St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-12-22

instantaneous. and the execution sue
ceSStully done. About 100 witnessed
the hanging. Christie spent his last
night on earth playing cards. Yesterday
afternoon he said goOd-5ye to his
mother, Mrs. Alfred Brmley, and the
parting unnerved him. He knelt down
and prayed with her. in fuIfilment of
his profession of Christianity made
few DAYS ago. The mother almost
swooned at the ordeal, and the son wept
and paced his cell agitatedly after she
had gone. He afterwards frightened
up, but could not sleep when night
came, and put in most of the night
playing cards with the death watch. He
refused to make any statement, but he
is known to have cenfided something to
minister, and many think it is con-
feSSiOn.
The Story of the Crime
for which Christie was hanged need
only be briefly told to convince the
public that the penalty was none too
severe, and that a community is far
safer when rid of characters of mis-
kind. A criminal from boyhood, he
graduated as a most depraved and
vicious murderer, who sought out a
good woman who was loving wife and
mother for victim. On the evening
of April 2S Mrs. Lena Cunningham left
the town of Columbia Falls at about
$50 in the evening. Christie followed
her into the woods north of town, end
there dealt death blow with piece OF
a coupling pin that he had picked up on
the railroad track. The scene that oc-
Cured in the woods can only be sur
missed. There being no evidence of
robbery, and, it being known that
Christie had a weakness for women.
other motives were evident. Whatever
he sought he failed to secure. The
cOwardly assassin made his escape.
Within few minutes a neighbor dis
covered the PROSTATE form in the road,
and at once sounded the alarm. The
spectacle was horrifying. Three ugly
wounds upon the head had made the
Face Almost UnreeOgnizabIe.
and had made pool Of blood which had
satur ated her clothing. The poor wom-
an was yet alive, but unconscious, liv-
ing over an hour. The husband was
soon at her side, and to see the grief
depicted upon his countenance added
to the gloom that had already spread
Itself like foreboding clouds. Suspicion
at once fell upon Christie, for he had
been seen going in the direction of the
murder but short time previous to the
commission Of the crime. The inquest
developed link after link. until the
crime was fastened upon Christie, and
the chain became so strong that it could
not be broken. He was ably defended,
but there was not the slightest circum-
stance in his favor. When upon the
stand himself he could not account for
his NOV ements nor actions. The states
witnesses told simple but effective sto-
ries upon the stand. Every effort was
made to save Christie's neck, but to no
avail. The supreme court was Appealed
to, which had the effect Of delaying the
execution from Sept. 2s until today.
Calvin j. Christie was born at Aurora,
Ill. His parents left that city and
moved to st. Paul fl 1875, where his
father soon after died. Mrs. Christie
after time married Albert Brimley. Ii
was at this time that young Christie en-
tered upon hayward career. leading a
life Of crime that would do credit to
professionals. He began by running
away from home, staying for weeks at
time. When reproached he would
give no account of himself, and would
become dehaqt. The kindly influence of
A Loving Neither
bad no effect upon the vicious youth.
He Vas happier when such Influences
We're removed. At the age Of twelve