The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1899-11-14
Governor Smith Refuses to Com
mute His Sentence to Life
imprisonment
SCAFFoLD Is READY
Brooks shows Signs OF RestlessMesS,
Has Not Lost His Appetite.
Invitations Issued,

Murderer W. q. Brooks and the gal,
lows, and tho condemned man hNs but
nine days more Oh this earth. YesteF'
auy, IN Helena, IN answer to the re-
quest Of Bruoks' attorney TO commute
his sentence TO life i~mprisonMenh 6ov'
ernor Smith refused 10 show executive
elemeney, In refusing the petition tho
governor says he believes tho crime was
cold .hlooAed and that Brooks was sane,
The e%overnof's letter to Brooks eouA.
sci IL M tollowss
Dear Sir. | have examined into
Your petition Tor communication OF the
sentence Of William g, Brooks
"k'rom this petition II Nppeaps that
Brooks had a fair and impartial trial
and this was affirmed on appeal, On
the appeal the supreme court did not
deem the newly discovered evidence
sufficient to entitle Brooks to Il new
trial. and the evidence which you now
present as new evidence Of Brooks In
sanity IN OF the same character IA tho
afAdavits presented to the supreme
court, and would only DO cumulative,
not new or different
III Brooks IL insane, tho law pro.
vides II method for trial OF that Ques.
ton, and the fact that aA examination
made by the court oonviAees Judge
Loud that he Ia sane, 10 sufficient to pre-
vent me from netting adversely 10 the
court, From the facts disclosed II was
Il cruel, eold.bloodeA murder, and there
has been no showing that would wal.
rant me In interfering with tho son.
tenoe Of the court. Very respectfully,
Robert B. Smith, Governor"
Everything Ia practically In readiness
for Brooks hanging, The seaifold,
which Ia a tbree.pieee arrangement, Ia
constructed and will be placed n po.
sition this week, when the rope, weight
and lever will ba tested. The rope
which 10 TO hang the condemned man
was made pusposely for Salmon, who
was hanged Ia Red Lodge last Febru
AIRY, and Ia strong enough TO stsaAgle q
dozen Murderefs. The straps used Ia
that hanging will also serve Ia Brooks
oase, There IRE three, ons 10 strap tho
legs together, another eoing around
the body, ut the waist, which fastons
the arms tight, and one out from that
fastening the hands.
There Ia no doubt but what Brooks
has commenced to show signs Of unaasi
ness v his impending doom. Since
the death. has been placed over
him he has been very restless, pacing
up and down his cell all dny long, aud
Ia faet would do likewise nj night, but
Jailer Harding has felt II necessary 10
tic him down Oh bis bunk at night, He
Ii kept gagged nearly all the time, but
bis mouth.pieee eanses him no ineon.
v%enienee. He IL allowed 10 have full
control Of HIS oratofieal powers three
or four hours u day, and he avails him.
self OF the opportunity, bat II IL plain
TO bo seen that ho does not sing nor OK.
hort with the same energy as hereto
fore. He Ia not the robust person that
ho was when he entered the jail a year
ago, and ID IL not to bo wondered at,
When arrested and imprisoned he
weighed about 1876 pounds, but II IL
doubtful X no will now weigh 100
p, unds. f1e continues to ent with tho
snino appetite, and since being resan.
fenced, u couple Of weeks npo, has been
fed three times q day and does ample
Justice to every meal,
Sheriff Hubbard In receiving requests
daily from all parts OF Montana and
Wyoming for I'M invitation to witness
the hanging. Az the spaee wherein
the execution will tnko place ~ rather
limited. the number Of spectators will
probably not bo over ona hundred,
sheriff Hubbard has had invitations H.
sued, containing tho following, which
ure being sont out Of tho city
lyon nro hereby invited 10 witness
tho legal execution Of W, 9, Brooks for
the murdo, OF his wife Jennie Brooks
ON thu 18th dry of November, 1893,
Tho execution viii tnke place In the
city OF Billings, Montana, on Friday,
tho cath day Of November, 1901, be-
tween thu hours Of Y u, III, and 2 p, m,
"Ga0, w, Hubbard,
oShapiff M YolloWstona Oounty,h