The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-12-19
LAMBERT HANGED.
The Camden Murderer Pays
the Penalty for Killing
w. G. Kairer.
A COLLAPSED WRETCH
Almost Carried to the Gallows-
Dead in a Minute
The Crime.
COLLAPSED WRETCH
Snecfal to the Jerseu Citu Nsars.

CAMDEN, Dec. 19. lS95.-Murderer
Theodore Lambert. who shot and killed
Baker William G.. Kairer in this city on
the fouth of November. 1898. paid the
legal penalty for his crime this morn
ing, after two years of delays, stays ana
reprieves. The execution was successful
in every particular.
The drop fell at 10:1S exactly. and lie
was pronounced extinct at 1923.
A few minutes before ten o'clock the
Sheriff's jury was sworn in, and at l0a2
the prisoner accompanied by Under
Sheriff Hartshorne, with Rev. Thomas
H. Ais. his spiritual adviser.on either
side of him. entered the room in Whlch
the scaffoGd had been erected. Lam
bert was then taken charge by SherlI
Barrett. He a weakened considerably
during the night. and it vas thought
that it would be necessary to support
him to the scaffold. He, however, re-
tanned the courage which has sustained
him through the two years since nus
crime was committed. and Whlle ne
seemed to be unable to take the hrst
step up the steps leading to the scar
fold. after he had taken that. he walked
with an even and firm tread. The Sner-
iff laid his hand lightly on his arm. put
did not appear to nave to render MIN
any support.
When they reached the trap upon
which the doomed man was to staha
Sheriff Barrett adjusted the moose
around the murderer's neck. pulled the
black cap down over the face, stepped
back and touched the lever which helo
the trap in place, and in one minute
after the man la entered the room ne
was launched into eternity.
Story of Lambert's Crime.
Theodore N. Lambert was a negro,
twenty-three years OF age. Inc crldm LII
for which he was hanged was the muToeI
Of William G. Kairer, q 9aoa Bak Mr K Rai Iar
was awakened in the night by a no5se
on the lower floor of his house ana ae,
seending came upon h a pu Il aTca mnI but
Lambert, who had been commItengg
numerous robberies, was Suspected alu
was convicted of the crime at the MAY
| term of court, 1894. He was sentenced 70
| be hanged on December 8 of that year.
The legal BATTLE to save LambertS hie
has been one of the most TemarKaple a u
About a week before the execution Gay
and after the arrangements Tor the nang-
ing had been almost completed, Governor
which made the execution day fall on
january 8 of the present year. Winnie
Iambert was being converted ms coun-
| sci. Lawyer John Semple, was going
| through every legal channel known 10
extend his life. He applied to the New
Jersey Supreme Court for his release on
a writ of habeas corpus on the GROUND
that the granting of a reprieve by the
| Governor was unconstitutional. The New
Jersey Supreme Court refused to listen
to the appeal and he next went before
the United States Circuit Court, where
he made the same motion.
The matter hung fire until within
twenty-four hours before the time set fol
| the execution, when United States Circuit
| Court Justice Shiras issued a writ which
acted as a stay of execution. The writ
was served on Sheriff Barrett about nine
| O'Clock on the day Lambert was to have
hung, and, in fact, while he was getting
dressed to march to the galloWs.
The writ was argued before the United
States Supreme Court at Washington and
| dismissed. A mandate was issued and
the day for his execution was again SET
last June, but owing to the failure of the
mandate to be carried through the cor
rect course the second death warrant was
not issued.
The case again entered the United
States Supreme Court and resulted in
that court affirming the refusal of the
| United States Circuit Court to release
| Lambert from custody. The Governor
thereupon fixed today as the date for the
execution of the negro, and has since
refused to grant Lawyer Semple's re-
quest to extend the time in order tc
have the case laid before the State Boa
0f Pard0nS