The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1892-10-01
NAMES LAST HANGING.
THE VICTIM WAS AN ELDER
LY MINISTER.
Was Anerward Found TO Be Entirely
Innocent-His Daughters story
Implicated Him-Death
Penalty Abolished

William Douglas an elder In tn,
Methodist denomination and an able
preacher. was the man whose life wa
cut short by judicial murder for THU
Was what the execution really was
This preacher had lost his wife By
death and was regarded as sin
cere mourner.
He had procured the services OF {
woman about his own age to keep hii
house. as being clergyman and his
house much visited. he did not fee
like intrusting the full care to hi.
young and inexperienced daughter.
After making q tour among the
churches and attending quarterly
meeting. the elder reached home
quite late at night; not wishing &c
disturb his housekeeper or any one oil
the household he entered his dwell
ing quietly and passed into his study
to deposit some books AT this point
he was detected by u daughter who.
having been aroused. opened tho door
OF her room and looked out just as
her father was passing the door Of
the room leading into the apartment
occupied by the housekeeper. A
friendly salutation passed between
the father and child. and both re-
tired for the remainder OF the night
In the morning the absence OF the
housekeeper led some one to enter
her bedroom. and there found her
dead In her bed. her throat having
been cut from ear to ear.
The daughter. innocently enough.
told the experience OF the night be-
fore to those who came to the house.
When the shocking news spread
abroad that murder had been CON-
mitted at the house of Elder Douglas
the enemies OF the church and those
who always delight at the downfall of
a preacher OF the gospel charged him
with the murder 1t was too latc for
the daughter to retract her words
and the suspicion at once conferred
upon him.
The elder was arrested and ar
raigned, charged with the murder OF
his housekeeper When the time for
the trial arrived people hocked from
far and near. for they had sat under
his preaching and had learned to love
him.
All expected that some clew to the
mystery would be developed at the
trial But they sat day after Gay. and
no relief came for the preacher or the
many who loved him and believed
him innocent
1t appeared in evidence that the
elder had indicated a desire to make
his housekeeper his wife. and that he
had rival. but the evidence given so
by the daughter of the
elder was the strong poirt and it
could not be explained away. Two
days of the most dreadful anxiety
passed before the jury was ready to
render its verdict and probably peo-
pie were never more saddened than
when it was announced that the elder
was found guilty.
Few expected that the sentence
would be carried out; they looked for
some explanation of the horror. but
passed and mono came
1t was customary then-a half GEN.
fury ago-to have executions take
place in the open country. where the
populace might witness them and take
When the lumber was
brought and the hammering COM
menced in the erection OF the scaffold,
the most hopeful lost courage
The scene about Thomaston at
sariy dawn Of the day set for the ex-
ecution was not unlike that of cir
Gus day; the vender of small wares
was en- route and the dispenser of
hard gingerbread was loaded down
with his stock.
Long before the hour arrived for
the final act the crowd was surging
back and forth within sight OF the
moose The elder came upon the
platform with somewhat OF the conf
lence that characterized the early
martyrs as they saw the torch touched
% the fagots or were stretched upon
he rack. Friends. and those who
lid not waver In their belief that their
'avorite preacher was innocent Of the
awful crime. said they seemed to see
about his head n halo OF light
In about two years the man who
had sought for the affections of the
woman and housekeeper OF the
preacher on his death bed confessed
hat he had become convinced that
he lady whom he loved was to be the
wife OF Elder Douglas and knowing
II the absence Of the preacher had
rome to the house climbed up and
nto the housekeepers room and there
committed the awful deed for which
he elder had been hanged.
The feeling aroused by this con-
ession led to the legislation which
'esulted in abolishing the death
penalty in the state OF Maine.