St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-10-16
SCAFfOLO GOING UP.
MupdererS ErmiSch and Won
lgkeit Hear the Ham,
mers Beating.
BOTH GROWING ALARMED
Wonigkeit Becomes Religious
and ErmiSch Softening
20 Influences.
STORY OF HIS WICKED LIFE,
Thrown Out Of the Window
by Ermisch, Reaches
the Globe.

The erection of the scaffold on which
harles Ernisch aud Otto Womgkeit
are to pay the death penalty began yes
terday morning, and all day long a
morbid crowd stood al ound and watched
the three carpenters at work Oh the en-
closure of the gibbet. The sound of
hammers was plainly heard by the
condemned men, and Otto Wonig-
keit said: II can hear them get
ting ready" He spoke In a subdued
voice. Charles Ermisch was visited late
in the day by Deputy Sheriff Horst,
whom he had not seen since the day he
shot him in the effort to escape. He said
to Horst: Hello, Charley! They are
getting ready to fix me. There is a
fellow here who wants TO take drop
with Inc at the same time" motioning
to the cell of Wonigkeit with an air that
indicated that Wonigkeit was respon-
sible for the conviction.
Sheriff Chapel returned from Alex :
andria yesterday morning with the
trigger for the trap and now has it in
the Jail. A wagon load of lumber was
taken to the rear of the Jail
early yesterday morning and Scott
Brothers d McMurphy went to
will extend from the rear door of the
Jail to the window in the back Office of
the clerk of courts. forming an inclos-
ure of about 19X30 feet across the alley
between the Jail and court house. The
platform will be even with the top step
of the Jail. and in this the trap
will be built, giving fall of about nine
feet. The top will De covered with can
vas. The men will take the leap into
eternity at the same moment. Sheriff
Chapel has not designated yet who will
assist him, but there will be six depu-
ties besides himself, as he said: 80
that if one weakens, there will be others
to take hold"
Ermisch is not disposed to talk much
to the few that are allowed to see him.
Wonigkeit shows more concern, and is
evidently penltent. Yesterday he held
up scripture calendar to view to
visitor, and said it was given to him by
Miss Akers. the matron. He called at
tenton to some of the verses thereon,
and spoke kindly of the donor. Point.
ing out one that reads:
"For me to live is Christ. and to die is
GAIN" THAT is for the day after we
are dead" said he; THAT is good" aud
then the finger went under another line
promising perfect peace to the one
whose mind was stayed on God.
WOniSkeft Much Affected.
Wonigkeit is evidently much affected
as the time for death is rapidly shorten
ing, and receives consolation from Rev.
Niclaus Bolt, who visits both men every
day.
Ermisch is probably not so defiant as
he was few weeks ago. He has
wonderful record. and since he has been
III Jail has told many stories of how he
travelled all over the country and COM
mitted various robberIes and burglaries.
He speaks of being in New York. and
told how he would disconnect burglar
alarms before robbing houses.
The GLOBE received letter written
by him on cromo entitled 1.-The Little
Conspirators." The picture is one of
two little tots who are in conservatory.
The little lad has a toy pistol and his
little sister is looking on as he is getting
ready to hold up some member of the
family who is expected. The letter was
thrown out of the Jail window on the side
facing Fifth street. where the cells of
the men are located. 1t was evidently
done when taking their exercise. 1t
would be easy to be apparently intent
on looking at the chrome until the head
of the DEATH watch was turned, and then
to throw it out through the window
grating. The letter was picked up by
two passers-by and brought to the
GLOBE Office. The letter is poorly writ
ten. but with the spelling corrected, is
as follows:
"1Ou ask how l came 70 be locked up
in this cell as convict doomed to die.
| will tell you my story. 1t is an old
one. You will see, though it will an
swer for many aud many like me.
l was a boy of fifteen when my
trouble began. My mother was
kind, but oh, the old man, fierce and
cruel and bad through and through. l
hated his presence and Knocked at him.
too. He would lick me until the blood
ran down to my feet, and in his rage
turned me out into the street. Sick
hearted and weary set out alone with
a load on my bosom. If you boys would
be sent out alone with no one to pity.
you would have known how L felt.
EARLY the next morning reached
New York city. l got place as porter
in hotel free from disgrace, but | was
not working under my own name and
was not proof against every temptation
and sin.
One Day a Detective Suddenly
opened the door upon me. / knew in a
moment l was done for. and lost the
love of the proprietor, who took the
keys from me and let me go, because 1
had been doing good work. He told me
that had better look up another situa-
tion. l wanted him to take me back,
and asked him to give me another
chance. He would not take me back. |
did not blame him in my angry despair,
but | was certainly determined to
act on the square. but the hounds
of the law got on to me after left and
followed me every place l went, and
1t is all right to teach morals and tell
about giving repented fellow show,
but to hound him down when the VIC
tory Is won is like chaining mans
legs and bidding him to run. or taking
starving dog aud put him where there