The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-10
A WYOMING EXECUTION.
Marksmen Concealed in n Tent shoot
the Prisoner With n Target Ove-
His Heart.


His Heart
Evanston (Wyo) correspondence of the
Salt Lake Tribune.
In a sage-covered fiat, whose stilIness
before had been broken only by the dolafr,
howl of the coyote, Patrick Coughlin o,
plated the crimes of Palmers cabin
Twenty minutes after the execution tbo
plain was again surrendered to the eovota
and the jack-rabbit.
Coughlin died as he promised-gane
With scarcely a tremor he viewed the
preparations of death. and without ona
sigh of regret he submitted to the bIacl,
cap and the mortal destruction that fol-
lowed it fast. No man could have dis.
played more unfinching courage. The
only indication of the feeling that rsnt
his breast came when DR.. Leo was pin
ming over his heart the white paper tar
get for the concealed marksmen Cough
lin appeared for a moment to catch his
breath; then again calmness possessed
him.
The scene of the execution was about
twenty-five miles directly north of the liz
tie cabin near Wasatch, where Dawes and
Stage were killed. 1t was the first execu
ton in Rich county's history and though
it created no little excitement, not more
than 200 people assembled to see Cough
Inns taking off. Though comparatively
small in numbers, the crowd was much in
earnest. Many were armed with Winches-
tiers, in apprehension of some overt act
that might follow the numberless rumors
ahoat. But none occurred, happily.
The execution passed off without hitch.
1t was exceedingly well planned and man
aged. No miscalculation was made.
Coughlin is not believed to have even
heard the report of the rifles. Death was
not instantaneous, though insensibilitv
seized him at the moment Deputy Sheriff
Caverly gave the word to FIRE. Four min
utes later he was pronounced dead. Ii
was part of Sheriff Dichson's arrange
ments that he should arrive on the place
of execution at 1920 O'Clock. which, with
an allowance of ten minutes for final
preparations, would fix the event itself for
1880 o'clock. At the time agreed upon
almost to minute, the canvas-covered
wagon of the sheriff, surrounded by
mounted guards, rounded a corner of the
Hill a short distance off.
The wagon was driven rapidly up in
front of the chair, and it's occupants dis
mounted. A very few minutes after the
fateful word was given, the rifles rang
out in a volleying chorus, and the last
act of the Dawes-Stagg tragedy had been
completed by the expiation of the crime.
Sage Hollow, the scene of the execution,
is a little depression in the fats, about
three miles north of Woodruff All about
is a cherries waste, with here and there
a low hill that scarcely breakes the mo-
notony of the view. To the north a cou-
pie of miles is a spur of the Wasatch
mountains, at the base of which ripples
the Bear river. In the middle of the hol-
low the chair of execution was placed,
facing the east. The chair was a common
oak affair with rounding arms. Its legs
were fastened to stakes driven deep
ly into the ground, while its back was
supported by two heavy planks. Thirty
feet from the chair was the rifemenS
tent at the west side of which were five
apertures, just below the junction point
of the roof and the side wall. The most
southerly of the apertures was directly
opposite the chair, the remainder being
at slightly varying angles to the north
ward Two hours before the time fixed
for the execution by Sheriff Dickson the
early arrivals at Sage Hollow began.
Those first upon the ground were Deputy
Sheriff Calverly of Evanston, Wyo.. and
the five men selected by him to do the
actual work of inficting the death PEN
atty At $50 o'clock they arrived. Be-
fore the coming of the next quota, CAL
verlys men had practiced several times
the duty they were to perform. From
that time they remained within the little
tent that had been erected on Monday.
Who they were none knew, and none
sought to learn. After the crowd had
dispersed the quintet of sharpshooters
emerged from their canvas tent, un-
known and unseen.