New-York tribune., 1901-08-24
HANGED AFTER NINE YEARS.
END OF THE NoRDsTRoM CASE. WHICH
HAD BEEN LONG CONTESTED IN
STATE AND FEDERAL COZ rs.

Seattle. Wash. Aug. 23-Char- ,a ". Nordstrom
hanged here to-day for the murder on No
vember q 1891, OF William Mason.
Shortly after $50 Nordstrom was taken 20 a
room adjoining the death chamber lie wept con
tinually. 1t required the utmost efforts OF four
men 10 keep him his feet. When ~ was taken
into the death chamber he broke down entirely.
crying in a childish voice and praying that MS
life be spared. Then he collapsed entirely and
fell the floor. Efforts TO raise him and keep
him on his fruitless
Finally Sheriff Cudihee ordered that board he
brought. To this Nordstrom tied. II required
six men TO hold him for the operation. Several
times Nords,rom seemed TO speak but his words
were unintelligible. The six men who had held
him raised HIS body on the board and with great
effort succeeded in getting him upon the scaffod.
There he placed upright, while four men stood
on the four sides Of the trap and held him.
In less than two seconds after the condemned
man had been fastened the trap was sprung. This
St %a5 Io5a a. ''' Noros'ronn was P'O'oD'''''
The Nordstrorn case is = celebrated one here.
having been fought back and forth In the courts
for nine years. In that time the condemned man
for another.
Nordstrom worked in the fall OF 1881 for Thomas
as d, "a, him % rb si5Tn in3oiyed was S SS on
Nc niehi Of The murder William Mason was Sit
ting down 10 supper with his father: Some one
Mason pitched forward and died in short time,
lnvestigation showed the prints Of the murderer
rested his rife the top rail. The next day Off
tracked over "A long stretch Of country.
Several days later Nordstrom, with Winchester
rife OF the same calibTc with which the victim
murdered was arrested the rasroad track
near Cedar Mountain. He told conflicting stories
At the trial he convicted. The case ap-
pealed 10 the Supreme Court OF this state. which
refused to grant new trial. Colonel James Ham
ilton Lewis became associate counsel In the case
and fought the in the Federal Court on
writ OF habeas corpus. which denied. lie
carried the matter to the Supreme Court Of the
United States and lost his He then went 10
the Superior Court Of King County. and asked for
a commission Of physicians to examine Into the
mental condition of NordstrOm This granted
The doctors pronounced the man sane. Lewis de-
manded a jury trial 10 NOrdstromS sanity.
The Superior Court denied this.
In the Supreme Court Of this State I,ewiss ap-
peal Of this question OVerruled. Then Lewis
carried this TO the Supreme Court OF the United
States and he also applied 10 the Federal Court for
a writ Of habeas corpus. the strength of the
insanity proceedings The Federal Court refused
the writ Lewis carried this 10 the Supreme Court
of the United States also. He was overruled in
both cases Since that Lewis has applied 10 Fed
eral and Superior courts for stay Of proceed
ingE. which refused. Lewis last night. in
spite OF his announcement the other day that he
had left the case, out Of the city looking for
8 writ OF prohibition from some Supreme Court
Justice. The Governor had refused TO interfere.