The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1895-12-12
He MEETS DEATH BRAvELY
Hayward's Wonderful Firmness
on the ScaffoId.
While sho Faces of tho sheriR and Depu.
tics Were Blanched, he Smiled and
Josted to the Last-He Led the Cheer
Ing for tho Sheriff and Told the Lat.
ter to Pull the Moore Tight.

gamblers phrase upon his lips and d
cold smile upon his face, Harry Hay-
ward faced the eternal this morning.
Pull her tight, I'll stand pat" These
were the last words he uttered as the
deputy. with blanched face and tremb-
ling hands, pulled the well-soaped
moose as tightly about the murderer's
neck as he could in order that death
might come the more quickly and the
more surely.
1t was twelve minutes past o'clock
when Sheriff Holmberg pulled the lever
and thus released she trap upon which
harry Hayward STOOD. In just thirteen
minutes County Physician Frank Burton
declared that the swinging figure, in
which no. movement or struggle had
been observed, was that Of dead man.
The hnal act in the tragedy had been
played, and the curtain had been rung
down on the career Of the chief actor.
The coolest man st his own execution
WAS Harry Hayward. Debonair as ever,
what had seemed mere affectation dur.
Ing his jail days, now became the cour-
age and Indifference OF q man who WAS
ct least not afraid to die. There was not
man OF the little knot of privileged
i,
whose heart thumped more loudly and
approximately than the one which was
40 soon to ceaee Its beating; not q face
turned more ghastly than his in the
gruesome light. It vas o scene never
20 be forgotten when at last after what
had seemed endless hours of waiting,
the death march appeared at the door.
The one gas jet had been turned of
and the room was illuminated only by q
locomotive headlight suspended about
four feet from the floor opposite the
scaffold. The huge cone Of light threw
horrid distorted shadow OF the engine
OF death on the rough whitewashed
stone wall behind. Two nooseg were
diacernable, both we'll tried and tested,
one being held in reserve. a deputy had
carefully chalked two circles where the
feet OF the doomed man was to stand and
had outlined the trap that there might
be no mistake in the uncertain light.
The chief deputy mounted the soaf-
fold where Warden Wolfe, of the State
penitentiary, ex Sheriff Winn Bracket
ahd Sheriff Ohsppell, of st. Psul, were
already waiting, and directed that every
hat BIO removed and that there be no
smoking. squad of policemen filed in
and made psssageway for the death
party. Meanwhile the prisoner had
$3.50
black silk robe had been put on and the
black cap adjusted.
Suddenly the door was drawn open.
Then came three hoarse cheers for
Sheriff Homberg, then three for Hav-
ward, led by himself, and ending with,
Hes all right" It was awful for such
demonstration led by 8 man on hls
way to meet his death. As the cheers
died away the sheriff appeared, fol-
lowed by the prisoner between the depu-
ties. Harry Hayward entered the death
chamber with the same easy stride that
marked his promensdes when he was O
swegger youth in society.
"Good evening. gentleman" said he in
clear and even tones as he came int the
room, wearing his sombre garb 80 isunt-
lily that its grotesqueness was forgotten.
he made his way up the stairs to the
scatfold and slipped on the unaccustomed
gown. This amused him, and he laughed
at the first step. AS he strobe upon the
trap the deputies looked more like
frightened children hanging to a parent
than officers of the law.
Carefully placing his feet on the
marked spots. he drew his splendid fig
ure to Its greatest height and glanced
about with calm face, occasionally
frightened by 8 smile of recogn Ition as
he recognized friend in the crowd.
Upon being asked II he had anything
TO say he made some parting remarks to
friends present in the coolest manner;
said he freely forgave his brother
for eny imaginary wrong the latter
thought he had done him; asked in q
meaningless tone forgiveness Of his sins,
and, this concluded. said: II guess
that's all. Nov Phil. Megsarden, 60
ahead"
The straps were quickly adjusted. AS
the moose settled down over his head,
he said: Lets see, where does the
knot go. under the righs ear? No. it's
the left, isn't II? Please pull 1t tight.
That's good. Keep mp your courage
gentlemen"
The prisoners face purpled slightly
as the moose sightened and the visor Of
the black cap WAS turned down. 1t was
Harry's last glimpse OF earth.
Pull her tight; I'll stand pat" he
said. Megaarden stepped back. raised
hio hand in the fatal signsl and like q
shot the body dropped through the
opened trap. There wasn't tremor or
wiggle. The spectators waited broth.
lessly while the doctor listened to the
futtering heart. Thirteen long minutes
passed, Dr. Burton stepped back, and
the spectators began to file out. A
deputy loosened the strap that bound
the hands.
1t lie supposed that the lengthy auto
biography which Hayward dictated to o
stenographer last night contains COM
fession of numbering Catherine Cling as
we'll So sensations of crimes in which he
has been involved. But the real facts
Will not be known until HE statement