The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-06-13
CRAIG HANGED IN
FOLSOM PRISON
Displays No Fear as He
Mounts the Gallows
Stairway.
TRIUMPH OF THE LAW.
Selt-Inficted Wounds Would Soon
Have Cheated the
Hangman.
Cad PUNCTURED HIS HEART.
An infatuated Femlle Claims the
Body - The Murderer's
Crime.
Cad PUNcTURED HIS HEART.

SACRAMENTO, CAL, June 12.-John
Craig, who so nearly cheated the gallows
yesterday by stabbing himself with a
weapon made of a piece of wire, was
hanged at Folsom to-day. He met death
with the greatest GOODNESS and fortltude.
He displayed not the slightest symptoms
of fear when, in company with his guards,
he stepped from his cell door at 10 o'clock,
and he took the three or four steps neces-
sary to reach the floor of the gallows with
out any assistance. Excepting for pale
ness, which could we'll be attributed to the
severity OF his self-inf1lcted wound, he was
apparently unconcerned over the realiza-
ton that his time had come to die.
AS the doomed man stepped upon the
trap he cast rapid glance over the up
turned faces of those who had gathered to
view fellow-mortal launched into eter-
nifty, until it rested upon the person of his
brother-in-law, Joseph Hunter, who had
come to see the last of the murderer of his
father, mother and sister. On seeing
Hunter Craig gave a sudden start, and
then, fixing his eyes upon him, he slowly
and clearly said, in voice tinged with the
deepest sarcasm:
"Oh, Joe, love you."
second later his body shot through
the trap, and the old biblical law, "He
who sheds mans blood, by man shall his
blood be she'd" was fulfilled.
After shooting through the trap, the
body barely quivered. and eleven minutes
later the physicians pronounced Craig
autopsy disclosed the fact that the MUIR
derer's heart had been slightly punctured
in three places by his wire weapon yester-
day, but not to a sufficient depth to insure
instant death, although physicians ex-
pressed the opinion that he could not have
lived longer than two days.
Craig's body was afterward conveyed to
the train and brought to an undertaking
establishment in this city. 1t will be in
tered here tomorrow. 1t is said that
female admirer of the dead man, who be-
came infatuated with him after his arrest
and who visited him few days before his
execution, afterward begging for the body,
is paying the funeral expenses. On her
application for admittance to visit the
doomed man the gentleman who accom-
panied her was plainly informed by War
den Aull that she would be granted fif-
teen minutes interview with Craig, If she
in reality had any business TO transact,
but that no sickly sentimentality would
be allowed. 1t is limited that by her con-
nivance Craig obtained the weapon with
which he so nearly ended his life, but lit
tie faith is placed in this rumor.
The crime for which Craig suffered the
extreme penalty of the law was sangui-
nary butchery. Its righteousness was in
tensitied by the fact that those whom he
slew had been bound to him by the ties of
marriage.
On the evening of July %, 1894, Craig,
who had been but a few months separated
from his wife, the latter having procured
a divorce because of his dissipated habits,
drove to the Hunter ranch near Tropico,
where Mrs. Craig was living in quietude
with her three young children and her
brother, George Hunter. He arrived at Z
o'clock and Mrs. Craig told her brother not
to allow him to enter the house.
The front door was locked and Craig
went to the back door just as Hunter
came out. Without warming Craig raised
his revolver and fired, the bali hitting
Hunter in the right cheek, wounding him
seriously.
Mrs. Craig was close behind her brother
and the now enraged man turned the re.
volver on her. The bullet struck her in
the left eye causing instant death. Craig
Jun ped over the bodies or his victims and
rushed into the house in search of his
children, whom he evidently intended to
kill. The servant girl, however, had man.
aged to get them safe distance from the
house and his search was unsuccessful.
Craig then fed from the house and
jumping into his carriage drove to the
home of his wife's father and mother, Mr.
and Mrs. William Hunter, who resided on
Buena Vista street in the suburbs of Los
Angeles. When Craig drove up the de-
fenseless old couple were sitting on the
porch enjoying the evening air. Craig ap-
preached and drew his revolver. His
father-in-law jumped from his chair and
rushed toward the frenzied man, but be-
fore he reached him a bullet from Craig's
revolver struck him in the right side and
he fell dead. Mrs. Hunter attempted to
jump over the bannister when a shot
struck her in the left side and she expired
in second.
After his frightful butchery he attempted
to kill himself, but only inflicted a slight
scalp wound.
The murderer's only defense was that
his victims were working against him and
a gauzy story that William and George
Hunter were conspiring to kill him. He
was tried on but one charge, that of MUIR
dering his wife, on which he was convicted
and sentenced to death.