Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-11
No HOPE FOR NIECENFlND
Governor Mickey Announces He Will Not
Commute Sentence.
BELIEVES He DESERVES THE PENALTY
Little Child Nenr HaveIOck Fatally
Burned by O~verturninR n Lamp
Dawson County Pays
Its Bonds.
(From l STAT Corresnondent.l

From 4 STAFF Correspondent
LINCOLN, March 10.-(Special Friends
of Gottlisb Niegenfnd, the murderer Of his
wife, father-in-law and assailant Of his
sister-i in law, who is condemned to be
hanged at the state penitentiary Friday,
have invoked the aid Of the Legislature to
secure the governors approval Of q stay
OF execution until after the legislature has
adjourned. Promoters Of the Wall bill
to abolish capital punishment are cooper
ating in the movement. A petition has
been drawn up and circulated among the
members of house and senate. 1t was signed
by twenty or twenty-five today.
The obvious purpose Of this movement
is to have Niegenfind's execution deferred
until the end Of the legislature, /. the hope
that the Wall bill will have passed, remov-
Ing the death penalty from the statute
books of Nebraska, in which event Gov
ernor Mickey would, it is assumed, COM
mute the sentence to life imprisonment.
The chances for passing the Wall bill are
not at all promising and even il they
were such as to insure the bills passage
subsequent to the time set for the hang
ing of Niegenhnd, the success Of the petit
tion circulated is by no means guaran-
teed.
When informed this afternoon of this
movement III bSAldll VI Nltktuuuus
Governor Mickey said:
Yes, | rather expected that. You will
always find a great many sympathetic peo-
pie willing to sign a petition of that char
acter. But they have no responsibility in
the matter. l have. l have given this
case the most thoughtful and prayerful con-
sideration; honestly and conscientiously /
have considered and reconsidered it from
every standpoint and l am satisfied that
that man ought to hang. BY the law Of
the state and the sentence Of court no
is deserving of q death penalty. My duty
is plain. I am sworn to enforce the laws
of Nebraska and l am going to do 1t. l
can't afford to be Influenced by every
sentiment and emotion exercised in this
mans behalf. My task is not a pleasant
one but duty imposes it on me and /
must and will perform it."
Child burned to Death.
The infant son of John H. Langdon, liv-
ing near Havelock, was burned to death
late yesterday afternoon by the explosion
of a lamp. The child was in the house
alone with a 10-year-ol old sister, Mrs. Lang
don having gone out in the yard, when the
explosion occurred. The little one crawled
into the kitchen, where an incubator was
in operation, and turned over one of the
lamps used in heating the apparatus. An
explosion Immediately followed and burn
ing oil was thrown over the face and
clothing of the baby.
TIL explosion attracted the attention Of
the sister. The latter was so excited that
instead Of putting out the flames she
rushed out after the mother. Mrs. Lang
don threw a bucket of water on the flames,
extinguishing the fire, but not in time to
save the life of the child. The baby lin
gered in great agony for Yearly FIVE hours
before 1t died.
Youth on Trial for Robbery.
Thomas Carr, son OF ex-Alderman Thomas
Carr, is having a trial in district court on
the charge of having Aeld up and robbed
young Harry Simmons, a university student,
on the night Of October 81 last.
Simmons lives at 500 North Twenty-third
street, and on the night named was on his
way home about midnight from escorting a
young lady to her residence. At Fifteenth
and S streets he met two young men, one
of whom is alleged to be Carr, and they
held him up at a revolver's point. Sim
mons was plucky, however, and refused to
come down. He fought back and got a blow
On the head, which cut him badly. The
highwaymen got but 81 from him.
Young Carr was arrested in Omaha and
bound over to the district court on a
charge of robbing the Dunning hardware
store some months ago. He was released
without trial after promising TO be good,
because he was the son of a prominent man,
and 1t was believed was led astray by bad
company.
Dawson County Pays Bonds.
The county board Of Dawson county dem
onstrated that the county which it repre-
sents is prosperous by taking up $50, 0OO
county funding bonds belonging to the
school fund. The bonds are not due for
several months, so the county paid the in
terest in advance.
Young Man Insane.
FAIRBURY, Neb.. March 10.-(Special.