The morning times., 1895-07-27
Joseph Beam Hanged for Muir
dering Annie Leahy.
KEPT UP A BRAVE FRONT
Execution Admira bly, Managed Six
Minutes From the Time of Leav-
ing His Cell All Was Over-Neck
Broken 10y the Fall-His Last WIN
and Testament.


Joseph a. Beam, murderer OF his step
daughter, Mrs. Annie Leahy, left his
cell door in The United States District jail
at 1882 O'Clock yesterday morning ana
marched TO the scaffold on which he was
10 eXpiate his crime.
Four minutes later the drop fell that
launched him into eternity, and when he
bells of the city were ringing out the
| hour OF noon he was cut down, placed
| in a coffin, and started on the way to
the cemetery. He had paid the earthly
penalty for horrible crime.
Only thirty minutes elapsed from the
| time Warden Leonard entered the con-
| demned mans cell and read the death
| warrant until he was pronounced dead by
the Jail physician and placed in the coffin.
Thursday night Beam slept but little.
and spent most of the time reading in a
prayer book and talking 10 Guard Smith
OF the death watch. He talked OF his
| past life, OF his wife and friends, but
avoided any allusion TO the crime for
which he was to die.
RESTLESS AND NERVOUS.
He was very restless and nervous, and
the guard, seeing that he was unable to
sleep, encouraged him 10 talk. About
| O'Clock he dozed off. and slept a couple OF
hours. When he awoke he was refreshed
but little by his short slumber.
He ate u hearty breakfast, but was unable
TO retain any OF il. From his actions dur
ing the time that elapsed between his awak-
ening and the visit OF the priests the prison
officials were of the opinion that he would
break down at the last momen, snd cause
| a scene
Nothing OF the kind happened. however.
Fathers McAtee and Dolan visited the con-
| demned mau early and were with him
| until the end. The last rites or the Catholic
| Church were performed, aud the rest OF the
time spent iu spiritual communion. The
| Litany OF the Saints and recommendations
10 departing souls were read TO him, aud be
made the responses.
Exactly at ! 80 o. clock Warden Leonard,
accompanied by Jail Guards Waters aud
Woodward, entered the cell OF the con-
demued man. The spectators had in the
| meantime been ranged along the route
across the rotunda aud were kept in place
by squad of policemen. The jury who
were TO certify TO the execution had been as
| signed seats near the foot OF the scaffold.
The warden read the death warrant TO
Beam, and Guard Waters stepped forward
and pinioned his arms tightly behind him.
| The little procession OF death was then
formed and marched slowly across the
| rDtunda, Warden Leonard eighty in ad-
vance OF the rest On the other side OF
the murderer Were Fathers McAtee and
| Dolan, and behind them came Guards Wa
ters and Woodward, who supported Beam.
| The crowd closed in behind the group
and folio wed them into the corridor,
where they Were halted about fifty feet
| from the scaffold.
| UNDER A TERRIBLE STRAIN.
Beam walked down the corridor boldly
and erect, but IT was evident that he WAS
l a His Ily
red face was livid, presenting a sharp con-
trast TO the fiery red of his mustache. He
bore up hravely, however, and made the
responses 10 The prayers of his spiritual
advisers IN a voice distinctly audible
/ throughout the corridor.
At ll.55 he marched up the scaffold
steps and was placed on The drop. While
he was still repeating the prayers of the
priests his lower limbs were tied at the
ankles and knees, and the moose was thrown
over his hCHd.
Just before the black cap was dra wn over
! his head Father McAtee held up the cru
| ciflX, and he whose life was to terminate
/ in few short moments ben over and kissed
1 IL passionately. He seemed to gain courage,
for his responses were next made so loudly
! that Father Dolan requested him to mod
| crate his voice.
As soon as the moose was frightened
1 Warden Leonard stepped to the corner next
10 the window of the darkened cell in
which sat the unknown eXecutioner and
gave the signal. 1t was evidently unseen,
for the handkerchief was waved second
and third time, and the warden had to
lean over and say ''go ahead before the
rope was pulled.
Just as the words, Lord Jesus have
mercy on my SOUL left the lips of the con-
demned man the drop fell from under him
and he fell fully six feet, bringing up with
a jerk that sounded through the Jail.
ALL WAS OVER.
One colvulSiye movement OF the knees
and shoulders followed the drop, and the
body swayed TO and fro without another
muscular tremor. The drop fell just six
minutes after the cell door was opened by
Warden Leonard. The jail physician aud
several visiting doctors pressed around and
examined the body. The pulse, imme-
diately after the drop, went up to 100 and
the heart beat rapidly, but both soon sub
sided, and at IL O'Clock he was lowered
into the casket ready TO receive him, dead.
During Beams last night of unrest he
dictated his viii to Guard Smith. He di
recte1 in it that his chest of carpenter s
tools should be left TO l. c. Gibbs and that his
wife should have aA1he rest. including his
rings, a string of beads, a crucifix and few
other trinkets of trifling value. He also
dictated a letter to his wife, who was un-
able 10 visit him at the jail owing to i'll
ness, bidding her an affectionate farewell
and assuring her that he would die bravely
and at peace, confident of forgiveness
The crowd, although considerably larger
than at the execution of Travers on the
previous Friday, was very orderly, and
the squad of about fifty policemen, COM
manded by Licutenants Kelly and McCatfl-
ran, had no trouble in prese rving order
The members OF the grand jury, with their
] foreman. were Drpgpnt
ber Of court officials The jury of wit
neSses was composed mostly of newspaper
men, and certified to the proper carrying
out OF the sentence of death.
After examining the body the physicians
decided that Beams neck had been broken
and that death had been instantaneous
| The body was taken to Mt. Oliyet Gene
terry, where 1T will be placed In a vault
until the widow indicates the disposition
she desires to make OF ii. Beams own de
sire was that his body be cremated, and ii
is probable that this viii be DONE
BEAMS HORRIBLE CRIME.
The crime for which Beam was executed
was the murder, on the 22d on December,
last, of Mrs. Annie Leahy, his step
daughter. The woman resided with her
mother and sister at No. 226 Maryland
avenue northeast, and for some weeks pre-
vious to the shooting Beam had been de.
MED admission to the house because of his
dissipated habits.
On the afternoon OF the murder he CALLED
at the house about 3 O'Clock, as he after
wards explained. to see his wife. His
step-daughter opened the door, and when
she saw that IL was Beam who had rung
the bell, she endeayored TO close it in his
face. Beam, enraged, tried to push heI
aside and enter the house, but she re-
sisted, and he drew two revolvers from his