The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-05-08
REMARKABnn CRIMINAL HUNG.

The Death of Murderer Holmes Yesterday The Scene at the Scaffold-His Iron
 Nerve Held Out to the End--His Horrible
 Career of Crime.
 Philadelphia, May 7.--H. H. Holmes, the confessed murderer of twenty-seven persons, was hanged at the Moyamen- sing prison this morning.
 The drop fell at 10:12 o'clock.
 It was not until a half hour later that he was pronounced dead.
 His neck was broken by the fall.
 The marvellous nerve of the man never deserted him to the very end Even on the scaffold he was probably the coolest person in the solemn as semblage.
 Tn a few words he proclaimed his in- nocence of any murder, including that for which he was convicted and hanged.
 He declared that the only wrong do- ing in the taking of human life for which he could be held responsible con sisted in the death of two women who had died as the result of criminal oper- ations at his hands He did not name these victims.
 Holmes spent the greater part of his last night on earth writing letters.
 At midnight he went to bed and slept soundly until 6 o'clock this morning.
 AWOKE ONLY TO DIE.
 It took two calls to awaken him.
 He received visit from his spiritual advisers, Fathers Daily and Macpeak, of the Church of the Annunciation. They administered the last sacrament and left him until o'clock.
 During their absence Holmes ate a breakfast of eggs, dry toast and coffee.
 At 10:02 o'clock the sheriff called to- gether the official jury and after each man had answered to his name and sub- scribed to the certificate, the solemn march to the gallows was begun.
 As the gathering stood in intense si- lence before the scaffold a murmured sound came from behind the petition erected immediately back of 1t. It was the dolorous chant of the two priests accompanying the doomed man to the scaffold, They were uttering the psalm Miserere. ~
 At 10:0S they mounted the fatal plat form.
 A moment of prayer elapsed and then Holmes stepped to the front of the scaf- fold and resting his hands on the rail before him made his statement of inno- cenee. It was received in absolute si- lence.
 Two minutes later he had finished his valedictory.
 ON HIS KNEES IN PRAYER. Then at silent signal from the fixed on the crucifix clasped in his thin hands.
 Until 10;12 the prayer continued. I'm mediately afterwards he arose, shook hands with the priests and his lawyers and in firm voice bade them "good by
 Without an instants delay his hands were bound behind him, and the black cap adjusted.
 Sheriff Clement placed the moose about his neck and after an instant o1 terrible stiffness the crack of the bolt rang out like a pistol shot, and the murderer had fallen to his doom. Consciousness left him instantly, ,sai6 the doctors, although his heart contin- ued 8 feeble beat for fifteen or twenty minutes.
 After an examination had been made by several physicians Holmes was pro | nounced dead, and the swinging corpse was cut down.
 HOLMES LAST WORDS. A half minute before Holmes was sho into eternity he made this declaration to the assemblage gathered about tht | scaffold:
 Gentlemen, have very few words t say. In fact, would make no remark: at this time except that by not speaking I would appear to acquiesce in my exc cution.
 T only wish to say that the exten ! of my wrong doing in taking human If,