The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-12

The RECORD FOR HANCiNCS
More Men Have Been Hanged mt Fort
smith Than at Any Other spot.
From the New York World.
The town of Fort Smith, Ark. holds
the record for hangings. 1t may prop
erly be called Gallows City. No other
town OF IL, 900 people has been the scene
OF so many authorized executions. In
a prominent place In the town. alone
and grewsome. stands the gallows, on
which 80 men have been hanged. Be-
tween IL and the United States jail,
about 100 yards away, is well-worn
path. made by the condemned and their
keepers on execution days. For 20 years
the gallows has stood at this spot.
The gallows itself Is unique. 1t Is
about 20 feet square and is covered
with a shed roof. The trap is 20 feet
long and will accommodate 10 men at
once. That number has never dropped
drought IL together. however, although
10 were once to be executed on the
same day. Three of the condemned
men secured combinations, so that
only seven dropped simultaneously to
death. This broke all records of this
gallows, and has probably never been
equaled in the United States or any
where else. IL is possible that 1t ma
be broken before long. as there are now
80 men and one woman In the United
States Jail at Fort Smith, all under
sentence of death.
Surrounding the gallows is a stock
ade about % feet high. This effectually
shuts off the executions from the pub
lie. This really seems unnecessary, as
the Fort Smith people care little about
such things. There is no crowd around
the tailyard when an execution occurs,
and few apply for admission inside the
inclosure This is doubtless because the
legal killing of a man has no longer
the fascination OF novelty.
All OF the men who have been hanged
were guilty of crimes committed in the
Indian country. The court has turis-
diction of offenses against the United
States laws when committed In Arkan-
sas and has jurisdiction over any Of
Tense committed in the Indian country
When first created the court covered
the entire Indian territory. As the pop
ulation increased slices were taken on
and given 10 other judges.
At present Judge Parker's court only
covers the Cherokee and Seminole ma
rfons and part of the Creek and Choc-
taw nations. Next September the Ju-
risdiction of this territory will be
taken from him and given to three
courts to be eStablished-one at Mus
kogee, one at McAlester and the other
at Ardmore. After that Judge Par
ker will preside only at trials for Of
lenses against the postal and internal
revenue laws, as do United States
judges in eastern states Personally
Judge Parker is extremely popular. He
lives in an elegant home, takes a prom
inent part in social affairs and Is
greatly interested I'm the public schools.
He is a polished gentleman, and his
appearance and manners do not indi-
cate that he ever gives a thought 10
judicial affairs outside the court room.
Until four years ago there was no
appeal from a decision made by Judge
Parker. AT that time the United
States court of appeals was established
and since then nearly all the capital
offenses tried before Judge Parker
have been appealed. Judge Parker's
decisions have been reversed in many
instances. There are now two men In
Jail i'm Fort Smith. each OF whom is
awaiting the action Of the higher court
on their appeals. and each Of whom
has been tried three times and SEN
fenced to death. Former appeals Sc
cured new trials for them, and they
may be successful again, but Judge
Parker declares that they will be
hanged ultimately.
George Maledon, a small German
with a nervous manner and a brisk
way of talking, OBLIGATED as hangman
for long time He hanged IS guilty
men on the lonely gallows that has be-
come famous. and he proudly boasts
that he never made n bungling job and
that the neck Of every man was
broken by the fall Maledon was paid
$50 for each man he hanged. He was
attached to the Jail as a guard. Three
years ago he was replaced. chiefly be-
cause he was too proud of his distinc-
tion and talked too much of NJ. The
man who took his place made a fright
full bungle of his first execution. The
victim was a slight young fellow,
Weighing less than 100 pounds. and the
drop was not long enough TO break his
neck In some way the knot slipped
under his chin so that the wlndpipe
was left partially open. The unfortu-
nate wretch hung for over an hour be-
fore death relieved him. Learning a
lesson by this the hangman dropped
his next victim eight feet. This time
the victim was a heavy man. and the
long drop not only broke the neck. but
jerked the head almost off the shout
ders, the blood drenching the corpse
and the physicians who were witnesses
of the execution.
Many of the citizens Of Fort Smith
insist that the court, and especially the
gallows. Is a black eye To the town
! They say that eastern people never
hear of Fort Smith excep. in connec-
tion with a hanging. and that this
keeps away a desirable class OF immi-
grants. on the other hand. the court
officials point To the fac. that nearly
all of the quarter million dollars paid
TO maintain this court Is spent in Fort
Smith and Is no small factor in sup
porting the population.