Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-04-11
R|[V[ TWENTY
J MINUTES 100 LA|[
:
, ,nry Flutcher, the Boy Mur.
derer, Hanged at St. Louis
This Morning.
twenty-five Minutes After the
Fatal Drop Reprieve Mess.
age Came.
Governor Dockery Himself Said
to Have Been Responsible
for Delay.

st. Louis, Mo-. April 11.-Henry
Flutcher colored, was hanged today
for the murder of Louis Roth, aged 16,
in August, 1900.
Just twenty five minutes after the
drop fell a telegram was received by the
sheriff from Governor Dockery granting
reprieye of fifteen days. The mes
sage follows:
Jefferson City, Mo-, April 11.-Jo-
seph f. Dickmann. Sheriff, ST. Louis: I
have granted a respite of fifteen days in
the case of Henry Flutcher. to be
hanged today. Stay the execution. An-
swer. A. NJ. DOCKERY,
Governor"
The following reply was sent: st.
Louis. A. M. Dockery, Governor, JEFF
ferson City: Henry Flutcher was exe-
cuted at 6:1o a. m. Telegram of stay
was received at 6;35. Joseph Dick
mann, sheriff"
At II o'clock last night Circuit Attor-
ney Folk telegraphed the governor rec
ommending ten days reprieve in or
der to investigate more fully some
testimony to the effect that Flutcher
acted in self-defense when he killed
Roth.
The reply to this message reached
the Four Courts at on Friday. Folk
not being there, the sheriff received
the dispatch. 1t was from the tele-
graph office at Jefferson City and
stated the Folk message had been de-
livered to the governor. 1t read: JEFF
ferson City 1885 a. M, Joseph w. Folk,
st. ouis:-Yours to A. NJ. Dockery,
signed Folks. received. Messenger re-
ports governor could not come to the
door. Stuck his head out second story
window, asked what's wanted" Mes
senger told him nature Of message and
governor told him to put 1t under the
door anu make no reply"
The sheriff concluded this meant no
and went on with his pre-
parations. for the execution. Flutcher
was told of the circumstances, but
evinced no surprise at the outcome. He
had lost all hope at midnight. At $50
Sheriff Dickmann told the condemned
boy to prepare for the march to the
gallows. With Flutcher was Rev. Rob
erts, pastor Of ST. Pauls NJ. E. chapel.
The next five minutes were spent in
prayer, Flutcner praying aloud In
firm voice. When he finished he turned
to the deputy, who placed his arms be-
hind him, and the rope was tied over his
elbows.
The boy walked to the gallows with a
steady step, and when asked by the
sheriff If he wished to say anything be-
gan speech that occupied three min
utes He declared he fired the fatal
shot, but disavowed any intention to
murder. His object, he said, was mere
ly to disarm his assailant Flutcher
concluded as follows: Without a de-
sire to reflect on the men who sent me
to this fate, the worst that can befan
mortal man, want to say that not only
have I been prosecuted, but relentlessly
prosecuted as we'll
'"This shameful end to my life, a boys
life, marks the final triumph Of money
over Justice"
Twenty seconds later Sheriff Dick
mann sprung the trap butchers neck
was broken in the drop.
81 did my duty said Sheriff Dick
mann aIIer tHe HallSiHs, anu 1 ain Sidu
it's over. The governor is the one who
had authority, and he is responsible for
the whole incident
Deputy Sheriff Bilhartz, who received
and opened the telegram containing the
reprieve from the governor, says the
message was received twenty minutes
after it had been filed in Jefferson City.
IT came to the Western Unions Office
on Eighth street and was delivered by
a messenger boy who had run the en-
tire distance to the Four Courts.