The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-04-21

again to the front rail and stood silent for
moment as if collecting the thoughts he
wished to utter in words. Suddenly throw
ing himself into sadly grotesaue appear
ance of ease he blurted out in queerly I'M
natural tones:
"a great many people may think they
would 90 better than me in the same fix.
but as the Irishman says, they don't know
until they are in the last ditch Many
have put me down as cur and brute,
and they think they will never get down
in the world, but they may after all. The
newspapers have made me out much worse
than I am, but all ask from the reporters
here is to give me a square deal. This is
the last shot in the bucket, you know. l
freely forgive every one on this Gods
green earth, aid forgive all as they should
forgive me. God bless you all. as hope
he will bless me. And young men, would
say to you, beware of women and wine.
AS the Frenchman said, wine, women and
song will ruin anybody Whatever any
one says they must say am not dying like
cur. Good-by everybody"
When he finished the prisoner moved 20
the trap and the iailers began to strap him
up. He wanted to adjust the moose him.
self, but it was whispered to him that his
arms would be pinioned.
Don't draw those straps so tight" he
muttered in sury tones as guard pin
ion ed his arms to his sides.
Then Guard Lunt placed the moose over
his head and the black cap was drawn
down over his face. Lunt pulled the
moose too tight.
what in - are you pulling that knot
so tight for?" came in muffled tones from
beneath the cap. There was sudden rat
tie and plunge, and the next second the in
ert body of Sullivan was hanging from
the gallows beam, dead on the instant.
Not a CULVER disturbed the flesh. The
hands did not even close in the usual con-
vulslve grip of death. The handkerchief
held lightly 10 the lastin his right hand was
still there after death. There was no sign
to indicate that death did not come swift
and sudden and painless.
The drop fell exactly at II o'clock. DR..
Mansfield of the prison, DR.. r. 81. Brown
and DR.. q. K. Frink stepped to the body
and felt the pulse and heart Immediately
after the drop the pulse beat 147, eight
minutes after it beat IA and at II IL it had
ceased to beat forever. The neck vas
broken and the rope cut into the flesh.
Sullivan weighed over 200 pounds. and the
drop was six feet. Had it been trfle
longer it would have severed the head from
the body. After fifteen minutes the body
was cut down and placed IN the shell pro-
vided for it. The remains will be buried
in San Rafael. No autopsy was held on
the body, al the request of the unfortunate
man. and he asked the priests to look after
the remains and see they gOtdecent burial.
On the scaffold with Sullivan, besides the
priests and Warden Hale, were Guards
Lunt, Williams, Walter Fitch and Miller.
The murderer had requested Fitch. who
wSs one of his night watch. to strap him
up. Everything goes with you. Fitch, :"
he said. "and if you don't strap me too
tight I'll not get mad"
The execution was witnessed by the fol-
lowing people: Dr. r. 81. Brown. DR..
Washington Ayers, DR.. II. P. Holmgren,
DR.. c. H. Douglas, DR.. Hunsacker, DR..
Cornwall. DR.. W. r. Hathaway, Dr. G. II.
Mattner, DR.. G. K. Frink, DR.. Mansfield.
Colonel p. Il. Dickinson of Alameda, w.
a. Walker, deputy sheriff of Ukah; J. A.
Mathews, Sheriff of Monterey; James
=
G. II. Brown. Alameda; Sheriff Harrison
of Marin County and a number of guards.
In the morning Sullivan had com posed
and written out speech which he in
tended TO read from the scaffold. The
guards persuaded him. however. not to do
this. This last speech as being composed
10 elaboration Will show something of his
real feelings at the time. He wrote: 81
am now about to 60 10 my God. During
my years on earth | have done wrong to
others and have been wronged by others.
l have sinned in many ways against N.Y.
self, my neighbor and my God This is
the sad story of the dark side of my lie.
My life has also had some bright things
and they are known to God. [ now with
all my heart ask pardon of those whom l
have wroDged and freely forgive those
who have wronged NE, and for all my sins
of thought. word aud deed l ask God to
forgive and forget, saying good-by to all.
l have one advice to the young men of the
world: Beware of wine and women and
shun bad companions"