Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1897-12-23
THE EXTREME PENALTY.
William Carr, the Child Murderer.
Executed.
Hanged at Liberty, Mo.-The Hanging
Scene Taken by CInematoGraph, His
Recital of the Revolving Crime Had
Previously Been Photographed.

LIBERTY, Mo-, Dec. 17.-William Carr
paid the extreme penalty of the law on
the gallows to-day for the murder of
his daughter, whom he drowned in the
Missouri river. The body of the child,
Belle, three years old, was found Octo-
Der Is last.
After the execution it became known
that thrifty photographer had been
admitted to the Enclosure with cine
matograph machine and that he had
been permitted to photograph the
closing incidents of this revolving
tragedy in all it's details
The machine was in operation from
the moment Carr appeared in the in-
closure until the body was cut down,
and it is said that on film 1000 feet
long $4,000 pictures were taken. An
attempt will be made to exhibit these
pictures throughout the country.
When Carr was a prisoner in the
county Jail at Kansas City, the same
parties persuaded him to recite his
story of the murder into the receiver of
Rphonograph.
This morning at 1920 o'clock Sheriff
Jacob II. Hymer read the death war
rant to Carr in his cell. The con-
demned man was unmoved.
His arms then were strapped to his
sides and, preceded by Sheriff Hymer
and Deputy Cave and accompanied by
Deputy John D. Thompson. he left the
room, went down the narrow steps to
the north of the courthouse and thence
up the steps to the scaffold, which was
within few feet of the door, sur
rounded by a stockade.
Carr walked up the stairs without
assistance. and seemed to have himself
under complete control. While Dep
uty Cave was strapping his legs to-
gether, Carr said:
go ahead with this and waste nc
time" These were the only words ut
tered on the scaffold.
At exactly 1880 Carr placed himself
on the middle of the trap door, the
moose was adjusted, the black cap put
on and Sheriff Hymer pulled the lever
and the poor wretch fell seven feet to
his death at the ropes end.
The crowd around the scaffold be.
haved in a very disorderly manner
after the drop fell, and almost pre-.
cipitated riot.
CARR'S HORRIBLE CRIME.
VIII Carr'S crime was one of the
most brutal and unprovolxed in the
history of the state. His capture and
execution followed with fitting dis
patch. On October Is, last, the body oil
Belle Carr, three-year-old child by
the murderer's first wife, was found or
a sand bar in the Missouri river neal
Kansas City. The case remained q
complete mystery till October %
when Carr was arrested at hi:
home in Liberty. He at first denied
his guilt, but when brought to Kansas
City to prevent lynching, broke down
and confessed. Later Carr, who was 6
gaunt backwoodsman, 81 years old
told, without the least show of emo
ton, how he carried the child from her
home, tied her arms and limbs secure
ly, corded a heavy stone to the little
ones breast, and then, not needing her
query: what are you going to do. pa
PAP" threw her into the water. He adj
mitted that Mrs. Carr had told him tc
get rid of the child, and it developed
that she had been brutal to Belle, but
Carr maintained stoutly that his wife
had no hand in the crime.
For time Carr delighted in his
notoriety, and talked glibly to his Wis
itors of the crime. This was followed
by spell during which he begged tc
be done away with without delay. Al
his trial, on November 16, Carr was
convicted, promptly, and since then he
weakened perceptibly, and only q
week ago Sunday made an abortive at
tempt to commit suicide by swallow
ing pounded glass.