The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-02-23
REID HANGED.
Henry's Slayer Pays the
Penalty Of His Crime
This Morning.
EXECUTION DELAYED An HOUR
Under Sheriff Gives a Rea-
sonable Time for Ar
rival of Reprieve.
SCENES In THE JAIL LAoI Niuni
Murderer Launched Into Eter-
nifty Cursing His Bene-
factor in a Scurrilous
Speech.
SCENES IN THE JAIL LAST NIGHT

William Reid, murderer of Andre"
Henry, of Hoboken. paid the penalty oi
his fearful crime by being hanged TINS
morning in the County Jail. The weight
fell at Ills and life was extinct Twelve
minutes later. The doomed man showed
great grit. walked to the scaffold CHEW
ing tobacco and a moment before he was
launched into eternity made scurriious
speech. cursing one who had befriendeo
him.
Reid all day yesterday and up to the
last moment today believed that the eff
forts of Lawyer Charles ]. Peshall to
secure a stay would be successful. IL was
because Under Sheriff j. P. Heavey
wished to give him every chance that the
execution was delayed one hour Nothlhs
was heard from Peshall, who was sup
posed to be hunting up a United states
Supreme Court judge. Indeed, Mr.. Peshall
was at the Jail last night and ne toio the
murderer to hope. When the lawyer ieis'
Mrs. Maxwell, sReid's sister, ana her nus
hand. together with Reid's brother anu
cousin. called and remained with MIN up
TO half-past nine o'clock. When ms Sis
ter was about to leave she threw her
arms around his neck.
..oh, Bill, this is dreadful she soppea'
"this will kill me, too
Reid cried a little and then assured ms
sister that there was chance OF oelis
reprieved for time at least Ihe part
ing scene affected the death watch ana
they turned their heads away. Iheh III
came Rev Fathers Moran and Falk, from
ST Joseph.s r. c. Church. The gooa
priests talked with him long and earnestly
and Reid expressed desire to be bap-
tized and although it was midnight
Father Moran went back to the cnurch
and returned with the sacred vessel ana
the solemn sacrament took place AFTER
the clergymen left Reid sat on the cage
of his bed moodily looking on the hoof.
Occasionally he would talk with keepers
Connaughton, Tierney and Ryan ne
stretched himself on his bed and ieil
asleep at half-past two this morning Inc
last sleep was as sound as that OF tired
child and only once did he turn. As the
clock pointed to $50 he opened his eyes
and stared wonderingly at the death
watch.
..Guess it's time to get up he exclaimed
and looked for his clothes. There was
new black suit lying on the chair in pace
of the garments he wore the night before.
Reid looked with surprise at the keepers
one of whom said:-
Its all right, they're yours"
Then like flash it dawned on him that
this was his last day on earth and ne
slowly put on the clothes which in a few
short hours he would wear at the gaiicws
tree and in the grave.
ssWell, this is all up with me-" he SAID,
and passed the back of his hand across
his eyes.
..What would you like to eat?' asked
one of the death watch.
..Some Coffee bit of steak will do
Reid replied, and not long after they were
brought and he ate sparingly. during
the meal he referred to the noise he had
heard yesterday afternoon in the corrl-
dor below and wondered what it meant
That noise was made by Hangman Van
Hise putting up the scaffold.
All this time people in the street outside
were gathering at the corners opposite the
jail and filling up the sidewalks on New
ark avenue. Chief Murphy and Captain
McKaig and Kelly were in command of q
force of policemen who kept the sidewalk
outside the Jail clear. No one was per-
mitted to pass unless their business was
known. Hangman Van Hise even was
stopped by policeman. That gruesome
individual had just returned from trip
to a nearby saloon when the officer placed
his hand on his shoulder and told him he
couldn't enter the jail.
.But I'm the hangman," said Van
Hise-
"Heu.v exclaimed the policeman, taking
his hand away quickly as if the execu-.
TONER had been charged with electricity.
van Hise grinned and walked in the JAN
A few minutes before ten o'clock the
iury appointed by the Court to witness
the hanging assembled and were sworn
IN bv Court Clerk Fisher They were:-
Dr. J. D. McGill, DR.. J. E. West. Dr.
p. chabert, John Folk, G. Rohrbeck,
Mavor L. Pagan, H. Vanderbeek, r. +.
Routh, C. F. Nettleship, B. r winters
g. H. Bowly, F. T. Lockwood. In tne
Sheriffs office were the Sherin jury
consisting of r. Schlemm, G. j. Horn
ung. Al. c. Pfenning, G. II. Donaidson'
william J. Moran, F. Wolff. Ira Miller
I. Hef1ich. DR.. J. j. Nevin, j. r. MAIDEN,
W. McComb and the newspaper men. Al
ter waiting for an hour, headed by un-
der Sheriff Heavey, the jurors walked IN
pairs across the Court House park ana
were admitted to the corridor on the
west side Of the jail, where hangfngs al
ways take place At the south end, par
allel to the wall, was the scaffold, black
and forbidding The jurors lined up on
e;tl,er side and all .eyes were turned to
the door, through which the doomed man
was to appear.
While they were waiting, Under Sher-
ia Heavey went to the murderer's cell
and informed him that his time had ar
rix,ad Reid was with the clergyman and
success comes TO those who persevere. II
Won take Hoods Sarsaparila faithfully ana