The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1891-02-27
Horrible
SCENE on The BbEGaAE'S SCAFFOLD.
Sensational Strangling of Will
lam West, Murderer OF the
Crouch Family.
lie Expiatcs His Terrible Crime
at Washington, PennsylVa-
nia, at $50 O'clock.
Hg ATTEMPTS TO KILL HIMSELF
And is Carried to the Gallows
Iusonslble from the Loss
OF Blood. d...Bungling
Execution.
villa Unconscious thS Moose Is Ad.
Bs ATTEMPTS TO KILL HINSELF
While Unconscious tn, Moose is Ad
iustsd, but the ROpa Breaks and lie
FalIsOn Ills Face on The Ground.
Second Attempt Successful.
Sickenipg Incidents.

WASHINGTON, Pa, Feb. 26-The Incl
d,nts attending the hanging of William
West to-day wcro as disgustiugly aensa
.ional and horriiyiug as the most active
Imagination could picture.
From 9. m. till 2;5Q P. m. there WOE
one almost continuous line Of sickerire
occurrences, which added to the horror
Of the, at best, revolving affair.
At last midnight the priaouer's broth.
er. Basil West, and his lister, Berthe
West, visited him in his cell in the
posence Of the death watch. AT that
time he seemed little highty and
would talk iucoherently. His brother
asked him If he intonded to make con.
f4ssiou on the DcHold, and he replied
that he had nothing to confess; that he
was innocent and would protest 1t till
his last breath. His disease, sort ot
naralysig, had taken 4 firm hold upon
him, and his legs we're badly swollen,
and his throat, which had Tor some time
given him trouble, was in bad condi
ton.
Shortly after his relatives left him
Sheriff Lockhart visited him and they
had conversation, ss pleasant and
genial as such circumstances would PEI
init. West asked the Sheriff to make
the hanging as easy as possible and to
be sure and make safe and effective
preparations, 60 there might be no delay
or accident. The Sheriff promised to do
the best he could for him, and West
seemed to become more cheerful.
THE DEATH WATCH.
Shortly before l a. m. the Sheriff left
him. and from that till morning he YVES
alo,,e with the death watch. James
Ham, uond, Jonathan Sergeant and Will
lam d. ok kept him in sight from that
hnurtiIi lie was taken to the sCAtold.
West seemed uneasy. He rolled and
tossed upon his bed. coughing and
occasionally groaniDg or signing, till i
A. M, when he fell asleep.
Ho remained quiet I'LL $3.50, moving at
times, but no mare than healthy man
with clear conscience and pleasant
dreams might do. At $3.50 he moved so
AZ 10 indicate that his sleep was broken.
Hammond went 10 the bedside to see If
he wanted anything. The sight that met
his ewes caused him TO turn back with
alarm, and call his companions OF the
watch.
BLREDING WOUNDS.
In Vests throat on each side, close to
the wiHd pipe, holes had been pune
tured. Blood was flowing from them,
and they had the appearance Of being
made wish small round, gharp instru::
.ment, Further examination showed
that while these holes were deep and
badly torn, they were not OF a dangerous
character.
Physicians were summoned and pre-.
Tious to their arrival, the instrument
with which the injuries were inflicted
was found.
It was spike about five inches long,
ground down to a sharp point. He had
pierced his neck with 1t, evidently
desiring to touch blood vessels that
would allow him 10 bleed to death.
After making this use OF the spike, he
drove it down through the bed clothing
and bedding SO that it was not found
till an effort was made to remove the
covers.
The doctors pronounced the wounds
not dangerous, and in few minutes the
bleeding was stopped.
BECOMES UNCONSCIOUS.
At Ibis time West became unconscious
and lay in state OF coma from which ht
was never thoroughly reused. AT l1:lt
Weet's condition became, what the doc
tors considered dangerous. RestoratiVei
were applied and he rallied little, Rnc
vomited twice, This and his genera
symptoms led many to believe that ht
had taken poison, and the death watct
expressed the opinion that poison hac
been sent 10 him in one OF the numer
GUS notes that have been sent 10 mn
from time to time. His actions nave al
been very quiet, and even the etaooint
himself with the spike was done 81
quietly that tho deatb watch did no
notice 1t. Hn-
When he showed such violent symp
tons the coroner was called in, SO ina
he might die in his presence, but alte
appearing to partially recognize thos'
about HIN, he once more fell of int
the comatose state, and preparation
for the execution commenced. Yves
already had on pair OF black trousers
He WAS dressed by the Gherif and HI
deputies while lying on the bed, IN
w,, 's shirt, low collar and blacS ht
and II h '&ek Prince Albert coat.
s7E ArPED TO A BOARD.
Tbs.0 onero, >uS we're very Difficult
@west was big ma. weighing near
200 pounds. His toilet Pfepnsa,
board, a little wider than his Sp iss az
the full length from his head TO h. y; Z;
was placed upon strstcher. L,
motioness and apparently dead bod!
WAS laid upon its back upon this boart
and bound to 1t with two straps. ON
strap was buckled tight around the bod,
aud arms little above the waist, the In
tenlion being to hold both arms AM
body secure, bat the iRllaCy Of not usini
more substantial and better arrange.
ilstenings was very tprclbly and horri
bly demonstrated later.
The otEer strap was bound about tn
legs Just above the knees and was draw
tight till the legs touched the boar
throughout their length. ...
At 2:l0 all the arrangements SCENE
to have been completed and the entranC
to the enclosure was opened to adm
those who had secured tickets ot admi
sion. The enclosure was built otboarC
and was made high enough TO make
imnnsaihln To zee from the outside. II