The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-08-13
BORN TO BE DROWNED.
Murderer Whom the State of
Washington Has Made Seven At
tempts to Hang.

| A Murderer Whom the state of
Washington Has Made Seven At
tempts to Hang.
From the Chicago Times Herald.
| Seven times has the state of Wash
ington tried to hang Charles Nord-
strom. convicted in 1891 of the murder
of William Mason, and seven times has
| the state failed of its purpose. During
| the ten years of this effort Nordstrom
has been a prisoner in the Kings coun-
ty Jail, while his attorney, former Con-
gresham James Hamilton Lewis, has
| fought for, his life. Last Monday Seat
| tie and the whole state thought the old
man was finally cornered, and that the
| hanging was to come off. The United
| States Supreme~Court on that day de-
| MED Nordstorm's appeal for a dis
| charge on the ground that the State Su-
preme Court had refused him a review
of his case. But the hanging is now
| further off than ever. A defect has
J been discovered in the new hanging law
passed by the last Legislature, which,
it is believed invalidates it as to all
persons now under sentence of death or
who may be sentenced to death before
June IA. Nordstrom's plucky attorney
will test this law in the courts before
any execution can be had.
Nordstrom's case is without parallel
in the United States. He has been
seven times tried for murder, seven
times sentenced, seven times saved, and
ten years in prison during all This
time That he is guilty there is little
doubt, but he was convicted on circum-
stantial evidence, and his frequent re-
| prieves are superb illustrations of how
| the law can be used in these days for
purposes of jugglery.
During the summer of 1891 Nord
strom was employed as a laborer on
the William Mason farm, at the sum-
NIT of Cedar Mountain, near Seattle.
| A dispute arose over wages, and Nord-
strom, when it was ended, felt that he
| had got the worst of it, He told Ma
son that he would get even with him.
Mason laughed at him. Nordstrom
| left his employ. Meeting a neighbor
on his way from the farm, he said:
"I'T kill old man Mason"
| The neighbor thought nothing of it.
| Several days later Nordstrom was in
| Seattle where he purchased a Win
chester rifle and then disappeared.
Three nights later William Mason was
shot dead at his supper table. The
| murderer stood outside a window, rest
| ing his weapon on log fence. The
| family dog was found near the gate
with his head crushed in with an axe.
There were boot tracks near the win
dow. Far away light could be seen
| in Nordstrom's cabin, but he was not
| in sight
The next morning the cabin was
found empty, and pursuit of Nordstrom
| was started. Two deputy sheriffs found
| him near Gilman walking towards Can
ada, with his rifle over his shoulder.
| They captured him after a struggle,
and he was brought to Seattle and
| lodged in the county jail Dec. z, 1891.
He had no money nor friends, but
| James Hamilton Lewis took his case,
and he has kept him alive ten years.
| On his first trial Nordstrom was con-
victed and sentenced to be hanged. His
attorney appealed the case on the
| ground that during the trial he had
been compelled TO incriminate himself.
| The court had compelled the prisoner
| to fit on pair of boots which had been
found near the scene of the murder.
The state Supreme Court did not agree
| with the attorney that Nordstrom's
case had been injured by this. and or
| dered the sentence OF the lower court
carried out, but nearly a years delay
had been secured through the proceed
ings. The prisoner was again SEN
fenced to be hanged, and then came the
second appeal.
This was an application for a writ
| of habeas corpus, on the ground that
the verdict of the jury was Guilty. as
proved" and as the presentment was
murder in the first. second. third and
| fourth degrees. Nordstrom could not be
| held for more than the lowest degree.
! The Supreme Court could not agree
| with this, but Nordstrom got another
year of life, and was feeling very
| cheerful AS for the county courts
they were already furious over the de-
lays secured by the adroit Lewis. Again
was Nordstrom sentenced, and third
| appeal came.
Attorney Lewis told the Supreme
| Court that Nordstrom was a Swedish
| citizen, and therefore entitled to a trial
before a grand jury. Not having had
this. Lewis moved to dismiss all the
| proceedings. The court gave him a
! stay of execution and delberated for
a year over his plea only to come to
| the conclusion that this appeal might
| be made by the Swedish government
with some hope of success. but could