The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-02-16
HANGED AT MIDNIGHT
Execution of Murderer Stone in
JeffersOnville Prison.
Eight Minutes After Taken from His
Cell the Drop Fell, and in Twenty
One Minutes Life Was Extinct.
QUICK, SUCCESSFUL WORK
The Sextuple Slaughterer Died
with a Prayer on His Lips.
Spent His Last Day Eating Heartily and
Sleeping Without Pang-StOry
of His Terrible Crime.
Special to the indianapolis Journal.


JEFFERSONVILLE, Ind, Feb 16.-The
hands of the prison clock pointed to ex-
actly eight minutes after midnight when
the trap was sprung with muffled bang
and murderer Bud" Stone, with prayer on
his lips, dropped through the gallows floor.
The fall was six feet The body vibrated
for an instant and the shoulders were
slightly convulsed, then the form was mo-
tionless. The head inclined toward the left
shoulder the knot having been adjusted
under the right ear on account of the enor-
nous wen below the left jaw. Physicians
quickly approached the form to count the
pulse beats At 1921 Stone was pro-
nounced dead. The neck was broken by the
fall. The large swelling on his neck was
cut into by the rope and burst From it
issued blood that soaked the cloth OF the
black cap. The spectators retired before
the body was cut down and placed in the
coffin. Stones last words were spoken to
Sheriff Leming, of Daviess county, who
was one Of the persons on the scaffold. AS
he passed he said: "Howdy do, Cap?'
The execution was one of the quickest
on record and was a success almost beyond
expectation. The sound of the midnight
bells announcing the beginning Of a new
day was the knell which summoned James
f. Stone to the presence of his Maker.
By IL o'clock the prison Office was
crowded with those who came to witness
the final scene. A third of the number
were representatives Of newspapers.
Promptly at midnight the procession TO the
gallows was started. The bolts in the locks
shot back and the iron gates were opened.
Just before this the warden had addressed
the party and requested that quiet be
maintained in the march to the scaffold
and during the execution and particularly
in the event of accident. The seconds were
counted by the waiting crowd after the
warden's announcement Slowly the party
filed in. Not word was spoken during
the march, and the footballs were deadened
by covering of carpet and sawdust on the
brick floor of the prison corridors.
At the scaffold everything was ready. AL
most before the spectators had settled them
selves in position Stone appeared on the
trap Warden Patten by his left side
Stones face was turned to the east He
spoke not word. His eyes roved aboSS
for moment, but did not glance to the
uplifted faces below him. Then he threw
UP his head and turned his eyes heaven
ward. as If supplicating the Deity. Two
guards quickly adjusted the straps around
his legs and bound his arms tight to his
body. Stone continued TO gaze upward. The
muscles of his face twitched convulsively,
but he gave no other sign of emotion ex-
cept that his body weaved to and fro slight
ly. The black cap was pulled over his face.
Warden Patten then placed the loop of the
moose over his head and adjusted II low
on his neck. The trap was sprung at once,
and before the spectators were looking
for it.
Stones body will be taken back to Daviess
county for burial. So strong is the feeling
against the skiold murderer in the COM
munity where the slaughter of the Wrat-
tens occurred that threats have been made
to take up the body and burn 1t if his father
insists on burying 1t in Daviess county soil
Cemetery trustees refused to allow the
body buried in ground consecrated to their
dead friends and neighbors. The under
taker at Washington who was to take care
of the body so impressed by this in
hammatory talk that he refused to carry
out the arrangement and got a Jefferson
Vile undertaken to take charge of the body.