The Anaconda standard., 1896-03-24
SAYS HE IS HOODOOED
Still Biggerstaf Clings TO the Hope
That He Will Live.
A FRIEND" DESERTS HIM
Then Another One Starts Out With
a Petition and Gets Only as FAR
as a Saloon-He Must Die
Next Month.

Helena, March 23.-Wllliam Bigger
staff, the colored man who will be
hanged in this city two weeks from
to-day for the murder of Dick Johnson,
thinks that he is hoodooed beyond
doubt. In the first place, he is inno-
cent of the crime for which his neck
is to be stretched. That is, he thinks
so. Many men who are condemned by
law to die, admit the justice of their
fate. Biggerstaff doesn't. He believes
that he is the victim OF circumstances
and a conspiracy. Then, too. he is
thoroughly convinced that he did not
have a fair trial. He thinks that Judge
Blake and County Attorney Purcell
are gentlemen, and has said so public
ly. He blames all his troubles on
whiskey and his lawyers. 1t would.
perhaps, be more correct to state that
he puts the responsibility of his present
unlucky condition on his lawyers and
whiskey, for of the two he thinks his
lawyers have been his worst enemy.
He loves whiskey, he says, but he
doesn't his lawyers.
No attorney every worked with more
energy for his client than did Col. c.
b. Nolan for Biggerstaff during the
latters trial and subsequent legal pro-
ceedings. All Colonel Nolan has ever
received for his services from Bigger
staff was abuse He has never been
paid a dollar for his work except the
small fee provided by the state. Henry
c. Smith, who came into the case after
ct had reached the supreme court, was
paid 500 by the condemned mans sis
ter Mrs. Laura L. Ross, of Tallequah,
Cherokee nation. Biggerstaff does not
think that Mr.. Smith has acted in good
faith, and he openly says that Colonel
Nolan conspired with the prosecuting
attorney to "do him up" Neverthe-
less, in spite of the ungrateful fellows
accusation. his attorneys have done
what they could for him, charitably as
serting that they believed him insane.
Then, to add to his troubles and to
further convince him that the hoodoo
was still working, the friend whom he
had trusted deserted him in his great
est hour of need. A few days after
the supreme court had affirmed the
judgment of the lower court, Bigger
staff's attorneys prepared a petition
directed to the governor, praying for
a Communication of sentence to life i'm
prisonment. Biggerstaff put the petit
ton into the hands of George ID. john
son, who promised to circulate 1t. Big
gerstaff and Johnson had been friends
for about Is years. being associated to-
gether in Colorado as we'll as Montana
Several years ago, while .out hunting,
johnson accidentally shot about half
his neck away. Biggerstaff bound up
the wound and drove him like crazy
man to the doctors before he bled to
death. For three months, so he says,
he nursed Johnson like brother, walk
ing in winter weather more than a mile
to his house twice a day to dress his
wounds He finally brought Johnson
about all right and never charged him
a penny for his services. That is Big
gerstaff's story; Johnson may tell an
other.
When Johnson took the petition he
assured the condemned man that he
would quit all other work and devote
his time to canvassing for names to the
petition. Every few days he would
call at the Jail and tell the condemned
man that he was getting along finely
with the petition; that persons would
even go out to his house in order to
get an opportunity to sign 1t. When
the man behind the bars would ask
how many names were on the petition,
Johnson would give no definite answer.
He led him to believe. however so Big
gerstaff asserts, that there were sew
eral hundred names to the petition for
clemency. Finally IL was arranged
that johnson should take the petition
to Biggerstaff last Wednesday. He
promised to call at the Jail with il and
the condemned man anticipated consid-
erable pleasure in looking over the long
list Of friends who pleaded with the
came, but Johnson didn't. Instead of
taking the petition to the jail, he took
himself to the Northern Pacific depot
that night and started for Des Moines,
Iowa. leaving his friend and his petit
tion behind.
Biggerstaff heard next day that
Johnson had deserted him and he at
once instituted a search for the petit
ton. 1t was found yesterday in the
possession of Mrs. Johnson. II was
taken TO Biggerstaff who. on opening
il, instead of finding hundreds of
names, found but eight, one of the
eight being that of Mr.. Johnson him
self. That was disappointing. to say
the least. There remained only IL
days of life in which to act. and only
eight names to his petition for execu-
tive clemency.
johnson had met with discourage
ments from the start. He did make
an effort, though not an energetic one.
to secure names, but met with such
poor success that he quit. But he did
not stop telling Biggerstaff that he
was securing many names. Then he
hated to tell him the truth. so left.
johnson said before leaving. and
some who know Biggerstaff say the
same thing. that had he not made his
speech at the time he was sentenced
his petition would have had better
reception. Biggerstaff was allowed 10
speak Just before the court fixed the
day of his execution. The court room
was crowded in anticipation Of the
event. and Biggerstaff spoke for two
hours He criticised his attorneys most
harshly and complained OF his treat
ment at the Jail. alleging that he was
subjected to all sorts Of petty perse-
cutions. His speech did him much
harm and no good. II was made
against the advice Of his attorneys,