The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-08-23
HANGED AT LAST.
Charles w. NordstrOm Pays
Penalty For His Crime.
For Nine Years Congressman
James Hamilton Lewis
Stood Between Condemned Man
and the GalloWs.
WENT INTO COLLAPSE
ExecutiOners Forced to Tie Him
to a Board
In Order to Get Him Erect on
the Trap.

Seattle Wn., Aug 23.-Charles W.
NordstrOm was hanged in the garret
of the King county court house at $3.50
this morning. He committed the deed
for which he was convicted nine years
ago, November 80, 1891 Nordstrom
worked during the fall of that year 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 $3.85. On
the night Of the murder William Mason
was sitting down to supper with his
father. Some one fired a shot from out
side the window. Young Mason pitched
forward and died in a short time. In
vestigarion showed the prints of the
murderer's 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 murderer was track
ed over a long stretch of country
Several days later Nordstrom. with a
Winchester rifle of the same calibre
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 James Hamilton
Lewis became associate counsel IN the
case. He 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 the United States
and lost his case. He then went to the
superior court of King county and ask
ed for a commission of physicians to
examine into the mental condition of
Nordstrom. This was granted. The
doctors pronounced the man sane. Lew
is demanded jury trial as to Nords-
trom's sanity. The superior court de-
MED this. In the supreme court of this
state, Lewis appeal of this question
was oVerruled Then Lewis carried
this to the supreme court of the United
States and he also applied to the feder-
al court for 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 Overruled in both cases. Since that
Lewis has applied to federal and super
ior courts for a stay of proceedings
and been refused. The entire litigation
has taken nine years. Lewis last night
in spite of his announcement the other
day that he had left the case was out
of the city looking for a writ of prohi-
bition from some supreme court justice
The governor refused to interfere.
From early morning the condemned
man had seemed to fully realize his posi-
ton, and while ministers and members of
the Salvation Army prayed with him, he
wept continually. Shortly after $3.50 Nord-
strom was brought from the room in
which ne had been. just adjoining the ex-
ecution room. 1t required the assistance
of four men to keep him his feet.
When he was taken into the presence of
the scaffold he broke down entirely, cry
ing in a childish voice and praying that
his life might be spared to him. He col
Iapsed entirely and fell to the floor.
Efforts to raise him and keep him on his
feet were fruitless and at last Sheriff
Gt1d1l6e ordered a BOARD
To this Nordstrom was tied. 1t required
six men to hold him while he was being
tied. While being fastened to the board
Nordstrom continued to cry in a loud
voice Several times he 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 sue
ceeded in getting him on to the fatal trap.
Here he stood upright. 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 Nordstrom had
paid the penalty of his crime.
The trap was sprung at 9:49 and Nord-
Strom was pronounced dead at 10:02.