The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-12-10
4 ouApRUPLE HAEGING.
-Four Murderors Pay the Penalty of Their
Crimns In LnmisNllIn.


LOUISVILLE, KY, Dec. AT sunrise
this morning Louisville had It's first
quadruple hanging in the county Jail
yard. The murderers who paid the laws
penalty were Dennis Mccartney, for kill
ing his wife. Ellen; Grant Thomas. for
the murder of Birdie Coleman (colOrcd) /,
Nelson Lewis. for the murder OF George
Dean (colored), and Stephen Hite, for
killing Albert Dauman.
At 7:45 o'clock the four condemned men
entered the yard Of the jail and saw for
the first time the scanold, where death
awaited them. Up the steps of the scaf
fold they marched. Hite leading lie
walked firmly across beneath the moose
10 the west Mccartney was next 10
him, Thomas next and Lewis under the
moose 10 the east. but Thomas stood
with bowed head. lie looked about at the
crowd, and bowed TO men he knew In
the crowd and at the windows OF the
Jail. The deputies arranged the nOOses
and pinioned the men at 74s o'clock.
Hite. while being pinioned, kicked off
the slippers he wore. The priests talked
continually to Hite and Mccartney. and
the colOred ministers spoke occasionally
to Thomas and Lewis.
At 7:49 o'clock the cap was adjusted
over McCartneys head, and then quickly
over the others. No one spoke, and all
stood firmly. Mccartney yawned the
moose was being adjusted. At 1854 the
drop fell. Hlte struggled from the first;
Grant Thomas drew up; McCartney's
hands moved and Lewis hung limp. At
1850 Lewis had not moved. TO all ap-
pearances his neck had been broken by
the drop. The struggles Of the others
grew less, and at 7:57 the doctors found
Lewis pulse to be 12S, but II quickly fell
20 -. Thomas pulse was 10 and Hltes
was A. AT o'clock Thomas was still
alive his pulse being 60. A faint beating
Of his heart was perceptible at SOB Il
o'clock, when all four were pronounced
dead.
stephen Hite and Dennis Mccartney.
the two white men, were perhaps the most
interesting characters. Hite Joined the
Catholic Church about a week ago. and
made a full confession TO Father Brady
his confessor. The odd fact in the case
is his remarriage to Mrs Hite while in
his cell he leaves bright girl and
SON. Dennis Mccartney refused after
period Of three months after his cOnvic-
ton to talk TO anybody, but also made
a confession TO Father Brady. Thomas
was the murderer Of Birdie Coleman,
woman with whom he had lived for some
years, and whom he killed in drunken
brawl He insisted that the murder was
committed by others and that cir
cumstantial evidence alone was brought
up against him.
Hite in his last interview with his wire
showed a wonderful depth Of feeling for
a man so ignorant and depraved "The
only regret 1 have" he told her in pres
ence Of the death watch. 'is that l will
have made you the widow Of a man who
was hanged and my daughter the child
of q man who met death or the gallows.
Hite has for months carried close to ms
heart two tintypes. One is that OF ms
wife. and on the back of this he mas
written in a legible hand: Mrs. Jennie
Hite, wife of S. X. H. one OF the noolest
and best Of wives" The other Is 'ne piC- ,,C
ture Of his daughter, which bears on the
hack the following: "To my little daugh-
ter: I hope she will grow up true good
rr.nrnan-n %