Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1897-02-16
THE PENALTY'S PAID
Deustrow Hanged at Union, Mo-,
and Negro Murderers at
Clayton, That State,
SLAYERS OF PEARL BRYAN
Strained Relations Said to Exist
Between the British Govern
ment and Belgium.
THE OPINION MoULDERS

UNION, Missouri, February 16.--
Arthur Deustrow was hanged at
O'Clock, this afternoon.
Shortly before l O'Clock, Sheriff
Puchta notified Deustrow that his last
hour had arrived, aud the march to the
scaffold began. Deustrow was ap-
parently unconcerned. On the scaffold,
the sheriff asked him if be had any
thing to say. He replied: sMay l
say few wordsP'' 81 wish to say
that a big mistake is being made here.
l am General Bradenburg, of the
United States army. / am not the
man whom you accuse. ! am not the
murderer of woman and child. !"
The condemned man hesitated, the
black cap was placed over Deustrc VS.
head, and the trap was sprung.
Deustrow's neck was not broken and
In eight minutes he was pronounced
dead.
Arthur Deustrow shot and killed his
wife and only child, boy aged eigh-
teen month"; at 4 O'Clock in the after
noon of, February 18th, 1894. For
sometime, the millionaire medical
student had lapsed from duty to his
young wife. On the day of the tragedy.
he spent several hours in drinking.
When he went to his home, he was in
famed with drink and staggered up
stairs where his wife met him. He
struck her blow that felled her. He
then took his boy, aged eighteen
months, and went down stairs, but re-
turned very soon with pistol in
his hand. "Don't shoot, Arthur,
you're drunk I" said his wife.
sI'll show you who's drunk!" he said,
and he fired two shots into her body. |
He then shot the child. With smok-
ing revolver in his hand, he ran into
the street and surrendered to police
man. The child died at once, but Mrs.
Duestrow fingered unconscious for four
days. From the day of the tragedy
until the drop fell, to-day, notable
legal battle has been fought by Due
strow's attorneys TO save their client
from the gallows. By the terms Of his
fathers will, Duestrow received life
income Of $4,000 yearly.
IThe crime for which Arthur Duestrow
was convicted and sentenced to be hanged |
was one of the most brutal in criminal an |
mails. o. February 18th, 1894, he went to his
elegant home, near Compton and Lafay-
cite avenues in the city of st. Louis. He had
been drinking heavily all day. His wife
was waiting, in pleasant anticipation OF
his taking her and their infant child out
for sleigh ride. Duestrow left the sleigh
in the care of the driver and entered the
house. A female servant did something
to displease him, and he attempted to
strike her. His wife interfered, TO save
the girl, and thus attracted the druukard's
anger to herself. He brutally struck her
twice with his clenched fist, knocking her
against bed. 1t was not the first time he
had beaten her. He got his pistol, and
notwithstanding her entreaties, fired two
shots at her, with the weapon almost touch
ing hor body. She fell unconscious to the
floor. After one glance at her body, the
drink -crazed brute seized his child and
held it against the WALL placed the pistol
against it's little breast and fired. Then he
rushed from the house and surrendered to
the police.]
THE DAY SET.
FRANKFORT, KY, February 10
Governor Bradley has fixed Saturday,
March goth, as the day and date for
the execution of Jackson and Walling.
PAID THE PENALTY.
ST. LOUIS, Missouri, February 16.--
Peter Schmidt and Samuel Foster, col
ored, were hanged at Clayton, Mo,
this morning They murdered Bertram
Atwater, Chicago artist, in the month
OF January 1895.