The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-11-25
800 CORVALLIS, OREGON. NOVEMBER 25 1908. a@1

over Horns head. The condemned
man cooliy ducked his head and
thrust h4through the moose. sssa j
DR.. Rafter prayed earnestly for
the salvation Of the departing soul.
Proctor took up the black cap
and slipped 1t over the doomed
mans head, and>in this he was as.
sisted by Horns movements of the
neck. s4 :* * .ss: .3 .:sY vi o.
Cahill and Smalley lifted Horn
to the trap door. Instantly water
began to run from thestank, and in
so seconds the trap was sprung.
sHe sure died game .a said Char
lie Irwin; "a minute later There
was no answer. The spectators
| passed out, each shaking hands
with Proctor, commencing him for
the faultless execution.
In just 16 minutes after the drop
Horn was pronouneeddead by ply
sicians and his body taken down.
It was, turned over to Charles Horn
a brother of the dead man, and
taken by him to Boulder, Colo, for
burial. Just before marching to
the gallows HON wrote the follow
ing letter: 4s .,....,..,a 81.
Cheyenne, Wyo., Nov. 90, 1915
"A. M.-John c.. Cobls, ESQ. City: I
die in ten minutes. I did not kill
Willie Nickell., I never made
an admission to Lafore, Ohnaus or
Seow,, and all swore to lies, includ-
ling levin, of Laramie.
Once more Caarley Irwin came
to the jail this time in answer to a
hurried message. Horn had sent
for Coble; saying he wanted to talk
to him before he died.
81 can't refuse him this request"
said Jailer Pfoator, "but any one
that enters the Jail viii be searched
and Coble must talk to Horn in
nay presence. +"
Irwin waited patiently for the ar
rival of Coble.
II will make John let me 60 in
his place. he, said. 'sHe knows
Tom will tell me more than any
other person. must talk to- Tom
before he dies. Remember, I do
not think he is guilty" g.....
swell. john said Horn, "I'm
glad you came"
Can't we shake hands7s pleaded
Horn to the keepers.
Sheriff Smalley hesitated, then
opened the door of the cell for the
first time since the death watch was
placed. #
Coble and Horn grasped hands
in the cell.
3 Goodbye, john" Horn broke
the spell. s5t .l,at3r.s, Is
xa Coble murmured a faint "good-
bye" and walked away Il.
Coble came again to the Jail and
was permitted to see Horn. He re-
manned with him only q moment.
s'Good-bye, Tom,"- he said in q
schoked voice. ..Tom, I can't stay.
I came to say goodbye. I am sor-1
,rysT Tom, but die like the man II
know you, to be, Tom, fate's against
you.t You must, die. Goodbye
God bless you. Goodbye Tom"
Cheyenne, Wyo..s Nov. 2O.-In
his letter to John c.. Coble, Horn
details bis movements in the Iron
Mountain country at the time of
the Nickel murder, and makes the
;sensat tiona1 admission that two men
tried to have him kill Willie Nick
ell, but denies his alleged confess
sion of the crime to Joseph Lefors
which led TO- his arrest, q
The crime for which Tom Horn
was hanged was the murder of Will
lie Nickel, the 14-year-old son Of
Kels P. Nickel, an Iron Mountain
ranchman. The boy was shot and
killed July 18, 1901, by man
whom he discovered in ambush near
his home. Several weeks afterward
Kels Nickel was shot three times,
but was-not killed. He was conf
dent Horn was the man who shot
him and his son. Horn was not ar
rested, however, until January 12,
1902, two days after he had confess
ed to Deputy United States Marshal
Joseph Lefors that he killed Willie
Nickell. He said he went to the
Iron Mountain country to kill
Kels Nickel, and shot the boy be-
cause the latter discovered him in
hiding. He admitted also that he
made an unsuccessful attempt later
to kill the father.
Horn told further of the killing
offour other ranchmen in Wyom-
ing and Colorado, and said he re-
ceived $500 for each of these MUIR
ders. This confession was taken