The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1903-02-21

NN AIADEN, w AoA1
in a neat wooden coffin and the
remains we're taken to Bismarck
as it was the request of Bassanella
several days ago that his body be
turned over to Father Clemens.
After death on the body was
found written confession signed
and sealed. The confession is as
fellows:
I, Jacob Lewis Bassanella.
To whom it may concern:
[ make this statement before
lam executed. I'm justly punished
according to law. [ fully confess
of the crime committed at Grand
Forks which my dear brother
Joseph was innocently convicted
Of and to be indoomed. for life at
the Bismarck pen. I am wholly
responsible for the crime. I made
the plan and carried it out my
self. It is my wish to have my
body turned over to Rev. Father
Clemens of Bismarck.
Yours Truly,
j. L. Bassanella.
The rope used was secured in
Chicago and was Of the regulation
kind. The trap was secured
in Bismarck and had seen service
at two hangings before this. The
day before the execution the rope
had been thoroughly tested and to
see if the trap was in working Or
der. and everything was found to
be in frst-class condition.
The crime for which Bassanella,
alias James Smith paid tie pen
atty Of death was for the murder
Of Anton Heilingef. nearly a year
ago The crime was one of the
most brutal ever committed in the
county. On March 25, 1902, An
ton Heilinger, a middle aged man,
living on farm near Hancock,
was discovered by the neighbors
to have been murdered. The
body of the dead man was found
alongside Of the bedd,,s with vi the g eti. :
tire top of the head and upper
part of the face being blown away
by the discharge Of a shot gun
which was .found,laying along side
Of the body. n
The remains when found were
lying on the floor to present the
appearance Of. suicide. This was
soon dispelled. for underneath the
quilts on which the remains lay
we're found pieces Of the skull.
a coroner's jury was impannel-
cd and rendered a verdict that the
deceased camelto his death by gun
shot wounds at the hands of per
son calling himself James Smith.
A warrant was issued for the ar
rest Of Smith, who was arrested
after having wandered ovef the
prairies for several days and was
nearly exhausted with cold and
hunger when captured.
He was bound over to the dis
trict court and confined in the
county Jail. Early last fall he
made a break for liberty and sue
.cessfully managed to elnde the
officers for several weeks, when. he
was finally captured as he was
about to enlistat Ft. Yates. Smith
was brought back and placed IN
the Bismarck Jail for safe keeping,
bit managed to escape from the
Jail there, but was recaptured be-
fore he got out Of the city.
at the last term of the district
court for Nc Lean county held in
Washburn, Smith was broughtsur
for trial and entered a plea Of
guilty to murder in the first de-
gree. knowing that il was death OF
life i'm isonment. In Smiths
statement to the court before sen
;;tence was prom ounced twas learn
ed, for the first time, that Smith
was not his real name andshe in
formed the COM Z that his name
was Jacob Bascanel lla,5h father
being al italian and His mother d d
German. The priisl os,ner also told
The court why he cornmit tied the
deed stating that Hei ger would
not az what he Snith wanted him
sEtos AZ so hies took the. gun and blew
lis head lliie court then pro.
no,inced. the sen tence of f;desth. q &