The record-union., 1896-06-13
TRIPLE MURDERER CRAIG.
He Yesterday Paid the Penalty Of His
FiendiSh Grimes.
His Execution at Folsom Prison
The Murderer Maintains
His Nerve.

AT 10 o'clock yesterday morning
murderer John Craig expiated his CRIME
upon the gallows at the Folsom state
Prison in the presence of quite throng
OF spectators. 1t was believed ehat
there would be a scene when Craig
marched to his death, but nothing OF
the kind happened. He was coolneSS IT.
self, even when he stood beneath the
rope destined to put an end to his ex-
tStence.
From a hangman's point Of view the
execution was perfect, and when the
trap was sprung Craig shot downward,
and after the first rebound straight
ened out without quiver, and While
his pulse beat for eleven minutes after
the drop to all intent death was instan-
taneous.
As the murderer stood on the trap
waiting for the attendants to ad-
just the straps he saw Jo-
seph Hunter, brother of his muir
dered wife and son Of the aged couple,
who paid the forfeit of his drunken
rage with their lives. The man so soon
TO die gave a start, and looking at
Hunter said: "Oh, Joe, love you'll He
then raised his head and stood SO until
the trap fell.
Craig slept but little the night before
his death, and complained of the wound
made by himself the day before in his
attempt to commit suicide. An autopsy
made on his body showed that his heart
bore two or three very slight punctures
made by the sharp wire used and the
doctors say he would have died in a
few days.
VoSfardav rYnrnincr CraiO han
tized in the Protestant faith by the
Prison Chaplain, and seemed resigned.
He maintained to the last that the
shooting of his wife for which he was
hanged, was accidental. Mr.. and Mrs.
Hunter, he said, had been instrumental
in taking his children from him, which
was the only explanation offered for
their murder. He expressed a deep
love for his children, and showed sor-
row that their lives should be blighted
by his action.
Craig, who was an ex-police officer of
Los Angeles, was sued by his wife for
d divorce, which was granted about two
months before the murder for which he
was yesterday hanged, the evidence
Showing that he had been cruel to an
extraordinary degree. He was the
a girl, the eldest of whom was but Z
Years old. The wife was given posses
Sion of the children, and this Craig
laid to the influence of her father and
mother.
Late in the afternoon of July %,
1894, Craig, in order to bring out
the brute in his nature, drank heavily,
and then procuring a team drove to the
Hunter ranch, eight miles from Los
Angeles where his wife was stopping
His wife saw him coming, and becom-
ing frightened called to her brother,
George, to come in and lock the door.
Upon this Craig walked to another
door, followed by George. This the
former did not like, and, turning with
out a word, shot him in the side Of the
head, making serious though not ia
tai wound His wife, hearing the re-
port, ran to the door, when Craig fired
at her. the shot striking her in the eye
and killing her instantly.
He then attempted to secure his chill
dren, but being foiled, got into the
buggy and drove back to Los Ange-
les TO the home of the father and
mother of his dead wife, whom he
found sitting in rocking chairs on the
front porch, and, without a word OF
warning, shot and instantly killed both
the old people. He fired several shots
into their PROSTATE bodies, and then
turned the gun against himself. But
here his nerve failed him, and he only
succeeded in iniicting a scalp wound
And yesterday the triple murderer
and twice attempted suicide paid the