The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-10

last nights rest on earth sleep deserted his
eyelids, and rising he paced back and forth
in his cell like wild animal in cage. In
answer to query by the death watch he
said that something was troubling his
mind, but what that something was he de-
clined to state. Toward morning, how
ever, Smith secured a few hours repose,
which lasted till he was awakened for
breakfast.
During the night Smith had experienced
no change of heart as to the utility of
spiritual consolation, and the formal ques-
ton as to whether he desired the attend
ance OF priest or minister was met with
his usual answer:
81 got over all such foolishness long
ago."
On the scaffold, however, the prison
chaplain was in attendance. but it was
merely the perfunctory performance of a
prescribed duty, and he did not open his
mouth.
As the death chamber was entered the
condemned man looked closely at the
rope suspended from the crossbeam
and seemed to be calculating its strength.
A day or two ago he had caught
a glimpse of it, and had expressed fear
that it would not hold his weight. His
survey this morning appeared, however, to
be satisfactory, and he turned his atten-
ton to the spectators. With firm step
the slayer of two men assembled the gall
lows and stepped squarely upon the trap.
The warden called for silence and the con-
demned man began his speech.
GTGant1ar,ar - ba sold %bora ros -
tremor or unusual accent in his voice, II
am as innocent as any man who ever stood
on this trap, and l am ready to die. / am
not ashamed to be hanged, but Hook at it
the same as being murdered any other
way. / have the distinction of being the
first man in California to die this way
without particle of any evidence against
him, and Governor Budd has the distinc-
ton of being the first Governor to commit
cold-blooded murder while in office.
That is about all / have to say"
The rope was placed in position and the
black cap adjusted. While it was being
done Smiths fear of suffering reasserted
itself, and three times he cautioned the
hangman to "put it round tight" The
Warden raised his hand, the drop fell and
Smiths body shot downward.
When the body reached the end of the
rope there was no rebound. The hempen
fbers instead cut their way into the
muscles of the throat till the head was
almost severed. Blood gushed from the
wound, saturating the suit of black which
had been intended for Smiths burial robe.
The spectators stood as if struck suddenly
dumb. The horrifying scene lasted ten
minutes, and then the witnesses were re-
moved to another room and the body was
cut down.
A post-mortem examination was made
at the prison morgue. 1t was found that
the rope had cut through the neck, leaving
but single cord to support the body.
The neck was broken twice. The tearing
of the tissue of Smiths neck appears to
have been unavoidable. He weighed 900
pounds, and his two years Of imprison-
ment had rendered his flesh soft and f1abby.
The executioner, fearing such a mishap,
had made the drop only five feet, whereas
Fredericks had been dropped nearly seven
feet, and Warden Hale stated that never
at San Quentin had more care been taken
with an execution.
Smith would have been 4S years old had
he been permitted to see the light of an
other dav