Omaha daily bee., 1892-06-25

platform took of their hats, Father Rigge
bowed his head iu pray yer and there was hush
like that which, overcomes an audience
when the last woods are being spoken over
coffin.
The Drop Fell.
zone, two three,n Whispered the marshal
in undertoues, aud at exactly two minutes
after IL o'clock the three buttons
were pressed, the trap fell and the body OF
Clinton Z. Dixon shot downward through
the square hole in the platform.
The only sound heard was a sort OF snap
ping of the rope as IL tigntened around tho
beam above, and some who stood very near
10 the gallows thought they heard noise
resem bling tho breaking of his neck. IL was
just about the ncatest execution on record.
The dying mal drew up his legs convulsively
a few times his shoulders and arms gave
evidence of muscular contraction, his whole
frame quiverod for moment and then all
was over.
There was no respiration from the very in
slant the drop fell. AT three and three
quarters minutes after the trap fell
Drs. Lee, Tilden and Summers began TO in-
vestigate The pulse ran at 100. One minute
later it marked 100, ana at six and half
minutes after tho execution the pulse
was beating at the rate OF seventy-six TO the
minute. The pulse raG up to ninety-six and
then tell of rapidly. stopping at nine min
utes after the trap fell.
The doctors pronounced him dead at :l3
and he was taken down at ii 81.
Removed the Body.
Coroner Maui took charge of the remains.
A temporary coffin was placed under
the scaffold ana the body was
tenderly lowered into it. Jailer Miller
was found that the neck had been broken
by the fall The face of the dead
man was but slightly distorted and after
arranging his tie and collar and
smoothing down his hair the cor
1fd the roffin
and the remains were conveyed to .he under
taking rooms on Farnam street.
Crowds Kept at Distance.
Groups of policemen stood at all the en-
frances to lthe courthouse yard and others
patrolled the grounds and sidewalks.
Tass sso had ,s9 grounds ssa ppe'sy pr s
appearances one man could have success
fully handled the crowd. There was fringe
Of idlers, chiefly children, along the side
walks on Eighteenth aud Harvey streets,
iaii gave gay any indication Of what
was going on inside and no one had any idea
of the hour of tho execution. There was
the frail board .uclosure over the spot
where Meals scaffold had stood,
could find very little attraction in its ex-
pressionless white walls. If appearances
were 10 be trusted the public took very little
interest IN the haneingof poor Dixon.
Wanted to See the Body.
At l2 o'clock it was known that the body
was at Coroner Maurs undertaking rooms,
| ana the sidewalk in front of the
building was quickly blackened with
a crowd anxious TO see the
| remains. A notice had been posted in the
window which read: mo one permitted to
| see the remains. BY order oil United States
marshal aud Father Rigge" Another de-
tachment swarmed in the alley 10 the rear,
| but here they were confronted
| with q similar announcements and in
| an hour the curious hau become convinced
| SAID and they dispersed. Two policemen
stood guard at the door all day and kept the
! sidewalk clear.
l'ne remains will be buried bv the chari-
| tably inclined Catholics of the city IN Holy
| Sepulchre cemetery. Mass will be said over
| the body at O'CLOCK this morning at St.
| Philomena's cathedral andthe funeral pro-
cession will start from that place immedi-
ately after the SERVICES.
| Story of Dixon's Crime.
The history OF the case is brief Corporal
| John X. Carter OF Troop +, Sixth cavalry,
| AID Trumpeter Cltnton E. Dixon were tbs
principals in the tragedy. Corporal Carter
! had been instructed by the comman ding
officer of Fort Nioerara TO drive away two
negro prostitutes from the post One of the
women was upon intimate terms with Trum-
| peter Dixon. Corporal Carter was obliged 10
resort to physical force in his efforts to rid
| the garrison OF the objectionable women.
This aroused the bitter animosity of Dixon.
On the evening of September 80, 1891, Dixon
went TO the quarters of his troop and asked
Corporal Carter 10 step to the door as he
wanted to speak to him. Dixon and Carter
walked out aud the door closed An instant
later the soldiers within the barracks were
startled by the reportiof revolver just out
side the door. Rushing out they found
| Carter and Dixon in a fierce struggle,
Carter on his Knees with his arms around
Dixon's waist and Dixon trying TO free him
self from Carter's hold,
| "For Coils sake, don't let him get away
called Carter, "he has shot me-"
| Dixon still held the smoking revolver IN
his hand, but threw it away rs the other
soldiers rushed upon him. lie was overpow-
cred ana placed in chains and Carter died
about midnight from the effects of the bullet,
which passed through his body.
| Carter left an ante-mortem statement as
follows: II was ioully murdered by Clinton
L. Dixon, and aftor he shot me Dit his
thumb. JoHN p. CARTER"
| At the trial in December last. the defense
tried TO prove that Dixon shot Carter in self
defense, but the evidence convinced the jury
that it was premeditated murder and Dixon
was found guilty of that crime and sentenced
TO DE hanged by Judge Dundy. he was
twice respited and strong efforts were made
to have his sentence commuted to life i'm
prisonment