The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-02-21
HORRIBLE WORK AT A HANGING
THE ROPE BREAKS AND DROPS THE
MURDERER TO THE FLOOR.


Floor Moaning and GrOaning.
Then He Suddenly Gets on Hiz
Feet ana Begs for Death-He Lies
ON Slab in the Morgue While "a
New Rope Is Being Procured.
St. Loais. Mo. Feb. 2O.-AIismanage-
ment. incompetency and torture oficiated
at the hanging Of James Fitzgerald in
the Four Courts Jail yard this morning.
Two reprieves had heightened out the
misery OF the condemned. At u o'clock
midnight Gov. Stone telegraphed from
jefferson City that the hanging should not
take place before 10 o'clock this morning.
When the tower clock struck TO- Sheriff
Troll still hesitated. At this moment the
sheriff received the following telegram:
FEB. 20. a. m.-Henry Troll, Sheriff:
1 decline to further interfere in the case
of James Fitzgerald. You can only, there
fore discharge your duty. w. ]. Stone.
Governor"
Then the solemn procession from the
condemned mans cell began, Father Mac
Erlane, reading the prayers of the dying.
supported Fitzgerald to the foot OF the
scaffod. Sheriff Troll led him to the trap
and adjusted the rope and hood and the
concealed man said: "All right"
At exactly 1917 o'clock the trap was
sprung. Fitzgerald's body shot downward.
Instead Of stopping when the ropes end
was reached. there was a sharp snap. a
wall from the unfortunate wretch and
Fitzgerald's body lay writhing on the
ground. The rope had broken. Officers
AT once rushed to the spot and found
Fitzgerald was still alive and conscious.
MY God; my God; my throat" he
Before the horror-sticken watchers
could touch him. he arose STANDING i'm
MID MID the black cap over his face and the
Drohen instrument of death dangling
from ms neck he walked into the morgus'
where he was given stimulants He was
more n,'d anxious than his executors for death
when a second rope was called FOR none
was TO be had, and Fitzgerald Law moan
g lilg on slaD IN the morgue, while a mes
senser was sent a distance of nine squares
for a new rope. -
Father McGrlane bent over the body Of
EIrttt.seraid ana reetted prayers. Once
Fitzgerald raised his hand and DulIed fhe
nead or the priest to his face and whis-
pefed earnestly for a half minute What
i tilat communication was Will never be
SHOWN, nut the face of the priest then
an ashy pale, turned scarlet and tears
fell from his eyes,
AZ l0A5 o'clock the messenger arrived
with a new rope which was quickly adj
Jusled ana Fitzgerald was carried to tha
scaHOld IL was necessary for two dem
aty sherifrs to hold him up while the
moose was placed. Fitzgerald's oniv
words were pleas for haste
Al ll;O2 O'Clock the trap was aratn
sprung. At ll:l5 o'clock the ATTENDING
physician pronounced life extinct and the
corpse was given to relatives
I0 say that the community is indignant
al the sheriff and his assistants Is pIttina
II mildly Sheriff Troll says an the usns1
rests We're applied to the death apparatus
before the hanging, and the horrible
scene at the first attempt was wholly due
70 some defect In the rope that could not
be foreseen. S
On the night of September %
1894 Fitzgerald killed his sweethearf
annie Nassens, and attempted sui.
cIde' but only injured himself slightly.
The two had been lovers for years ard
Fltzgerald's jealousy caused freouent
quarrels. All the evidence was circum-
stantial. Nin