The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-23

CENTER CITY, March 23.-With the
Wintry moon struggling to mingIe It's
pale light with the dull glim Of the
kerosene lamps, which lit up the IN
! cOuth enclosure which but poorly COW
cred the scaffold, George Kelly was
! hanged shortly after midnight at this
place as a penalty for the brutal muir
der last July at Wyoming of Edward
Paul and Jacob Hayes. The hanging,
the first during the term of the present
sheriff, was quietly arranged, and no
detail was wanting in the dignified exc
cution of the law. Kelly was marvel
of nerve and possession, and from
the moment the death march began
until the deadly drop fell he was ap-
parently under perfect self-control.
After an evening of considerable ten
sion all visitors were forbidden the
condemned mans CELL and he was told
to prepare for the end. He donned a
| quiet suit of black which Sheriff An
derson had provided, and settled down
on a chair to finish his cigar He grew
more thoughtful, owing, no doubt, to
Judge Nethaway's request that he have
a minister. DR.. Nelson sat outside the
cell, read passages from the Bible and
offered short prayers which Kelly heard
attentiveIy. At 1915 Sheriff Anderson
drew up a chair and read to the man
the death warrant. Kelly listened,
but made no sign. The time passed
very slowly, but beyond slight pale
ness and an occasional nervous move
ment he seemed unconerned
and half an hour later he was notified
that all was ready, and he rose briskly
! and permitted the deputies to put on
the black gown and pinion his arms.
EX-Sheriff Anderson led the way, fol-
lowed by the prisoner and DR.. Nelson,
the missionary and the sheriff. In the
rear were Deputies Vaughan and Sc
yer, and slowly the little party went
across the district court room, down
the main stairway and back through
the rear office into the scaffold struct-
ure, where there were gathered the
visiting sheriffs and a few spectators
The windows of the court room were
filled with spectators also, who looked
down on the weird, dimly lighted spec
tacle
Kelly mounted the scaffold with
firm step, and, looking neither to the
| right nor left, took up his position on
the trap. Both he and the minister
knelt, and Kelly repeated slowly and
9,- e.
er the minister. Dr. Nelson rising
said: May God have mercy on your
SOUL This, too, Kelly said after him.
AS DR.. Nelson stepped aside to allow
the sheriff to adjust the moose, Kelly
said: II want to say [ am leaving
this world without a hard feeling for
anybody on earth" He hesitated a
brief instant, and upon being asked
if he was through added: Il have
nothing further to say
The sheriff deftly placed the moose
about Kely's neck, put the knot be-
meath the left ear and drew it up slight
ly, then pulled down the black cap.
hiding the face from view. Il guess
that's tight enough" he said, and
scarcely had he said the words when
Sheriff Anderson sprung the trap.
and the body shot down straight the
full nine feet. There was not a tremor
visible, and after the body had swung
around once or twice, Drs. Soderling
Kelly and Erickson the last named
being the county coroner, felt for pull
sations at the heart and wrists
The drop fell at precisely 1856, not
withstanding which the pulse beat
steadily for four minutes, when it grew
weaker, and at the expiration Of six
minutes Kelly was pronounced dead.
When the body had been cut down at
the expiration of sixteen minutes, the
medical men found that the knot had
slipped around to the back of the neck
and that the unfortunate mans neck
was broken, death being practically in
stantaneous. The remains will be in
TERED some time today in the potter's
field, near the poor farm, just thirteen
miles from the spot where the wintry
winds are chanting a sad requiem over
the grave of the poor dishonored dis
graced Bob Wilson, the partner in
crime, who lies buried at North
Branch.