under
the scailold His brother had sprang to the
front with an oath at the men who had
bungled, anG for moment the situation
looked serious. But Roger O'Mara's strong
voice was heard ordering the crowd back and
he was strongly backed by Inspector Nc
-Alecse. his order was promptly obeyed. Basil
took up his old position against the wall, but
no longer looked at his brother.
Cut, bleeding and Bound.
The Jail officials rushed down the steps and,
pulled West from under the scaffold, board and
all, aad started to carry him back onto the
platform. The bonds on Vests arms had been
broken by the force of the fall. and the other
fastenmgs had become loOsened. The Jerk of
the halter had opened the self-inf1icted wound
on the neck. and the blood was running both
nom il and the cut the head The black
cap was still pulled down over the face. While
the men were lifting West up he struggled to
push the cap OFT his face that he might once
more see the light of lay which a moment be-
fore he thought had been UlOlted out forever.
AS he writhed and twisted he half slipped from
the board, and but for the prompt assistance OF
the bystauderS. be would have received an