davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-11-21

was Bound loo tight.
Don't bind them quite so tight" ne
murmured, and the bonds were relaxed
a little.
The sky was overcast. The scene
was gloomy The group that had fol-
lowed him surrounded the chair or.
like Sheriff Emery, stood back a short
distance.
Mortensen kicked his feet convulsive-
ly. Guard Andrew IRE drew the blind
fold a little tighter. Guard A. G..
briggs leaned over and passed a strap
around Mortensen's ankles and the legs
of the chair. fastening the buckle.
Sheriff Emery came forward to
watch the final preparations. Deputy
Smith knelt and inspected closely the
ankle strap. He passed q band around
the doomed mans shoulders. fastening
it to a two-by-four timber across the
box back of the chair. Then he re-
arranged the blindfold. as Mortensen
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-11-21
Pete MOFt0RS0n Is Exc
Cut0d for Murder of
James R. Hdy.
Shot to Death in the
Yard of the State
P0ait0atiaFy.
Died Protesting his EHH0CeaCe of
Crime OF Which lie Vas
Convicted.

@A4@A*%&@
Five rifles cracked I'm unison. and =
y Peter MCrteusen was dead =
Il ann au innocent man." were ,
3 almost his last words. Yet prac- p
ucally al who have been connect y
ed with his case. are convinced of =
. his guilt
Twice during yesterday morning p
he broke down and wept. once >
was when he was saying goodbye 3
2 TO his father. sister-in-law. nephew ,
p and brother The ether time was =
= when be was talking to newspaper >
- mon, just before the execution. Of >
. his five children, who would soon p
be fatherless. Exercising all his >
= VIII power he regained his self =
= control. and from that time on >
y faced death with GOODNESS. p
MorteuSen met his erd while 3
= sitting in chair in the southeast .
= corner or the Utah state prison 3
= yard About 100 persons saw him >
- led out and bound, watched the Of =
. hcials steD back. the muzzle1 Of =
y five rifles being thrust forth from y
a canvas aimed steadily toward ,
= The target over his heart, heard ,
= the composite shot that rang out =
= 90 1881 o'clock. and saw Morten- y
= sens hands twitch and his head ,
= fan forward. =
= Life was snuffed out as instan- y
= taneously as a candle flame in a =
. Whirlwind. Four Of the rifles were ,
= loaded with ball and one with =
= blank cartridges. Two bullets =
= pierced his heart and two passed =
p directly under it. one OF these ,
= four cut his spine All went clear =
= through his body Physicians say y
= his death was absolutely painless. =
= Thus did Peter Mortensen expi- =
= ate the murder in Forest Dale. Dec. =
= 1G. 1901. of his friend and neighbor. y
= James r.. Hay y
= = 3 . = > = = = = & = 3 = = \ : =
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-11-21
Was Bound Too Tight

Quickly his wrists were strapped to
the curved arms of the chair.
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-11-21

Continued on Page TwO)
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-11-21

Everybody was on a high nervous
tension. Guard David Hilton. seeking
something on which TO stand and look
over the heads of the crowd went to
7vheeIbarrOw resting against a neigh-
boring pile of bricks. AS he seized the
barrow to turn 81 over and take II
closer to the scene, it scraped against
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-18

with Texas. All three of these are devel- oping rapidly. In the manner of the far west which they resemble more than the older south Otherwise east of the Mississippi the northern states have been growing somewhat faster than the south ern. The north Atlantic states. moreover. have grown at a steadily increasing rate since the civil war-a healthy indication on the whole of conditions that assure enduring prosperity in this part of the country.
 It seems remarkable that the great and hustling middle west should appear to be approaching a full" condition much more closely than the already densely populated east Probably one important factor is the circumstance that the form CT region is chiefly agricultural and that under modern conditions relatively fewer and fewer persons are needed to carry on agricultural operations than are de- manded for the manufacturing and com mercial operations that prevail in the east. The United States. as a whole. is of course far from filling up. There is room for a population many times larger than what we now have, but the rate of growth will probably be much more moderate hereafter.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-18

Pete was still holdin' down his seat by the wagon shed at eight o'clock, rest in his arms on his knees, when the ghost speaks to him. Well, I got them at 1t, says the shade. Instead of ten hours 1 think we can knock out the field in six straight, havin more help than I expected You can come out and kind of keep your eye on the bunch and see that they do their work to suit you
 "The shade of Elias spoke so blamed earnestly that Pete couldn't think of makin' any objections and so starts with the ghost for the field. He wasn't half way until he see the shocks bein' jerked down in all directions, already there wasn't more than half of them standin in the field. When he reaches the gap In the fence he really sees who was work in for him. About two hundred ghosts of old time corn huskers were fiittin about just like he had seen them do when he was boy, each one tryin' to tear down a shock quicker and in better shape than the others. There were fel- lows from every buryin' place in the country, so far as Pete could recall. After dealin' out the huskin' pegs the ghost of Elias gives a whoop, the signal for the crew to begin.
 ''fhe way those ghosts threw out the corn was a sight. It was n pretty even
 
 CTS who soon walked away from the rest At the end of five hours there was but a couple dozen shocks standin in the field and all the other ghosts gathered round the six fastest workers to see who was goin' 10 come out ahead in the race Pete recognized some of the shades as being those of old timers when he was a boy. but he had his eye on one big tall shade with a rim of whiskers around his neck like the fan tail of a dove. He had picked him for the winner. The shade of Elias Bender stood by as a judge of the contest.
 When it came to the last shock for each one the excitement was up to the screeehin point. Then a dispute arises between two of the huskers about the size of the shocks that had fallen to the lot of them. Warm words began to fly and those ghosts took to real fightin The long ears of corn were used instead of clubs and stones and they begin to shower about Pete like hailstones. The last look he took at the ghosts they were fightin' like a band of Indians, and he see the ghost with the neck whskers jump over the bunch of fodder afore him and hit another ghost with his husk- in peg. The whizzin of ears was rather unpleasant and Pete retires a ways across the field, although he couldn't see any use il throwin the corn about in that manner for he didn't see that the ears hit anyone and if they did they couldn't hurt ghost. The only explana- tion he could make to himself was that the spirits had not worn off all their worldly ways yet.
 Pete didn't go back to the field that
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-18
Shades of Old Time
 Corn Huskers Return and Engage in a Husk> ing Contest I I &

the swale below the barn which he reck- oned at once was Elias ghost comln for a visit.
 "Pete dressed himself and left the house, for he said if he had to do 1t he preferred to meet the ghost face to face. So he came across the shade of Elias Bender just as 1t was comin from the a-worryin your bones tonight that you can't rest where you've been put?
 You've got more spunk than l thought you'd have, says the shade. Them other fellow were towards every last one of them. Although l never see your face before you've got the grit to run this farm and I'm the fellow that can give you some pointers as to how it ought to be run. See you've got one of them go-devil cultivators over there in the entry. Well you don't want to use that on this place as l won't stand for this cheatin' the earth by a-skimmin' off the cream
 You talk pretty pert for bein' out of business, don't you? remarked Pete get tin a little warm under the gills There's been a mighty change in things since you've done any spadin' and nowadays we do thgs a durned sight better than you fellers did
 After slingin' words and arguments at each other like two catapults they be- gin to agree and there in the wagon shed, where they had gone to see Pete's new-fangled hay-tedder with Pete sittin' on the seat of the machine and the shade of Elias standin' stiff and stock along side the two discussed farming from ev- cry standpoint. The ghost, for Elias Ben der had always been known as a good taker pointed out the merits of every field of the farm and give Pete credit for havin put the one nigh the woods out in corn where it would be protected from frost. Pete got so worked up that he for got he was keepin company with ghost and was in the act of offerin' it a taste of his fine-cut when it disappear ed. Lookin' outside he saw that it was almost mornin'.
 Well these two the ghost of Elias Bender and Pete Cornbauer becomes two regular cronies Every night the ghost comes to Pete's wagon shed for a chat, never goin' near the house where Mrs. Cornbauer was.
 By and by the neighborhood begins to talk about Pete bein' in cahoot with the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-18
OUR NATIONAL GROWTH.
Plenty of Room Left, But 1t Will Prob
 ably Slow Up.

From the Boston Herald.
 The analysis of statistics concerning the increase of population in the United States, just issued by the census bureau at Washington, shows that we are still growing more rapidly than any other country in the world, with the exception of Argentina. The period under consider ai tonis that covered by the census of 1900-the decade from 1SgO to l900 Our in- crease in population not including Alas ka and the insllar possessions, was 2O,7 per cent or a fraction more than ? per cent annually We are growing at double the average rate of Europe and nearly double that of Canada. As compared with Canada however. it would be more accur- ate to say have been" than are" for the opening up of the Canadian northwest must have made an enormous difference in favor of the Dominion, and much of the growth there is directly at our ex pense.
 The facts relating to the relative growth of the five divisions of the continental United States-the north Atlantic, south Atlantic, north central south central and western-are significant. It was to be ex- pected that the rate of increase would be greatest in the western divisions com prising the Rocky mountain and Pacific slope states and territories. But it seems remarkable that the lowest rate should be that of the north central states, or the middle west. The southern states, for the first time in our history, have grown faster than the northern. This however. is due to the development of the south west. The two divisions, south Atlantic and south central, are together classed as southern, and this brings in both the In- dian Territory and Oklahoma, together
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-18

night anymore for he feared them ghosts might have the power of throwin' such things as bolts of lightin'. In the morn- in when he investigates every bit of the corn had been husked and he reckoned some of the less furious ghosts must have come back and finished what had been left after the spat But his greatest surprise. however. was that every ear them ghosts husked was a red one.
 The ghost of Elias Bender never come back to visit the farm again and whether it had received any injuries in the squab- be in the cornfield, Pete never knew al- though he'd posted sign after sign on the wagon shed door. As for his wife Pete went after her and with the promise that he'd keep away from ghosts she returned home with him again Ever since that time the Bender farm has been bear in good crops
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-18

spirits of the dead and every one of the farmers and villagers wouldn't have any dealings with him on that very account They put him out of church and sent their dogs after him whenever he came near their houses for fear that if he once set foot inside they'd have bad luck ever afterward. Whenever horse or COW died Pete and that ghost got the blame. So when Pete's crop begin to ripen he couldn't hire a hand in the whole county because every person had heard about his doings with the ghost. He did man. age to get his oats and hay cut and put away in the barn with the aid of his wife but by the time the corn ripened he was clean petered out. It was a spankin crop at that. Even the euttin' was big enough job for one man not speakin' of the husk- in
 Tt had been some days since he'd had meetin' with the ghost of Elias Ben der, for he couldn't stand it to stay up all night and work all day. But the sec ond day after he'd begun huskin' he got the idea that if he'd mention his troubles to the ghost it might be able to help him out. although he couldn't think how that might be. Anyway that night he hangs out sign on the wagon shed door that he'd like to see the spirit of Elias Ben der at 12 o'clock. Gettin up at that time he finds the ghost waitin for him. just as punctual as if it had been old Elias in flesh and blood.
 'Pete no sooner began to air his trou- bles than the ghost said that if he, Pete, would have enough twine and huskin pegs ready in the field the next night it, the ghost, would have the corn knocked out inside of ten hours.
 't How you goin' to do it2' asks Pete.
 :. We're goin' to have an old time huskin' bee only it'll be out in the field stead of in the barn says the ghost. You needn't be askin anymore questions for l know just how many hands it'll take to husk that field in one night and I'll see that there'l be enough men ready for work The ghost disappears and Pete goes to bed wonderin what the spirit of old Elias really meant.
 "Goin' to town the next day Pete lays in a supply of huskin' pegs and fodder twine, for which action Mrs Cornbauer loses her patience and does what shed threatened many a time since her hus- bands league with the ghost, packs her duds and leaves for the old homestead. This bein without a wife, without real friend in the world with a big corn crop on his hands and nothin but a ghosts s promise, makes Pete Cornbauer have the blue devils good and hard. He promised himself that if Elias spirit didn't show up at an early hour that night he'd throw up the contract between him and Warwick, leave the corn crop stand in the shock, get his wife and strike for another country. So sittin down by the wagon shed he waited for the comin of the ghost, gettin' glummer every hour.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-18
Our Special Sale Of Notions
Best Glycerine Soap, 4c cake, per

Best Glycerine Soap, 4c cake, per
 dozen... =. =. =. ......... 3sc Witch Hazel Soap, 3 cakes in a
 box, per box. ... ... ..... 1Oc Best quality 6-cord spool cotton,
 per dozen ............ soc Kings Blasting Cotton, 800 yards,
 spool. ............ 4c Clinton Safety Pin Books, assort-
 ed sizes and colors, per book. 1Oc Sweetwater Pearl Buttons, two
 dozen on card, per card. ....... 1Oc Children's Velvet Grip Hose Sup
 porters, per pair.... ..... 15c School Bags, with rings, all col
 ors, were soc; price. e......... 35c Large size Ink Tablets. ...... 6c Black Sewing Silk, 50-yard spools Sc Ladies' and Children's Wrist
 Purse, assorted colors and sizes 25c Ladies' Kid Gloves, the $1 kind,
 in black, brown, red, gray and
 white, per pair. ... ......... 53c
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-18
Dress Goods and SILKS.

Imported Novelties, in surpass- ing range of colors, in novelty black, checks, furry bourette, fan cies, hairline stripes, IS inches wide, $1.25 and s150 qualities, at 99c
 46-inch Black zibeline, luxuri- ous and glistening surface, soft velvet finish, $1.25 quality, at. 98c
 54-inch Black Wool Kersey, one of the incest and sturdiest ma terials for separate skirts, worth $lO1, at... ... .. .......... 49c
 Black Taffeta, all pure silk, 19 inches wide, selling elsewhere at soc; ous sale price. 39c
 Crepe de Chine, pure silk, new and distinct colors, including black, white, ivory and cream, $10O quality ,. tomorrow at. ... 79c
 Brilliant Black Peau de Soie, double face, soft chamois finish, rich fabric; all opening sale pTlce... M. 5os
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-18

Trimmed Hats of all styles, shapes and colors, many reduced from $6.50 to $4.00.
 Other interesting millinery items: Aunty Sue Hat, SAYS.
 Maxine Turban, black silk plush, ex- act duplicate of s15.O00 original har, for $3.50.
 Mohair Felt Dress Hats, Turbans, etc., 500 of all the new shapes and colors, at 98c.
 Beaver Hats, mapped silk, best shapes and colors, $1.95.
 Ostrich Tips, French heads, colored or black-reduced to soc.
 Fancy Feathers, Wings, Breasts, Pompons and Birds, an importers sam pie line, at 25c. Z Mohair Felt Hats fancy braid edge, ten of the best shapes, at $1.50.
 Misses and Children's Corded Felt Hats. handmade, all colors, only 98c.
 Ostrich and Marabou Pompons, in black or white, very large and full, 100.
 French Frames, including the very best shapes, in large effects, 25c.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-18
Farmer League Win Ghosts. .....
BY cY BURT.

When ghosts take to runnin' down farm a fellow might as well sell out and buy another strip somewhere else," said Sam Probasco discussing the unfortunate circumstances that attend the efforts of some tillers of the soil. There's only one instance that can recall of a ghost ridden farm bearin' good crops and that was the old Hinkle estate the time Pete Cornbauer took hold of it after six diff ferent renters, runnin' back twenty years had broke up and were compelled to make sale Afore Elias Benders death 1t would produce one hundred bushels of corn to the acre every season and as to raisin' stock there wasn't better pas ture land in the whole country than them creek bottoms.
 Whether old Elias could have died with something heavy a-bearin' on his mind there was no way of knowin be- cause he never come to after the first stroke of paralysis. But as soon as Bob Warwick bought the farm and rented it out the spirit of Elias begins to hang around the place. Then the renter s horses goes lame, the cows give bad milk,
 
 crows and the crops fail. No fellow could expect to buck against all that ill-luck and by and by that farm got a bad repu- tation and Bob Warwick couldn't find anyone who wanted to rent it. After layin' idle for several years Pete Corn bauer comes along and just to get him to take the place and to down the bad stories that were told about it Warwick offered it to him rent free and all the crops he could raise off the place for two years.
 "A few nights after Pete took posses sion of the house with his wife, his dog set up a doleful howlin' which Pete knew was a sure sign that if there were any spirits a-walkin they'd be about that night Pete had lowed to all the neigh bors that he wasn't afraid of the ghost of Elias Bender and as to the farm and it's crops all that it needed to make a good yield was plenty of fertilizer. How ever, the dogs wailn' made him ner- vous and gettin' up and lookin out the window he see a yellow light comin' up
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-18

Italians were. eating their breakfasts out of baskets carried by the women of the party. I made a scrutiny of the menu and found 1t consisted of single item bread. Not asoitary morselidid they have except these brown loaves, and they cut off huge chunks as thick as a mans wrist and devoured them with as much relish as though they were making a most elab- crate meal. Here was an object lesson in sociology. No group of American work ingmen would ever be satisfied with such scanty rations. The swarthy Latins who come here to work on our railroads arc content with the simplest and cheapest fare. They had but little to eat in their native land. and little will suffice them as long as they remain in America. As unskilled lahorers I do not believe we have any class in this country who can com pete with them
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-18
This B6ddInQ Will Keep Out the Gold.

BeautifuI SlIkOIlne Comforts, large size, fine quality, heavily padded, hand tied, beautiful colors,
 and patterns =. -. $1 .93 Fine Silkoline Comforts, better quail ity, large assortment of col
 ors and patterns. .$2.4 Extra large size Silkoline Comforts, heavily padded with fine white cot ton down, extra heavy,
 We have a few fine Feather Down Comforts to close out, extra fine quality of sateen, heavily padded and quilted; regular price
 S7.9S: now. .$4.25
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-18
Goats

The new Coats are here. Why not look at them. To look will be to buy let ns warn you of that. The skirted blouse Coat in black or castor kersey, with a shoulder cape, velvet tabs, TO- maine lining, 5000.
 Long-skirted Blouse Coats, in all wool oxford or gray cheviot, with stitched velvet cuffs. stole and military collar, all satin lined, S12.75.
 A 20-inch Coat of fine quality, black kersey. with military standing collar of stitched Ereen velvet, and tailor stitched strabs, s15.oo.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-18

Silks and Dress Goods, seasonable and naturally desirable. All of them ar eworthy from every point of view, not a ragged, unsightly collection, but a comprehensive display of the choic- est new weaves, including the very styles that women of good taste and knowledge prefer. The following list hints of their scope:
 48.inch Black Sicilian Cloth, has a superb finish, good black, match less combination of beauty and durability, S5c quality ... .... 49c
 40-inch Black All-Wool Voile, splendid value, makes up beauti- fully, regular COG quality, att. 45c
 50 pieces All-Wool Fabrics, in cluding 40-inch Cheviots, all col ors: 50-inch Cheviots, 40-inch panne Zibelines, 40-inch Scotch Tweeds, large assortment of col ors and styles; 75c and S5c quail ties, at. DUG
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-18

We have all kinds of Blankets, but if you don't care to invest much you'll be especially interested in
 a pair for... .......... soc Cool nights are here. Warm bedding must be provided to keep out the "shivers.'' Don't get the kind that makes you feel as if ton of hay were weighing you down. High quality of the material in our Bedding makes it last
 Extra large size Sateen Comforts, heavily padded with fine white cot ton down. hand tied, beautiful pat terms and colors; special
 price,. ...... ............... .@i'ou
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-18
LADIES' KID CLOVES Fair Week Price 75G.

We've decided to forcibly present the good features of our Glove Department to visitors, so have arranged for sale of Al $1.00 values in Imported Dress Kid, pique sewed, Mocha, and Driving Gloves, all sizes: also white. This is Brmineham's Best Kid Glove Offer, 75c pair.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-18

Our Combination Suit, opening across the bust, will help you. It has gusseted sleeves and wide flaps. An excellent-ftting garment, 75c.
 Womens Vests and Pants, heavy fleece-lined, fine Egyptian cotton, gray and ecru, smooth seams, silk stitching, silk-taped, pearl buttons, Soc.
 Womens Tights, heavy merino, open or closed large flaps, fast black, smooth finished seams, heavy and warm, $1.98.
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-18
LINEN DEPARTMENT Offerings, Where You Save Moneu

fringe, two rows drawnwork in border, extra size, satin damask Towel... ... ... ... ........... 2
 Heavy all linen Satin Damask, 6s inches wide, our 75c quality, at. " =. .. ... ............... I
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-18
The Italians Breakfast.

From the Washington Post
 q noticed few days ago in the wait ing room of the Pennsylvania station in Washington about 100 Italian immigrants
 Tt was about o'clock a. m,, and the
The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-10-18

56-inch pure white Damask. makes handsome tablecloth, 35c value; price,. ... ....-....
 Heavy Linen Huck Towel. 22x44, hemmed, at. ..............
 Fine bargain, all linen, tied