The Saint Paul globe., 1901-08-24
AFTER NINE YEARS
PENALTY FOR MURDER
LONG AGO
HIS BODY TIED TO A BOARD
In. Order to Hold Him Erect on the
ScaGOId-Case Had Been Heard
Thrice I'm Federal Su-
, WIsi
preme Court.

SEATTLE, Wash, Aug. 23.-Charles w.
Nordstrom was hanged here today for
the murder, Nov. 27, 1891, of william
Mason.
Shortly after $50 Nordstrom was taken
to room adjoining the death chamber
He wept continuously. Re required the
utmost efforts of four men to keep him
on his feet. When he was taken into
the death chamber he broke down en-
tirely, crying in a childish voice, and
praying that his life be spared. Then he
collapsed entirely and fell to the floor
Efforts to raise him and keep him on
his feet were fruitless. Finally Sheriff
Cudihee ordered that a board be brought.
To this he was tied. 1t required six
men to hold him for the operation. Sew
eral times Nordstrom seemed to speak,
but his words were unintenigible The
six men who had held him raised his
body on the board and with great effort
succeeded in getting him upon the scaf-
fold!1 There he was placed upright, while
four men stood on the four sides of the
trap and held him.
In less than two seconds after the con-
demned man had been fastened, the
trap was sprung. This was at $40.
Nordstrom was pronounced dead at 1902.
NORDsTROM's CRIME.
Charles w. Nordstrom, who was hang
ed in the garret of the King county court
house at $3.50 a. m. today, committed the
crime for which he was convicted nine
years ago, Nov q, 1891. The Nordstrom
case is a celebrated one, having been
fought back and forth in the courts for
nine years. During that time the con-
demned man has managed to escape the
gaIlows several times for one reason or
another 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
$3.50 On the night of the murder VIII
liam Mason 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 showed the prints of the
murderers feet as he had stood beside a
fence corner and rested his rife on the
top rail The next day officers took up
the chase. The murderer was tracked
over long stretch Of country.
Several days later, Nordstrom, with a
winchester rifle 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
appealed to the supreme court OF TINS
state, which refused to grant new trial.
FOUGHT FOR NINE YEARS.
Congressman 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 de-
MED. He carried the matter to the su-
| preme court of the United States and
lost He then went to the superior court
of King county and asked for a commits
sion of physicians 10 examine into the
sanity of Nordstrom. This was granted.
The doctors pronounced the man sane.
Lewis demanded jury trial as to Nord-
stroms sanity. The superior court de-
MED this In the supreme court Of this
state Lewis appeal Of this question was
overruIed Then Lewis carried this to
the supreme court of the United States
and he also applied to the federal court
for writ of habeas corpus on the
strength of the insanity proceedings. The
federal court refused the writ. Lewis car
ried this to the supreme court OF the
United States also. He was overruled In
both cases. Since that Lewis has applied
to federal and superior courts for a stay
Of proceedings and has 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 had refused
to interfere.