River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1892-12-15
FOUR MEN HANGED.
A Quardrupie Execution in the Jailyard
al Louisville, Ky.

at Iouisttties ny
LOUISVILLE, XIV. Dec. 10 AT sunrise
Friday Dennis Mccarthy and stephen
Hite twhite) and Grant Thomas and
Nelson Lewis (coloredl were hanged in
the Jail yard for murder. This is the
first quadruple hangingin this state.
Before going to the scaffold Thomas
said to his minister: II am an innocent
man and God will punish those who
swore my life away" Neither of the
condemned men made any statement
on the scaffold
At 7:45 o'clock the four condemned
men entered the yard OF the Jail and
saw for the first time the scaffold
where death awaited them. Up the
steps of the scaffold they marched,
Hite leading. He walked firmly across
beneath the moose to the west. Me-
Carthy next to him, Thomas next and
Lewis under the moose to the east. All
but Thomas stood with bowed heads
He 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 7:46 o'clock. Hite,
while being pinioned. kicked off the
slippers. he wore. The priests talked
continually to Hite and Mccarthy and
the colored ministers spoke occasional
ly to Thomas and Lewis. Thomas
glanced curiously at the rope and beam
above him.
At 7:47 o'clock the cap was adjusted
over McCarthy's head and then quickly
over the others. Not one spoke. The
moose was then adjusted on Hite,
Thomas Mccarthy and lastly on Lewis
at 7:49. All stood firm. Mccarthy
yawned as the moose was adjusted.
At 1854 the drop fell. Hite struggled
from the first. Grant Thomas arm
drew up and McCarthy's hands moved
convulsively. Lewis hung limp.
/ At 7:56 Lewis had not moved and to
all appearances his neck had been
broken by the drop. The struggles of
the others grew less. AT 1857 the doctors
found Lewis pulse 12s, but it quickly
fell to ~. Grant Thomas pulse was
100; Hite's was "A. McCarthy's pulse at
7:5S was 9s. At 1859 Grant Thomas
pulse half minute later was imper-
ceptible. At the same moment Hite S
pulse could not be counted. At s
o'clock Thomas was the only living
man. His pulse was 60. A faint beat
ing of their hearts could be detected
for several minutes. but at 5000
o'clock all were pronounced dead.
When Dennis Mccarthy shot his wife to
death on the evening of September Z, 1891, he
also took the life OF his unborn babe. Nc
Carthy was drunkard and his wife was
forced to support herself and children.
-Four months before the murder he accused
his wife of inhdelty. and after beating her
deserted his family and went TO St Louis.
There he remained a few months, when he
wrote letter saying he was coming home 10
kill her Reaching the city, he went straight
TO his home kissed his wife in greeting her, and
took his little boy for walk. He returned
alone. Three flashes from pistol and Dennis
Mccarthy was an uxorcide.
Stephen Hite suffered death for a crime COM
mitted while drunk. His victim, Albert Baur.
man, ana Hite first met in a saloon on the
night of September -, 1891 They had several
drinks together. when a quarrel arose and Hite
was elected from the saloon. He waited out
side, and as Baurman appeared snatched a
cane from his hand and struck him with IT,.
I Baurman recovered the stick and Hite drew a
knife and plunged it into Baurman's heart
Grant Thomas was hanged upon purely cir
cumstantial evidence. Birdie Coleman was
/ found sirangled TO death on the morn.
ing OF February last. Thomas. who had
known her from childhood was seen to
enter her house a half hour before the
crime was committed and leave it a few
moments before il discovered. He was
but youth, his victim but a girl, although a
wife They were known TO have quarreled. hut
II was some time before the tragedy. When
arrested he protested his innocence, but was
unable to prove an abb, was tried and sent
enced TO death.
a boy called Nelson Lewis "chinch bug
and he shot him to death. They ", re
negroes, and met at dance on the night of
November 2S, 1891. Lewis had been sighted
by the black damsels and formed a
grudge against George Dean a youth Of
10 As the latter lett the ballroom Lewis
called to him to wait, but Dean replied that he
had no time TO waste on chinch bugs. Pulling
pistol, Lewis cooliy rested his arm on the
shoulder Of one Of the women. fired and Dean
tVaa a anrYasp