The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-02-23

ministrations. ! Mr. Heavey told Reid that
he had the death warrant and would read
it if he desired.
mo, 1 don't care. It's all right, sup
pose, sullenly replied Reid.
The hangman stepped forward and
quickly pinioned him, put the black cap
on his head, pushing it back over the
face, and putting the moose around his
neck The priests stepped on one side and
the march to the gallows was begun.
The jurors in the death chamber, hear
ing the shufrlng of feet and the voice of
the priests chanting prayers for the dead,
ceased their talking and removed their
hats First came the Under Sheriff,
then the hangman, and next the murderer
supported by the clergymen. Reid was
chewing tobacco and glanced at the jur-
ors in a careless way. Stepping under
the scaffold while the hangman was affix-
ing the moose. Reid suddenly spat out mis-
quid and shouted
This is not right. Larkins. ] ought to
have the same show as any other lnan.
They don't know whether the law is
right or not. The law that put me here
is Illegal
Here he broke forth into an incoherent
talk cursing man who had been good
friend to him. 1t was in vain that
Father Moran told him to appeal for
mercy to Jesus, Reid became more abu-
sive, and as the hangnlan pulled the black
cap over his eyes the wretched creatures
last word was a curse.
The next second the weight fell and the
murderer was jerked into the air. AS
the body swung backwards and forwards
the hangman stopped it. The murderer's
hands and feet twitched a little and there
was a slight movement of the head. DR..
McGill placed his hand on the murderer's
wrist and remarked that the radial pulse
had stopped quickly
There the hideous object swung from
the gallows tree for twelve minutes
after the weight fell and when each doc
tor had placed his ear against the breast
of Reid, DR.. McGill said, quietly:-"He's
dead"
The body was lowered to the floor and
the cap was removed from the face. He
looked like one asleep, but there was
broad red band around the neck which
told the tale Death was caused by stran-
gulation, and although outwardly heavy
man, yet, said the DOCTORS Reid had lit
tie vitality.
Here's the rope,'' said Van Hise, loos-
ening the moose from the dead mans
neck and holding it out towards Mr..
Heavy, but that gentleman wouldn't
touch it. and told the hangman to take
it into the Prosecutors office, where, in
few days, it will be labelled and will
have place in the dreary museum there
Reid's body will be buried by his rela-
tives.
When the tragedy was over and the
jurors had left the jail, a nervous look
ing man, who looked as if he hadn't slept
for a week, walked across Newark ave-
nue., and when informed that Reid was
dead, he laughed Historically and rubbed
his hands and shouted, my sons re-
venged' 1t was, some one said, the
father of the murderer's victim, Andrew
Henry.
Andy" Henry, member of the Dem
socratic County Committee. and of the
well known Bachelor Club, of Hoboken
was shot to death in Hoboken on Satur-
day night May IA, 1885, William Reid,
who fired the shots was locked up in
Hoboken Police Headquarters on a charge
of murder. 1t required the combined eff
forts of half dozen policemen to prevent
mob from lynching Reid. Henry was
one of the most popular young men in
Hoboken, being well known socially and
politically.
On Saturday night Henry left his home,
No. so Willow avenue, to attend a meet
ing of the Bachelor Club, at j. c. Volt
mann's hall, no. 1858 Newark street
Henry went to the hall, and met Allison
Mather, a well known real estate dealer
The two conversed at the bar for some
minutes. While they were talking Will
liam Reid, who is also a member of the
club, entered the saloon, and, walking
talk to him privately on the sidewalk.
We'll. Billie, what can I do for your
asked Henry. pleasantly, as the pair
reached the sidewalk.
These were the last word Henry ut
tered. He had scarcely spoken when
Reid pulled thrty-two calibre revol-
yer from his pocket and fire two shots
with a groan, he sank to the sidewalk.
He recovered, however, and ran back into
the saloon, with blood stained hands
end of the bar he sank TO the floor.
Reid, who seemed possessed of de-
mon, with smoking revolver, swept
aside those who had gathered and be-
fore his intention could be OWNED he
fired two more bullets into his PROSTATE
victim. Both balls entered the brain, and
death followed instanteously.
Allison Mather and Edward Watson
tried to take the revolver away from
Reid, and he threatened them. The sa-
loon was in an uproar when Policeman
Walter Haw, who was in citizens clothes
on his way to his home, rushed into the
saloon. He had been attracted by the
shots, and took the situation at
and took from him the revolver.
Then a new and serious difficulty con-
fronted the officer. The crowd was wild
with rage and tried to tear Reid from
limb to limb. Clubs, stones, balesticks
and other weapons were aimed at Reid's
head and he was now bleeding from
half dozen scalp wounds Haw was
compelled to draw his club and revolver.
to prevent the rapidly increasing crowd
from dealing summarily with the
cowardly murderer. Several citizens, no.
ticing Haw's predicament, telephoned to
Police Headquarters, half dozen blocks
distant, and Detective Fallon and several
other officers hurried to the scene.
When these officers arrived some of the
angry crowd had procured rope, and
lamp post. 1aw was battling hard to
save his prisoner, but he would surely
have been overcome and lynch law would
have prevailed had not reinforcements
arrived at the time they did Reid,
bleeding and trembling with fear, was
finally landed in Police Headquarters.
He refuses to discuss what he had done,
until he had talked with a lawyer.
He was thirty-nine years old, and single,
and lived on Clinton street. He was ar
raigned before Recorder Stanton and was