The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1901-08-27

Seattle Washn-, August 23.-Charles
w. Nordstrom was hanged here today
for the murder November 9th. 1891 Of
William Mason.
Shortly after $50 o'clock NOrdstrom
was taken to a room adjoining the
death chamber. He wept continually
1t required the utmost efforts of four
men TO keep him on his feet. When
he was taken into the death chamber
he rok down entirely, crying in a
childish voice, and praying that his
life be spared. Then he collapsed en-
tirely and fell to the foor. Efforts to
raise him and keep him on his feet were
fruitless.
Finally Sheriff Cudihee ordered that
a board be brought TIC this Nords-
from was tied. 1t required six men to
hold him for the operation. Several
times Nordstrom seemed to speak, but
his words were unintelligible.
h six men who had held him rails
ed his body on the board and with
great effort succeeded in getting him
upon the scaffold. There he was plac-
ed 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 was at 9:49
o'clock. NOrstrOm was pronounced
dead at 1902 o'clock
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
60 O. I'm Tho ni1hr of tho nlr1a WI
liam Mason was sitting down to supper
with his father, when he was shot from
outside the ado investigation
showed the prints of the murders feet
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 was tracked over q long
stretch of country. Several days lat
er Nordstrom with a Winchester rifle
of the same calibre as the one with
which the victim was murdered was
arrested on the railroad track near
Cedar mountain. He told conflicting
stories.
On trial he was convicted. The case
was appealed to the supreme court of
this state which refused to grant a
new trial. Colonel j. H. Lewis fought
the case in the federal court on a writ
of habeaS corpus which was denied.
He carried the matter to the supreme
court OF Ile OnlIed states ana IoSJ.
He then went to the superior court of
King county and asked for a commits
sion of physicians to examine into the
mental condition of NOrdstrom. This
was granted. The doctors pronounced
the man sane. Lewis demanded q jury
trial as to NordstrOm's sanity. The
superior court denied this. In the SUI
preme court of this state, Lewis appeal
of his question was overruled. Then
Lewis carried this to the supreme court
of the United States and he also APP
piled to the federal court for a writ of
habeaS corpus on the strength of the
insanity proceedings.
The federal court refused the writ.
Lewis carried this to the supreme
court of the United States also. He
was overruled in both cases. He
that Lewis has applied to federal and
superior courts for a stay of proceed
ingS and been refused.
The entire litigation has taken nine
years. Lewis last night in spite of his
announcement the other day that he
had LETT the case, was out of the city
looking for a writ of prohibition from
some supreme court justice. The gov
ernor had refused to interfere.