The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1895-08-10
Convicted.

SAN QUENTIN PRISON, Aug. o.
Promptly at 10 o'clock this morning
Fremont Smith, the murderer of his
partners, two fishermen of Colusa,
mounted the scaffold and prepared to
meet the demands OF the law.
At 900 o'clock Warden Halo entered
the death chamber with the death war
rant, and after that had been disposed of
straps were placed on Smiths arms and
body and all was in readiness for the
final act.
Smith refused to the last-angrily and
sphemously-to have anything TO do
with clergymen, and so no Clergyman
was in attendance upon him this morn
ing, except the prison chaplain, who was
there perfunctorily.
The procession from the condemned
cell to the scafold started at 9:57 O'Clock.
Smith walked firmly and bore himself
bravely, without sign of braggadocio,
and even with dignity. Ii had been
feared that he would carry with him TO
the scaffoid the offensive manner and
language habitual with him in his cell;
but be did not. AS soon as he reached
the platform of the scatfold he stepped
upon the drop and stood there easily and
steadily. Then Warden Hale announced
that the condemned man wished to say a
word.
Smith then spoke. He spoke impress
lively, and when he had ended there Wero
many in the crowd who feared that he
had spoken the truth. He said:
"Geutlemen-I wish to tell you this: L
am as innocent as any man ever hung and
as ready 10 die. l am not ashamed TO Ds
nung and look at II tho same as TO be
murdered in any other way. | have the
distinction OF being the first man TO die
here in this way. without any evidence
whatever against him; and Governor
Budd has the distinction of being the first
man TO commit cold blooded murder in
office. That is ali l have 10 say"
Smith then submitted quietly to have
the cap placed over his head and face and
said thrice to Amos Lunt when Lunt
began to adjust the rope. Make it tight"
Mr.. Lunt was very careful III drawing
the moose and adjusting the knot.
When Sheriff Hale gave the signal
Smith tell heavily through the trap, and,
as the rope tlghtened, blood spurted from
under the cap and poured down upon tho
floor beneath the swaying body. \ mur-
mur of horror arose from the crowd,
which stood as though hypnotiZed and
for live minutes watched the blood run
down and form big pool upon the
boards. Then several doctors examined
the body aud pronounced Smith dead.
His neck had been broken.
When the black cap was removed it
was found that Il portion of the spinal
vertibrRe had been forced through the
flesh, and that the head was connected
with the body by only one muscle of the
neck.
The crimo for which Smith suffered the
death penalty was the murder of two
men near Colusa in December, 1895 The
identity OF mis- victims has always been
,loF1 Il
"D0lph' and "Charley" They were
partners of Smith. hunting and fishing
ter living together.
On the 10Th of December, 1898, parties
passing along the levee on the rivers
edge near Smiths cabin saw the body of
q man in the water. Further investiCa-
ton revealed the fact that the mans head
was nearly severed from the body. A
hasty examination of the place showed
that two bodies had been dragged TO the
river. Graphing hooks were procured
and second body was discovered
The case against Smith was purely cir
cumstantlal, but very complete and con-
vincing, the principal evidence being a
pair OF bloOdstained overalls found in
his possession, though lie firmly main
talned that the marks were from the
blood OF a pig he had killed
~ mlcrOscoplcaI examination was made
by Professor Price, who declared that in
his opinion the blood was that of a human
being. On this testimony, taken in con-
nection with the fact that the brains OF a
man had been found on the doorstep of a
csbin III which Smith and his companions
lived, and part OF a skull lying in large
pool of blood picked up in the yard,
Smith was convicted and to-day expi-
ated his crime or the gallows.
lie had steadily maintained his inuo-
cence and refused all offers of spiritual
advice