Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1900-06-12
TOCHEAT THE GALLONS
Murderer Hummel Learning
How Not to Be Hanged.
HOW HE PRACTICES IN HIS CELL.

Jumps on His Cot With . Rope
MuscIes-Can Swing Unhurt-Hopes
to Survive Three Trials on GaRows
and Then Go Free.
"Say, if they don't hang me in three
tries will they let me go?'
The man that asked this question OF
the New York World correspondent the
other day at Williamsport, Pa, was
William Hummel, who is to be hanged
on Tuesday, June ), for the brutal muir
der of his wife and three lovely chill
dren. He is the remarkable prisoner
who has learned boxing, performing on
the bars, turning handsprings and cal
isthenics in order to keep him alive for
the gallows. And now, strangest of all,
he is practicing hanging in the hope
that he can cheat the hangman's moose.
'I'll tell you my secret if you keep it
quiet" whispered HummeL 1--WE got
a rope under my bed, and I've been
practicing hanging on the dead quiet
l fasten the rope to that bar up there
and then jump off the bed. Say, do
you know 1 can jump two feet now and
not get hurt a bit?
''You see, by exercising the muscles
of my neck I've got it so that l can
hold out all right. Just before jump
ing off throw my head back as far as
can, and the rope slips up against my
jawbone and the back of my head. If
L don't tire out before the third time, l
think / can pull through all right. 1
only got hold of the trick after hard
practice"
Hummel has become impressed with
the idea that it is illegal to hang a man
more than three times, and he hopes to
hold out that long. He is perfectly
cheerful and keeps improving in phys
ical form every day. He can easily
best any one of his keepers now with
the gloves. He sat on his cot cheer
fully smoking a big cigar and protest
ing that it wasn't fair to hang him. He
regrets his horrible crime, but doesn't
believe in worrying about it now.
ct was all over, just like a horse
race, and lose in the stretch" he ex-
claimed.
Hummel has mapped plan for the
remainder of his earthly existence.
He is a spiritualist and says that spir-
it's often visit him in his cell. He has
the rest of his time on earth marked on
the walls of his cell, and when the re-
porter was talking to him he had it
figured out that he had just 233 hours,
or 1880 minutes, or S3S, 800 seconds,
left. Hummel plans to keep at his
athletics till the Saturday before his
execution; then he will rest in order
to keep fit for his effort not to be hang
ed in three tries.
ION Saturday, June g." he continued,
"I'll be real good. l guess I'll get up
in prayer meeting and say something.
On Monday 1 want to have a little
show-singing Of popular songs, turns
by a banjo and concertina, some skirt
dancing, and I'll do an athletic exhibit
ton. I'd like to go to the circus on
Tuesday and then return for the hang
ing, but l don't suppose the sheriff
would let me do that.
$50 instead on Monday night I'm go
ing to have a regular layout, with pie
and cake and lots of good things to
eat. 1 can't eat much for breakfast,
so don't think I'll eat anything Tues
day morning. On the gallows I'm 60
ing to make a speech. 1 haven't de-
cided what I'll say, but I'm a talker
when I get started"