Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1897-12-23
CARR Is HANGED.
CHILD MURDERER DIES ON
THE GALLONS,
Defiant at Almost the End Went to
His Death Without u Trace Of Emo
tIOn-An Unruly Mob Outside Broke
Into the stookade After the Drop Fell

LIBERTY Mo, Dec. IS William
Carr was hanged in an enclosure in
the court house yard here at 1O:35
yesterday morning for the brutal muir
der, Sunday, October 10, of his daugh.
ter, Belle Carr, who was years old.
The hanging was done quickly and
scientifically. Carr's neck was broken
by the drop through the gallows trap.
He died in. eleven minutes, and eigh-
teen minutes after the trap was
sprung his body was cut down. While
the body dangled at the end of the
rope mob from the outside ripped
and tore boards from the high stock
ade hiding the gallows and rushed in
laughing and yelling. They surged
so thickly against the scafFold that it
swayed back and forth, and looked as
if it would be pushed down.
Carr made no statement before he
went to the gallows or while he stood
on the trap. He walked upright and
without apparent fear or nervousness
The last words hesaid were;
] Don't delay; go straight ahead. "
This was in an undertone to Deputy
Sheriff Ed Cave, while his ankles were
being bound as he stood on the seat
fold. Ten minutes before he was led
out to be hanged he called a preacher
to him and said:
'Go and see my wife, and tell her
and the boy good-by for me And tell
her want her to meet me in heaven"
Not word did he say about his
crime. He left no message for his
own daughter, May, and did not even
mention her name.
Mrs Carr sat in her home six blocks
from the court house and awaited the
news of the hanging. 1t was carried
to her by her brother as soon as it
was over. Whether she mourned or
not will never be known. Her name
was spoken with curses and angry
threats, because the people of Liberty
believe she instigated the murder, il
she did not do 1t herself There is no
direct evidence that she killed the
child, and she is not charged with
that; but she is under indictment for
manning little Belle and cruelty treat
ing her, and she will be tried for this
in January.
Carr awoke at o'clock, after sleep
ing soundly for two hours. He re-
manned on his cot, with his face buried
in the pillow, until o'clock, when he
arose. He looked wearied and his eyes
were sunken and surrounded by blue
circles.
twas 1915 o'clock when there came
a knock at the door. The sheriff
entered and with him were dozen
sheriffs from other counties, among
them ex-Sheriif j. B. Nipp of Well.
ington, Kan.
"Mr Carr, I'll read this warrant to
YOU" the sheriff said. He unfolded
the typewriter death warrant. 1t
was rather long and the sheriffs
voice trembled as he read. Carr sat
bowed oyer in his chair and
preacher stroked his back. When the
sheriff ended Carr stood up quickly
and faced him There was not trace
of nervousness about him. He stood
erect with his head down. His ewes
were dry. The sheriff shook his hand
and said good-by. Others did the
same. Then the deputies hastily
strapped his hands and elbows to-
gether Bareheaded, dressed in coarse
shoes, jeans trousers, blue shirt and
faded blue coat, Carr followed the
sheriff out of the room. Deputies
held Carr by each arm to steady him
down the narrow, winding, icy stone
stairway that led to the stockade.
They led him out into the crisp morn
ing air and up the stairway to the
gallows,
Sheriff Hymer led the procession.
Behind him was Carr, led by two dep
uties, Behind them were Rev. Mr..
Ewing and Professor Love, his spirit
ual advisers, Marshal Chilcs and Dep
uty Marshal Cashier Welch of Kansas
City and Sheriff Peter Kerth of st.
Louis These were all that were on
the scaffold Carr was halted in the
center of the trap
Don't delay 1t; go straight ahead,
said Carr to Deputy Ed Cave, who
stopped and in moment had the
broad strap bucl1led around his
ankles While Cave was doing that
another deputy was drawing the
moose tight around his neck. The
black cap was tossed over his head,
and pulled down, the deputies sprang
away from him, Sheriff Hymer
reached and pushed the lever and
Carr's body shot down through the
trap
It WINS not more than minute from
the time Carr halted on the trap till
he was dangling at the end of the rope.
The sheriffs from other counties said
it was the best" hanging they had
ever seen. During the minute that he
stood on the gallows Carr did not look
up lie kept his head bowed aud
looked at the floor of the scaffold.