Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1901-08-23
The Nordstrom Case.

plated, on the scatfold, at Seattle, the
crime 81 murder OF which he was con-
Ncted, ten years ago, and kept from
the gallows by tcchnicalities of the
law that were intended only as pro-
lection OF the possibly innocent. Seven
times had Nordstrom been tried for
murder, seven times convicted and
seven times saved through the laches
of the law A vigorous effort was
made for an eighth postponement of
execution by his indefatigible lawyer,
James Hamilton Lewis, but without
avail
The crime OF which Nordstrom was
convicted took place in the fall of 1891,
at the farm OF VIM. Mason, at the
summit OF Cedar mountain. A dis.
pute over wages had angered Nord-
strom at his employer and the threat
had been made by him that he would
kill cold man Mason" A few DAYS
later he went to Seattle and bought a
Winchester rifle. Three nights later,
William Mason, while sitting near the
window, in his dining room, was shot.
At the report of the gun the whole
family rushed out in search OF the as
sassin, but no one was found, and the
only clue discovered was that OF boot
tracks near the window. All night
long light was seen burning in Nord.
strom's cabin, but the next day it was
found to be tenantless. All the neigh
bors then joined in the hunt. Finally
a couple of deputy sheriffs saw Nord-
strom walking along the railroad track
hear Gilman, with his rifle over his
shoulder, on his way northward to-
wards Canada.
The deputies stepped forward with
concealed weapons, engaged him in
conversation, suddenly seized his rifle,
and after desperate struggle, made
him their prisoner. He was placed in
the King county Jail, and in December
was tried and convicted of the murder
of Mason.
Then came the fight for life by his
lawyer, Mr.. Lewis.
Appeal No. l was made OH the
ground that the prisoner had been
made to incriminate himself, having
been compelled by the court to fit on
a pair OF boots found near the scene of
the murder.
Appeal No. 2 was an application for
a writ of habeas corpus on the ground
that the verdict Of the jury guilty, as
proved" and rs the presentment was
for murder in the first, second, third
and fourth degrees, Nordstrom could
not be held for more than the lowest
degree. This was not sustained, but it
served to stay execution for another
twelve months.
Appeal No. 3, was taken on the
ground that Nordstrom was Swedish
citizen, and, therefore, entitled to q
presentment by a grand jury. It took
twelve months consideration of this
legal molehill to discover that while
the appeal might be made by the Swe-
dish government with q hope OF sue
cess. it could not be presented by the
prisoners counsel.
Appeal No. 4 was . declaration that
the prisoner had become insane and
could not therefore be legally put to
death. A delegation of physicians af-
ter careful investigation pronounced
him sane. BY this time the court had
become disguised at the devices OF
Lewis, and ordered the prisoner to be
hanged.
Appeal No. 5 alleged that the pris-
oner's insanity should have been de.
cided or determined by jury. Then
it was Lewis flew across the continent
to Narragansett pier and obtained an
off-hand stay of execution from Judge
McKenna, and this added year and
4 half to the prisoners life.
Appeal No. was made to the U. s
Circuit Court, Lewis asking that the
prisoner be discharged because q re.
view had been denied him by the State
Supreme Court. This point had lately
been carried up to the Supreme Court
Lewis claimed that " new evidence" had
been discovered which proved that the
murder was nothing more than IN
accident. This last appeal was, like
its predecessors refused, and to-day eel
for his execution.
The seventh appeal was refused BY
U. S. Judge Hsnford, in an unofficia
letter declaring that he would hav,
nothing further to do with the case
Mr.. Lewis then applied to U. s. Judg,
Gilbert Of Portland who, likewise, re
fused to entertain any motion, and tn,
last legal move resorted to by the in
domitable lawyer was an effort to max,
Judge Hanford's letter the basis of an
other appeal from his own final deter
mination.
Every fair-minded citizen will sgre'
that the grave observation of the tact
turn hangman is exceedingly appro
pirate in this connection: "Let tn,
subject drop"
If private war between individual
has been prohibited, why should no
private wars between associations ais
be? When the Steel Trust can ruin
city by dismantling the mills which
furnish large part of that city's res
son for existing; and labor associs