Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-03-24
THOMAS HIGGINS.


gan shortly before IL o'clock and was a
scene never to be forgotten by one who had
viewed the pathetic spectacle. Over one
hundred feet Is travelled in this journey.
but brief as it is the distance is sufficient
to impress upon the doomed man all the
awful solemuity of the occasion and to
cause wave of terror 10 sweep over the
spectators VINO have vainly endeayored to
picture in advance the scene, but never
| realizing the full tragedy of the moment
until it arrives. Heading the column
were Sheriff Gilbert and Jailer Morris
The Condemned Man Appears.
Immediately following was the con-
demned with Father Dore at his right and
Father Muldoon at his left, and in the rear
marched the six deputies, each with his
particular duty TO perform in the quickly
shifting scenes of the closing act of the
tragedy. Higgins marched in his casual.
somewhat stumbling gait, but his step
was firm, though his face was pale when
the procession reached the north corridor
in full view of the spectators The sher-
iff and jailer Morris marched directly
upon the gailows and We're Immediately
followed lay the doomed man and the
priests. Higgins being brought to stop
directly beneath the moose. In few deft
|
the prisoners feet. his arms already hav-
ing been secured behind his back. and the
rope quickly placed around his neck and
the deatbcap adjusted. The drop fell Mt
12Gs. The mans neck was evidently in
stantly broken. As the clatter of the fall
ing trap rang through the cell corridors
the prisoners raised u yell Hang PreDdcr-
CAST" Hang Prendcrgast.-
Trcmblcd with l.nr. nh E..r
The little assassin crawled further into
the corner Of his cell where he sat trein-
bling with rage and fear. P:endergast
would have nothing to say about the hang
ing, and seemed overcome with terror by
the sounds accompanying the execution
which he so narrowly escaped. Two dep.
uties stcadied the swaying form, but there
was an absence of struggling aud contor-
ton, only three oonvulsive moves and
twitching being apparent during the
entire time up to 1o:11 when the doc
tors pronounced Higgins dead. At 1913
the dead man was lowered into the coffin
and hurricdly conveyed outside the jail to
the undertaker's and the custody of his
relatives. higgins left with Father Dore
little testament to be presented to
johnny BoSgiano, n Jail restaurant hoy
Upon the fiyieaf in "a bold hand WAS the
inscriptions: In memory of Thomas j.
Higgins who died or - A blank ,,n.
ing left for the date Of the execution.
The Murder of Peter NIcCooev.
Thomas Higgins, alias Buff Higgins
the sobriquet having been given him to
distinguish him from two other Hiruins
cousins Of his, was born in Ireland in ism
and Is therefore but % Years of age Early
ON the morning of 10 nday. Sept. 3. Isa3
Peter McCooey. a laborcr, was murdered
in his bed by n burglar in his house mt ls3
johnson street, this city. McCooey WAS
man past the middle age in life. When
disturbed By the burglar in his room he
sat up IN his bed. The intruder shot him
without speaking word The bullet
entered McCooey's breast and he fell back
on his pillow dead
Arrest Of Higgins.
Four hours after the shooting patrolmen
Of the Maxwell Street Police station dis
covered Thomas Higgins staggering along
Jefferson street near. Polk apparently
drunk. When they approached him he
disappeared under q sidewalk and emerg-