The Holly chieftain., 1897-02-19
.DUESTROW HANGED.
st. Louis Millionaire Wife Murdere-,
Hanged.
WAS CANE At THE VERY LAST
Quilt Trying to Work the Insanity hodge
Before Leaving the Jaii-Re-
fused to See spiritual
Advisers.

trow. the St. Louis millionaire, who. on
February Is, 1894, shot and killed his wife
in that city, was hanged here in the court
yard OF the county jail al 12:5e p. m. to-
day.
Not until this morning, when he arose.
after fitful nights rest and saw for
the first time the gallows upon which he
was to die did he show any signs of a
realization of his fate. For the first time
since the crime was committed. three
years ago, he shed tears. Turning from
the window from which he had got a
glimpse of the engine OF death, he began
to sob like child. He put away all SEM
blance of insanity, which he had carried
out for so long time. and groaned: II
know I've go. to die" he said; II KILLED
my wife and child. but 1t was not my
fau.t. II was something within me that
made ME 90 IT, was not myself
These words were repeated over and
over again as he lay on his cot in his
cell. tears flowing fast and sobe occa-
sionally checking his utterances.
The condemned man had called himself
General Brandenhurs of the United
States army, and assumed military air.
This morning he wrote the following
message to his attorney and asked to
have 1t sent to Governor Charles j. John
son. st. Louis Mo-"
~ am in a predicament. Intercede
with Governor Stephens for me imme-
diate.y. l now need your advice l was
insane. but 1t did no good. nave moth
ing left but hope of forgiveness.
(Signed)
"A. F. w. BRANDENBURG."
The sheriff took the message. but did
not forward 1t. as requested.
II was but short time, however. be-
fore the condemned man regained his
composure. He talked with all his vis-
tors. and even smiled. This was prob
ably the result of the sheriff's order re-
scinding one made yesterday that the
prisoner should not be allowed to have
any whisky. At 10 o'clock he decided
that small doses should be given Dues
| trow from time to time to keep his cour-
age up, and Duestrow was much graft.
fled.
The condemned man walked to the gall
lows without trenor. and mounted the
steps to his doom without shadow Of
fear passing over his face. He died as
General sRrs sdenburgp eauietly and
bravcly, bidding last farewell to the
men who had fought to save his life.
AT 1890 Sheriff Putchta uttered tine
jail to read the death warrant to Dues
trow. The crowd all about was so
dense 1t was almost impossible to get
near tie place. A rope fenced off a
space about twenty feet wide and fifty
feet long. Here the deputies. twenty-five
in number. patrolled backward and for
word, keeping back the crowd. When
the newspaper men attempted to enter
the iail they were denied admittance. The
sheriff had promised that they might be
present at the reading of the death war;
rant, but changed mis- mind at the last
moment. They were even denied admis-
sion within the.ropes. The sheriff was so
excited that he did not know what ne
was doing.
ON THE SCAFFOLD.
It was but few moments before the
hour OF o'clock that the door of the
jail opened and the prisoner. accompan-
led by the sheriff and his deputies. made
their appearance in the court yard. The
| p1 1isoner looked like a walking corpse,
save for the light in the brilliant dark
| eyes that not even the confinement of
nearly forty months could dim. He was
clad in a black suit, turn-down collar
and light Fedora hat. His head was
erect. The sheriff looked really more
perturbed.
AS they came to the stockade door the
deputies swung 1t back and the little
party passed in.
Up the steps they came and behind
them came the newspaper men. at last
accorded the privilege of seeing the exc
cution. The work on the scaffold was
speedy. Duestrow placed himself on the
trap. Sheriff Puchta bound his arms be-
hind him. his knees and ankles together.
One woman passed him as he stood
there suffering. She was newspaper
woman.
Have you anything to say?" she ask
| ed almost ready to faint herself.
Eyes, let US have war" said the pin
| ioned man.
The grusesome work went on. The
ropes were all fast.
Arthur Duestrow." said the sheriff,
"have you anything to say?"
II am not Duestrow" was the quick
| rejoinder. slowly spoken.
Have you anything to say?" repeat
| ed the sheriff.
II say that we have war;" said the
man. II want to say that dying illeg-
ally. i am not the man who killed that
woman. 1t is all a mistake"
'I wish that some of you would give
my kind regards to Governor C. p. John
son. Say good bye to him for me. Say
good bye also to the Countess Won Bran
denburg.
II want to say furthermore that, while
cannot comprehend all this. there must
be something wrong. 1t is beyond rea-
son. have tried to do my duty all my
life. l have ordered to the best OF my
ability and done what seemed to me to
be right"
Hero he hesitated a moment and the
sheriff made a move to put the black
cap on his head. He nodded little I'M
patiently. let the faint trace Of smile
flash over his thin wan face and cried
out once more: "Say farewell to Gov
ernor Johnson"
The black cap was adjusted. The
moose was slipped around his neck by
the sheriff's own hands. Deputy Kreck-
ell took hatchet In his hand to cut the
rope that held the trigger.
"Good bye, Duestrow," said several
men on the scaffold. There was no re-
sponse.
Ready" called the sheriff. Kreckel
raised his hatchet, down 1t came. fash
ing IN the sun: crash went the trap and
Ducstrow plunged through. The rope
frightened and stretched. The execution
was perfect. Duestrow dying In twenty
minutes from strangulatlon.