Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1903-02-21
.BASSANNEllA IS HANGED
JACOB 6ASSANNELLA PAYS Ex.
IRENE PENALTY OF THE LAW
FOR MURDER.
HANGED AT WASHBURN At
O'CLOCK YESTERDAY
MORNING.

Maintains His composure and Nerve
to the Last-Leaves "A Confession
Admitting His Responsibility for the
Murder of Axei Anderson at Grand
Forks-Drop Sprung at q O'Clock
and Pronounced Dead in Seven
Minutes.
At three minutes before 4 o'clock
yesterday morning Jacob B~assannella,
alias James Smith paid the extreme
penalty of the law for the murder of
Anton Hylinger near Washburn. N. D.
The execution took place at Washburn
and proved most successful. The pris-
oner spent the preceding day in con-
sultation with his spiritual advisor,
Fathers Clemens and Lewis of this
city. During the afternoon he wrote
a short confession and placed it in
his pocket to be removed after the
execution. The prisoner maintained
his complete nerve control up to the
moment that the trap was sprung and
early in the evening went to sleep.
He slept well until a few minutes after
twelve. when he was awakened and
given his last meal. He ate heartily
and chatted with his companions in
a pleasant vein. He stated that he
would die bravely and that he was
glad to go. If he was offered his lib
erty he stated he would not accept,
as it would not he long before he
would be in some other trouble again.
Prisoner is Game.
Five minutes before 4 O'Clock he
was led from the cell which he has oc-
cupied for several months and passed
to the enclosure which had been
erected on the north side of the Jail.
The enclosure was about twenty feet
square and the gallows were erected
in the northwest corner. After en-
tering the gate of the enclosure the
prisoner quickened his steps and
tripped quickly up the nine stairs lead
ing to the floor of the gallOws. His
step was quick and firm-the deputies
in charge having hard work to keep
up to his pace. Father Clemens had
preceded him to the platform and re-
cited the death ritual. Bassannella
stepped to the center of the trap door
and stood quietly while straps were
placed about his arms and legs. Dur
ing the process he turned to Father
Clemens. in whom he had placed great
confidence. and smiled broadly in ap-
parent triumph over his effort to be
brave to the end.
Warning to Young Men.
After the straps were fastened Sher-
if Gradin started TO lower the black
cap and the prisoner spoke his first
words after entering the enclosure
which were: "Wait a minute. | may
want to say something" He said
nothing more. however. and the cap
was lowered. the prisoner still main
tanning his bravado. Just as the cap
was lowered, however, he said: "Gen-
tlemen n young men, let this be a
warning to you and do not follow in
my steps" During this time the
moose was being adjusted and the
prisoner became nervous regarding
the position Of the knot. He was
trembling slightly ard said: 'Here,
fix that knot. do a good job, gentlemen,
don't make a botch of it," Just as he
had said these words and before he
could return to his statement. the
moose was properly adjusted and Sher-
III Gradin pushed the lever which re-
leased the trap and the law had re-
ceived its due.
Neck Not Broken.
The prisoner was short but heavily
built and had been allowed a fall of
six feet. His neck however. was alb
normally large and strong and was
not broken by the fall. After the rope
became taut there were but three
movements which denoted life. The
feet were raised very slightly from
the knee joint three times and with
out a struggle death ensued. DR..
Quain. of this city, and DR.. Dillon. of
Washburn, then stepped beneath the
gallows and watched the gradual ces-
sation OF the heart action. Exactly
sever minutes and thirty seconds after
the trap was sprung DIR. Quain pro-
nounced him dead and the body was
Wv "O"h INV pIdCtu III d cOUlH pro-
vided by the priests to whom the pris-
oner had committed his body prior to
death. The features were less dis
'"rted than is usual IN cases of
nature and the body, when laid out.
made a very natural appearance. The
remains were brought to this city last
evening on the Washburn train and
will be given a Christian burial from
the Catholic church, which religion
the dead mar protested.
Execution a Success.
Much credit is due Sheriff Gradin
and States Attorney McCulloch for
the complete arrangements which re-
suited in the success of the
and yet necessary event. There was
not a hitch in the program unless it
was in the s~pringing of the trap a
little time before the appointed hour
at a minute when the prisoner might
have said Everything about
the apparatus was well made and sui.
ficiently tested so that the event was
devoid OF the too failures
| to hang a nricOnor tho Arct ill.,.