The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1897-02-17
DOLLARS UNAVAILING.
Money Could Not Save Due
\ strow's Worthless Life.
dIIs WIFE AND OHILD AVENGED.
Ghs millionaire Murderer Played tho In
sanity Dodge on tho scanold, Asserting
I That he Was Not Arthur Duestrow--A
LILO Ruined by indulgence.


\ That he Was Not Arthur Duestrow-A
LILO Ruined by indulgence.
Union, Mo-, Feb. 17.-Dr. Arthur
Duestrow, the st. Louis millionaire
murderer, was hanged here In the
court yard Of the county yesterday. A
few hours before the execution took
place Duestrow threw off the mask Of
insanity and sobbed like woman.
The Condemned man. who had sim
nlated insanity since the day Of the
crime, kept up his role until Monday
evening, when by his questions and
answers, 1t was evident that he keenly
realized that the end was near. and
that his own efforts and those of his
attorneys, aided by an abundance of
wealth were without avail in the bat
ale for life. When the sheriff asked
him If he wished to see minister or
priest the murderer turned away with
the sneering reply: II have no use for
them" During his last night on earah
he slept soundly.
He arose shortly after o'clock, and
Ahen, for the first time in three years,
uhe broke down, and his usual air OF
naughty indifference gave way to one
Of despair, He begged the guards to
save him from his fate, and requested
that messages be sent to Governor
Stephens intercedlng In his behalf. To
nearly every visitor and attendant
Duestrow appealed for assistance. One
message he wanted sent was signed
rGeneral Brandenburg," Of the United
Etates army, character he had as
sumed while felgning insanity.
The murderer partook Of a scanty
Breakfast, and when 1t was finished
1hrew himself on his cot and gave way
10 a burst Of tears. He sobbed convul-
sively, and cried out frequently: on,
God; this is terrible!"
1t was but short time. however, be-
Fore the condemned man regained his
composure. He talked with all his
visitors, and even smiled This was
probably the result of the sheriffs
brder resembling one made on Monday
fhat the prisoner should not be al
lowed to have any whisky. At 10
D'clock he decided that small doses
should be given Dusstrow from time
10 time to keep his courage up, and
Duestrow was much gratiiied
1t was but few moments before the
ehour of l o'clock that the door of the
Nall opened and the prisoner, accom-
panied by the sheriff and his deputies,
made their appearance in the court
gard. The prisoner looked like walk
ing corpse, save for the light in the
frilliant dark eyes that not even the
confinement of nearly 40 months could
dim. He was clad in black suit,
furndown collar and light fedora hat
His head was erect. The sheriff looked
really perturbed.
The work on the scaffold was speedy
puestrow placed himself on the trap
Sheriff Puchta bound his arms be-
hind bim. his knees and legs together
One woman passed him as he stood
there suffering. She was q newspaper
&oman.
"Have you anything to say?" she
asked, almost ready to faint herself.
eyes, let us have war" said the pin
loned man.
When asked by the sheriff II he had
anything to say he declared he was
not Arthur Duestrow and added:
II say that we have war. l want to
say that I am dying illegally. 1 am
not the man who killed that woman.
II Is all a mistake. l wish that some
pf you would give my kind regards to
Governor c. p. Johnson. Say good-by
TO him for me. Say good-by also to
The Countess Won Brandenburg. I
want to say, Furthermore, that while
oil hn,
must be something wrong. 1t is be-
Bond reason. have tried to do my
duty all my life. l have obeyed or
ders to the best of my ability. and
done what seemed TO me to be right"
Here he hesitated and the sheriff
quickly proceeded with the work of
death The execution was perfect.
Duestrow dying in 20 minutes from
Birangulation.
Although a graduate of medicine, DR..
buestrow never made apretense Of
practicing, his time being spent In
TiotOus living. His home at No. 1724
Compton, avenue was a handsome one,
and his family life there would have
been happy but for his dissolute
habits. On Feb. 10, 1894, Duestrow
drove up to his home in a sleigh with
the intention of taking his wife and
child out riding. He was greeted af-
Iectionately by his wife, but responded
In surly manner.
With no excuse whatever he accused
his wife of keeping a disorderly house.
He would listen to no reason, and
finally became frenzied, knocking her
Hown several times The climax came
when the doctor pulled out revolver
and shot his wife, wounding her SO
That she died after several days of in
kense suffering. Then taking up his g.
year-old son, Louis, whom he had
played with and caressed but a short
lime before, he held the child at arms
length against the wall and blew his
brains out
From the beginning Duestrow tried
to make people believe he was insane,
and his attorneys. Ex-Governor Charles
r. Johnson and Charles T. Noland, did
everything in their power to carry out
that idea. His first trial resulted in
a disagreement, but on second trial
ne was convicted and sentenced to
hang. Several appeals were made to
the state supreme court to grant
new trial. and when these failed Gov
ernor Stephens was asked to give the
prisoner a respite until the case could
be carried to the United States su-
preme court, but he refused to do SO.
II Duestrow, by the terms of his
fathers will, would draw $6666.66 a
year as long as he lived. Duestrow's
Father, Louis Duestrow, died few
Years prior to the murder. leaving an
estate Of $2O0O,0OO. Money was spent
lavishy in the murderer's defense, his
only relative. sister, contributing
largely from her fortune. Physicians
lind scientists were paid fabulous fees
10 swear that Duestrow was insane
land 1t Is said the trial cost the de-
Sense $250,O00. Ex-Governor Johnson
deceived $4,000 for his services.
/ Duestrow was 80 years old.
%<~N~e-~~~.NseSrSN>~>~