The Butler weekly times., 1896-02-27
THE ROPE PARTED.
James Fitzgerald Arose and
Walked Away.-Sherlff Sends
Nine Blocks for a Rope.
MEANWHILE THE CONDEMNED
MAN IL CONSCIOUS AND
SUFFERING.
Awful Blunder at st. Louis in the
Execution Of James Fitzgerald,
w 10 Murdered Annie

Execution of James Fitzgerald,
who Murdered Annie
NaesseAs in 1898.
ST. Louis, Feb. 20.-Mismanage-
ment, incompetency and torture Of
fciated at the hanging Of James
Fitzerald in the Four Courts Jail
yard this morning. Two reprieves
had heightened out the misery of
the condemned At II o'clock, mid
night, Governor Stone telegraphed
from Jefferson City that the hang
ing should not take place before 10
q. m. This gave every one but Fitz
gerald hope of communication, as the
parents of the murdered girl had
wired strong pleas to the governor
for the condemned. Father McEr-
lane labored assiduously to comfort
his charge, Dut Fitzgerald was in.
different. The 200 spectators in the
Jail yard were far more impressed
than he as they counted the minutes
of life that still remained for him.
When the tower clock struck ten
Sheriff Troll still hesitated.
At this moment the sheriff receiv-
ed the following telegram:
FEB. 90, 9:40-Henry Troll, sheriff.
decline to further interfere in
the case of James Fitzgerald. You
can therefore, only discharge your
duty. w. j. STONE, Gov.
Then the solemn procession from
the condemned mans cell began.
Father McErlane, reading
the prayers for the dying, supported
Fitzgerald to the foot of the scaffold
Sheriff Troll led him to the trap
and adjusted the rope and hood.
and the concealed hangman 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, wall from the unfortu.
nate 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 con.
scious. "My God My God! My
throat" he groaned. Before the
horror stricken could touch him he
arose. Standing up with the black
cap over his face and the broken in
strunent of death dangling from his
neck he walked into the morgue,
where he was given stimulants. He
was more anxious than his execution.
ers for death, and begged that the
end come quickly. When a second
rope was called for none was to be
had, and Fitzgerald lay moaning on
slab in the morgue, while a mes
senger was sent distance of nine
squares for new rope. Father
McErlane bent over the man and
said prayer. Once the man pulled
the priests head to his face and
whispered earnestly for half min
ute. What that communication was
will never be known, but the face of
the priest, then ashv pale, turned
scarlet and tears fell from his eyes.
At 1870 the messenger arrived
with new rope which was quickly
adjusted and Fitzgerald was carried
to the scaffold. 1t was necessary
for two deputy sheriffs to hold him
up while the moose was placed. Fitz-
gersld's only words were pleas for
haste. At lilo a. m. the trap was
again sprung. At Ills the attend,
ing physicians pronounced life ex-
tinct and the corpse was given to
relatives. To says that the com.
munity is indignant at the sheriff
and his assistants is putting it mild
ly. Sheriff Troll says all the usual
tests were applied to the death ap-
paratus before the hanging, and that
the terrible scene at the first attempt
was wholly due to some defect in
the rope that could not be forseen.
Why 1t Supports Mckinley.