The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-09-05
A GALLONS SCENE
Pleadings of a Wife Murderer for
Mercy.
SOME ONE GIVES HIM A PISTOL
lie shoots HimselfFour Deputies Drag Him
to the scaffold-He Dies Cursing
and Praying,

KANSAS CITY, Sept. 4.-The history OF
the gallows tells no more hideous story
taan That of the execution of Louis Bulling,
'i'o 81. Joseph wife murderer. at Savannah
@hls slternoon. Just before the time for
the execution the doomed man shot him
seit ii vain effort to commit suicide, and
hnal!y died on the gallows shrieking for
mercy and cursing his executioners.
UP to few days ago, Bulling seemed
Cheerful and hopeful in the face of his ap-
preaching death. He Lad twice befo re
cheated the gallows by jail breaking. He
reasoned that& chance still remained, and
to 1t might be added two others-commuts-
tioa OF sentence and suicide. One by one
these chances faded away. Early last
week il was discovered Billing had planned
to break jail third time. Steel saws were
FOUND IL his cell and they were taken
away from him. His faithful parents
went to Jefferson City and had several per-
sonal interviews with Governor Francis,
out the governor was firm in his decision
not TO interfere. When Bulling received
from his parents the message that the gov
ernor was oodurate, he tainted and was
with difficulty revived. He was a con
nfmed opium eater and during last night
was gwen large dose of the drug. It failed
TO have its accustomed effect and the con-
demned murderer slept less than two hours
during the entire night. Rev. August
Lavake, during Billings waking hours,
spent the time In reading the Bible and
praying Sheriff Barry had set the hour
Tor execution at 10 o'clock this morning
Whcn he went 20 the cell at clock 10 pre-
pare the doomed man for the scaffold. Bull
Ing pleaded so pitifully for an extension of
low hours that the sheriff yielded and
gave him until O'Clock to live
Buli1ng ate light breakfast and spent
the rest OF the time pleading with tho
1or mercy and attending to religious exer-
clses, conducted by Rev. Lavake. When
: O'Clock arrived he renewed his suppli-
catlons TO the sheriff and pleaded for ono
hour moro. The sheriff granted his REQUEST.
Bulllng then asked for brandy and tho
sherlH gave him pint. Injections of NOR
prime were administered but neither Of the
drugs had much effect The sheriff then
retlred leaving the murderer with Rev.
Lavake at the same time removing the
guard from the cell door at Billings re-
quest to be left alone with his spiritual ad-
wiser. Suddenly two shots rang out. The
sheriff ran to the cell. The priest lay pros
trate on the floor. At his side lay Bulling
welterlng in his own blood which flowed
from his wounds in his breast. He had
shot himself twice with revolver. The
priest had tainted.
A hasty examination of Bulling's BODY
showed one of the bullets had entered his
IeIt breast, and glancing from the RIB had
passed around the body, coming out at the
back, inficting only slight flesh wound in
the SIDE. He had not lost consciousness
and when the sheriff ordered four deputies
to carry him to the scaffold. he cursed in q
horrible manner. The deputies dragged
the struggling man to the court ward and
lifted him upon the gallows. He refused to
stand, and they placed him on chair. AS
ne sat there he presented a revolving spec
tacle. he was dressed only in a shirt and
trousers, his hands and face were covered
with blood which poured down and also
stained his shirt Blood was running
through his shoes, where it had run from
the wounds In his breast and formed dark
pools on the floor of the scaffold, dripping
from thence to the ground beneath. He
cursed and swore at the deputies, cried ard
screamed for mercy and shrieked in terror.
Inc sherln gave him large glass of
brandy which he swallowed at one gulp.
FINALLY he was told to get up and stand on
the drop. He refused, and four deputies
held MIN While the rope was being placed.
Inc black cap was placed over his head.
and yelling. screaming and disappearing he
shot through the opening at exactly 1921
O'CLOCK. His neck was broken by the fall
and he died almost instantly. Rev. Lavake
has been arrested for giving Bulling the
revolver with which he attempted to com.
NIT suicide. The priest declines to be
interviewed
Rev. Lavahe was interviewed tonight
regarding Billings attempted suicide. He
said he did not give Bulling the revolver
and had no idea where it came from. He
was on his knees praying when Bulling
nred the first shot The muscular contrac-
ton following the passage of the first bull
let into Billings body, the priest asserts,
caused Bulling to discharge the revolver
accidentally and the ball whizzed by his
head. He first thought Bulling had at
tempted to murder him and tainted. Just
before Bulling was hanged, the sheriff had
q short whispered consultation with him
regarding the attempted suicide. The
sheriff declined TO say anything regarding
the consultation, but it is considered sig
nlt1cant that immediately after the execu-
ton Lavake was arrested