The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-08-24
c. W. NORDSTROM HANGED
CRIED AND WAS CARRIED To THE
GALLOWs TIED TO A BOARD.
Killed william Mason fn 1891 and
Fought for Life in the Courts
for Over Nine Years.

SEATTLE, Wash. Aug. 2s.-Charles w.
Nordstrom was hanged this morning for
the murder, Nov. %. 1891. of William Ma
son. From early morning the condemned
man seemed TO fully realize his position
and while ministers and members of the
Salvation Army prayed with him he wept
bitterly. Shortly after $50 o'clock Nord-
strom was brought into the execution
men to keep him on his feet. When he was
taken into the presence of the scaffold he
broke down entirely. crying and praying
that his life be spared. He collapsed en-
tirely and fell to the floor. Efforts to raise
him and keep him on his feet were fruit
less, and at last Sheriff Cudahee ordered
that a board be brought. To this Nord-
strom was tied. The six men then, with
great effort, succeeded in getting him on
to the fiat trap. There he was stood up
right. four men standing on the four sides
of the trap and holding him.. In less than
two seconds after the condemned man was
in place the trap was sprung and Nord-
strom had paid the penalty of his crims.
Nordstrom was pronounced dead in thir-
teen minutes.
The Nordstrom case is a celebrated one.
having been fought back and forth in the
courts for nine years. During that time the
condemned man managed to escape the
gallows several times for one reason or an
other. Nordstrom worked, during the fall
of 1891. for Thomas Mason, a rancher, near
Cedar mountain. in this county. He had a
dispute about the amount of wages due
him. The sum involved was s3.S5. On the
night of the murder. Nov. q, William Ma
son was sitting down to supper with his
father. Some one fired a shot from outside
the window. Young Mason pitched forward
and died in a short time. investigation
Chnura6 tho nTlnfC nf the mIrdQrar'S foot
as he had stood beside a fence corner and
rested his rifle on the top rail. The next
day officers took up the chase. The muir
derer was tracked over a long stretch Of
country.
Several days later Nordstrom. with a
Winchester rife of the same caliber with
which the victim was murdered. was ar
rested on the railroad track near Cedar
mountain. He told conflicting stories. On
trial he was convicted. The case was ap-
pealed to the Supreme Court of this State,
which refused 10 grant a new trial. Col.
Hamilton Lewis became associate counsel
eral Court on a writ of habeas corpus.
which was denied. He carried the matter
to the Supreme Court of the United States
and lost his case. He then went to the Su-
periOr Court of Kings county and asked
for a commission of physicians to examine
This was granted. The doctors pronounced
the man sane. Lewis demanded a jury
trial as to Nordstrom's sanity. The Su-
perior Court denied this. In the Supreme
Court of this State Lewis's appeal of this
question was overruled. Then Lewis car
ried this to the Supreme Court OF the
United States. and he also applied to the
Federal Court for a writ of habeas corpus
on the strength of the insanity proceed
ings. The Federal Court refused the writ.
Lewis carried this to the Supreme Court
of the United States also. He was over
ruled in both cases. Since then Lewis has
applied TO Federal and Supreme Courts for
a stay Of proceedings. and been refused.
The entire litigation has taken nine years.
Lewis, last night. in spite of his announce
ment the other day that he had left the
case, was out of the city looking for a
writ OF prohibition from some Supreme
Court justice. The Governor refused to in
tprfpre.