The Topeka state journal., 1897-12-17
MOB OF DEMONS.
500 Fiends With Screams,
Curses and Laughter
Break Down the StOckade Sur
rounding the GallOWs
On Which Child Murderer Carr
Was Hanged Today.
DROP FELL AT 1924
Carr's Neck Was Broken and He
Died in Two Minutes.
Broke Down, Giving Way to
Sobs and Trembling.
CROWD WAS FRANTIC.
Wanted a Close View of the
Hanged Man.
Sheriff Was POWerless to Stop
the Surging Mass.
Carr's Neck Was Broken and lie
Died in Two Minutes.
Broke Down, Giving Way to
SObs and Trembling.
CROWD WAS FRANTIC.
Wanted a Close View of the
Hanged Man.
Sheriff Was POWerless to Stop
the Surging Mass.

Kansas City, Dec. 17.-William Carr,
the child murderer, was hanged at the
Clay county court house at Liberty, at
1o-34 this morning.
Carr passed a restless night. When
breakfast was brought to him he turn
ed from it with disgust and lighted
cigar and stood for q long time looking
out of his window. Presently the un-
dertaker arrived and asked Carr what
disposition he wanted made of his body
Let my wife take care of it; Oh, let
her take care of it, he exclaimed with
a sob. His spiritual advisers followed
and urged him to face his fate like
man
IN try" Carr sobbed, that's the
best can do"
The Bible was read to the prisoner.
followed by the singing of hymn, dur
ing which Carr sObbed and trembled
like a child.
A little after 10 o'clock the gallOws
was tested and found to work perfect
". Inside the death cell. Carr sat with
his face turned toward the wall Min
listers sat with him constantly, some
times talking to him, sometimes read
tng from the Bible, but most of the time
sitting in silence.
In the intense stiffness a knock
sounded at the door In came the sher-
In holding pink paper in his hand. He
was followed by a line of deputies and
other officers, some with black straps
in their hands.
Carr moved never a muscle His
head was bowed down to his knees. The
sheriff opened the paper and began
reading the death warrant in a hasty
nervous way. Carr did not hear: he
had no ears now, nor eyes, nor other
senses. He had but one fixed idea and
that was that he must die.
When he was asked to rise up. he did
So He CROPPED about like a man in the
dark: he could not see things: he had
q n hTz
caught his hands and bound them to-
gether with straps; then his arms were
bound fast to his body and he was hur-
r1ed out He staggered on the steps
but the officers supported him When
he was led up the steps to the gallows
he seemed stronger. He stepped out
qulte hrmly over the trap door and
stood on it with his heels together and
his body slightly stopped. The strap
around his knees and that around his
ankles were quickly adjusted. The
moose was put down over his head the
black hood slipped on and the trap
pulled. It seemed that it was all done
in the time it takes to draw a breath
Carr presented pitiable sight as he
was finally led to the gallows but
braced himself spasmOdically and went
through the ordeal with a comparative
show of strength. The sheriff pulled
the trigger at 1924 and two minutes
later the life had gone out of the child
murderer. The neck was broken
cracking like whip cord
1nO07eDt9TV
after the drop had fallen the mass Of
500 spectators. as If moved by a single
impulse. rushed forward. calling crv-
ing, shrieking and laughing as they
surged under the gallOws and packed
close around the dangling corpse 1t
would not be satisfied until a close
view of the hanged man was revealed.
me men were angry and cursed one
another; tried to force themselves uD
the gallOws steps and cried and hooted
at the sheriff Finally in their excite
ment, the crowd attempted to break
down the barricade surrounding the
scaffold. Sheriff Hymer rushed through
the first breach and excitedly warned
the crowd against any further violence.
The sherif's deputies ranged about him
and the crowd halted for a moment
Then suddenly with one accord a
mighty scream was sent up and surg
ing forward, the crowd swept hack the
guards and burst their way through
the fran stcckade. Once in the street
the crowd gave vent to its feelings
with further shouts but finally dispers-
ed without trouble, and what for few
minutes looked like a small sized riot
ended quietly.
Mr. Cars crime was one of the most
brutal and unprOvOked in the history
of the state. His capture and execu-
tion followed with fitting dispatch.
On October 10 last. the body of Belle
Carr. 3 year old child by the muir
derer's first wife, was found in a sand
bar on the Missouri river, near Kansas
City
me case remained a complete mys-
terry until October %. when Carr was
arrested at his home in Liberty. He
at nrst denied his guilt but when he
was brought to Kansas Citv to prevent
lynching, broke down and confessed.
Later. Carr who is g gaunt backwoods-
man 81 years old, told. without the
least show of emotion. how he had car
ried the child from its home, tied its
arms and limbs securely, corded
heavy stone to the little ones breast.
and then, not needing her query:
What are you going to do, papa %
threw her into the water
He admitted that Mrs. Carr had told
him to get rid of the child. and it de-
velOped that she had been brutal to
Belle. but Carr maintained stoutIy that
his wife had no hand in the crime.
For a time Carr delighted in his no
tOriety and talked glibly to his visitors
of the crime. This was followed by a
SPELL during which he begged to be
done away with, without delay At his
trial on November 16. Carr was con-
vtcted promptly, and since then he has