The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-02-15

speaking Of the matter ''My Office
was in the old jail building, and from
It's windows good view of the gall
lows could be had. Long before the
hour announced for the hanging, my
office was filled with crowd of NOR.
bid people,many OF whom were wom-
en-. l remember one woman who
came in from the country and secured
a seat of vantage in my office. She
brought several Of he. small children
With her and seemed to enjoy the af-
fair. AS for myself, 7 watched the
preparations, but when Sheriff Tullis
placed the black hood owed the con-
demned woman's head, 1 retired to a
rear room and did not witness the
drop"
Among other old settlers who have a
distinct recollection of the affair is
Nicholas Pottgeiser, now county. COM
missioner He was but eight years old
at the time and failed to get on the
inside of the Enclosure.
L was determined to see that hang
ing" said Mr.. Pottgeiser. '.and when
l failed to get on the inside, 1 pushed
large knot out of one Of the boards
IN the fence and seated on barrel I
took 1t all in; but / don't know as i
would care to see another one. I can
see that woman yet, as she looked
when brought from the Jail and march
ed to the gallows."
The execution of Mrs. BiIanski caus-
ed much comment at the time Many
people did not think her guilty and
an effort was made to- have her SEN
tence cOrmuted to imprisonment A
bill was even introduced and passed by
the legislature, making capital punish
ment Illegal, but Gov. Ramsey vetoed
the measure, saying that he could see
no reason for clemency.
The execution was witnessed by sew
eral thousand people. The Pioneer
Guards, with loaded muskets and fixed
bayonets, were stationed in front of
the Jail to preserve order. The con-
demned woman. who had spent the
entire morning in devotional exercises
with Father Cafllet and another cler-
gyman, walked to the gallows with a
firm step, cheerfully bidding her ac-
Quaintances good bye.
Before the fatal drop she spoke a
few words to the effect that she had not
had justice at her trial. She then
kissed the crucifix, the black cap was
adjusted. and Sheriff Tullis pulled the
lever.
There are many old settlers in ST.
Paul today who believe the woman was
innocent. She lived with her husband,
Stanislaus Bilanski, on the old Still
Before her marriage she was Annie
Evards. who had come West from Fay
etteville, n. c., and upon short ac-
quaintance married Bilanskf. Her
past life was not creditable one, and
when her husband died under suspi-
CiOus circumstances, she was arrested
It was found by an examination of
BilanSkis stomach that he had died
from the results of arsenic poisoning.
and when q little girl who had been
employed in the family stated that she
had purchased arsenic for Mrs. Bilan-
ski, the woman was held to the grand
jury and finally convicted.
Last Hanging a Double Header.
The third and last hanging in Ram
sey county took place less than nine
years ago. On this date two young
men, Charles Ernisch. aged nineteen.
and Otto Wonigkeit, aged twenty, were
executed in the court house yard for
the murder, on the night of May g
1894, of William Lindhoff, a barkeeper
in a saloon at College avenue and Wa
haSh9 StTonf4- Tho pYppIItin71 Of