The morning call., 1893-03-04
EXECUTION.
Jose Gabriel Hanged at San
Quentin.
A QUIET, FORMAL AFFAIR.
There Was No Scene and Death Re-
suited From q Severing of
the Spinal Cord.

jose Gabriel. murderer, was hanged at
San Quentin prison yesterday.
1t was very successful affair. The
thirty Christian gentlemen who witnessed
ii classified it Variously as "a perfect hang
ing, "a beautiful banging" "a very neat
job" "a splendid thing" and by other
more or less appropriate design atiOns.
Being the first hanging under the new
State law requiring all executions to take
place in the pententiaries, certain inter-
est attaches TO the event.
Otherwise it was commonplace and unin-
teresting to degree. 1t was gloomy with
out being picturesque.
Even in the old days when 'sensaiionalism
and the details of crime occupied the space
In well-regulated newspapers that is now
devoted to the picturesque and novel in
everyday life at home and abroad, the
hanging of Jose Gabriel would hardly have
been worth more than the culinary scare
head"
Gabriel half-breed. better known as IN;
dian joe" was sentenced to death for the
murder OF an old farmer named Joha
Geiser and his wife, near otay, in San Diego
County.
Warden Hale executed the decree of the
court expeditiousy. with much tact, and in.
the most formal manner.
W. pIitStS HtTS present, raLneT NC
Quald of San Rafael and Father Santan-
dreu OF San Francisco. The latter, speaking
Spanish, oficated as confessor and admin
lslered the last sacraments of the church.
DR.. Hunsacker OF this city and DIR. Mans
field, the prison surgeon, were present.
Warden Hale was assisted by "CoioueP'
Mckenzie and Guards Williams, Ferguson
and Moons Chaplain brahms. the twelve
citizen witnesses required by law, and 4
sufficient corps OF press representatives
l16 ia nm % nj ind of ha "a rtxr has
witnessed the execution.
In all it numbered about thirty, and the
coolest head among them was Indian joe"
he refused alcoholic stimulant, and by his
special request was permitted to die with
his boots on.
They were the boots he wore. wbenhe
came to the prison, and he asked the War
den's consent to be buried in them.
Before the execution and during the few
and very simple preparations Immediately
preceding II, the Indian blood in him inaIiI..
tested itself In blank and sI9lid indiffer-
ence to all material things and TO all things
external.
He may have had an inner Consciousness
OF his awful predcament-only Father
Santandreu knows that-6ut. he gave no
outward signs. To the call0used sensation
monger the affair was a Disappointment
throughout The element of visible human
suffering was missing, Some Of those who
witnessed it suffered more, externally at
least. than did the principal.
The hanging took place in a room sne-
cially prepared ON the fourth floor of the old
sash and blind factory in the rear of the
main prison building.
Immediately adjoining it Is a room OF SIM
liar SIZE. where the prisoner was confined
for the two weeks preceding his execution.
II was Friday, unlucky in itself-hang-
mans day-and threatening, gloomy
morning. From the north windows of
those two dismal rooms one could see
Mount Tamalpais, with the storm-elouds
.brOoding over its peaks and the dense.
purple blackness enshrouding it from sum-
nit to foothills
Tamalpais frowped and looked angry and
The south windows looked ont upon a
broad eXpanse of cOlorless water that was
fast being lashed into white-capped waves
by the storm-wind as it blew against the
tide.
There was dense, heavy roar on the
beach below.
Inside the aspect was even less inviting.
The prisoners room and the execution
/ chamber next TO 1t were hare and barren of
aught but its human occupants, one chair
for the prisoner, one chair for the guard
and the grim death machine of nineteenth
century civilization.
There was no ray of sunshine inside or
outside; There was only gloom ana sadness
everywhere.
A few moments before 10 o'clock in the
morning Warden Hale entered Gahrel's
cell and read the death warrant There
was Just a single quayer in his voice once
or twice.
Five minutes later ''Indiau Joe" stood on
the trap. Warden Hale snapped his fiugers.
Colonel Mckenzie raised one hand.
In fifteen seconds less than four minutes
Gabrtels pulse ceased beating and he had
paid just penalty for most atrocious
crime.
Everything was very skillfully done. The
neck was broken and death resulted in
stantly.
Alter twelve minutes the remains were
placed in pine coffin and taken down TO
the prison mQrgue. To-day six convicts
will bury them in the prison cemetery
boots and all. LUKE NORTH.