The Irish standard., 1895-05-11
BEHIND the BARS.
Claus A. Blixt Finally Taken to
Saltwater. :


A stirring scene was enacted IN 1hs
old county Jail Sunday afternoon one
which would have aroused sylnpa'nS
land interest anywhere, even II 1t were
Hess genuine. Claus A. Blixt, the COM
| nanion of Harry Hayward in crime 'ha
man who charges his downfall dlrec'iy
TO his companion, and the assassin WAC
fred the fatal shot into Katharine Glns
hrain nrayed on Bonded knee that harry
might be made to see the error oA n's
WAYS and that he might repent. ~
nrayer uttered with all the fervor OF
deyo,1t Christian, with an ACCOMPANY
nent Of tears. participated by the man
bearing a life sentence, and MS "lles
/ that was the striking event. 49,.
Pastor Skogsberg has for some tlnie
past been by slow degrees 1nstiii1hs ~
into the mind of Blixt that he must Tor
give Harry Hayward, before. ms en tsnt
tianity would stand its strongest test.
Mrs. Blixt has been telling the prisoner
the same story and re-enfcrcing the re-
marks Of the spiritual advisor. Here"
tcfore Blixt had steadfastly refused 10
carry his Christianity to the test, put
shortly after dinner was over anu Wneh
the cell was quiet, he suggested 10 MIS-.
Blixt that they pray together.
Then followed the strange anomaly OF
tbs prayer for Harry. Blixt asked his
| God to forgive any hard feelings that he
had in his own heart toward hayward
| and to bring him to His white throne OF
mercy where he would see the errors Of
his ways. When he had completed, his
swarthy countenance bore CHASTITY pail
| lor, tears stood in his eyes and ran down
his face, and it was evident that the
strain was all he could bear.
II feel better, now he said to Mrs.
Blixt, when he had completed his devo-
| tions. j.
When seen Sunday night in the west
half of the county jail, which Blixt had
all to himself, he was attended by his
wife, who spent the last night with him
and remained until Monday noon, when
he was taken to Saltwater to serve
life sentence. He looked fatfgued, and
in answer to a question, said he did not
| remember when he had ever before felt
so tired and worn out as he did that
night.
"There has been continual crowd
in to see me all day." he said, as he
seated himself in an easy chair to one
side of the main cellroom, land I feel
tired. Then the confinement has made
| ME weak, too, and the strain of the last
few days has broken me down. l will be
glad when I can get to work again"
When the question was asked whether
or not conference with Hayward would
change his sentiments or testimony,
Blixt said:
Before God and heaven. and looking
you straight in the eye, if Harry Hay
ward were. to stand here this minute
change my testimony, and was to tell
me he would kill me if I didn't, would
not change no, sir, not if knew that
was to die the next minute. ] told the
whole truth On the stand, and I have
nothing more to say about the case.
If am called to testify again, before
| God, I swear that I will tell the same
story because it is the TRUTH
Blixt's manner had changed with the
query. Els face reflected intensified
| emotion and his voice became hardened.
Half leaning on the elbow Of the chair
! and looking straight before him, he MAIDS
| these statements in such a way that
there could be no installing their mean
| ing.
When he had settled back again In his
| natural self he continued:
II would like to set myself clear on
one point. 1t has been gener ally known
that did net secure any money as a
result OF the awful act, but it is not
known that J refused to accept any nom
ey. / will swear before God in heaven
! that I never accepted an offer of money.
to do this, end that when Harry Hay;
ward made such offers absolutely re-
fused them, saying that no money under
the sun could buy HE to do such thing.
But he said:
wouldn't you take money II I threw
! it at you, wouldn't you take it then?'s -
II told him that 1 would not take
| money at all for any such work, and
absolutely refused to accept it when he
offered money to me. would like to
have that set right in Justice to myself.
OF course, I testified on the stand that
! was not myself He came to me num-
Der Of times and tried to get me to do
| the awful deed, but T refused. Then he
| dragged the whisky that night and I
| did what he wanted me to. In my state.
! Iuent to Odell said that he wanted me-.
to sign a receipt that bought the revolt
k'vsr with which the crime was commits,
ted. I suppose he thought I would did
from the result of the poison, but / did
not, so the note was no good to him"
Ice Cream and nusicaI Social.
! Next Tuesday evening, the 14th inst.
the first ice cream social of the season
will he given Inv the vi1lino y1yorl,.r, -