The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-11-21
COMMON WOODEN chair vii

0OMAlON " OODtN Cnalr Win
u curved arms stood close to the
east wall. near the southeast cor
ner Of the prison yard, GO she early
siight began to struggle over the snowy
tops q the neighboring Wasatch noun
tains yesterday. Back of the chair
stood "A three-sided box Of freshly
planed boards. The narrow space be
tween box and wall was filled in with
earth. The chair was fastened to the
box behind.
Opposite and thirty-four feet distant
was the wide door OF the low brick
blacksmith shop. This door was Gov
cred with dark blue denim. i'm which
was a row Of four holes about shoulder
, high for a man, and one hole little
higher. The outer stone walls on three
sides and the row OF brick buildings
on the fourth shut this SPOT off into
RecluSlOu. During the early hours Of
the gray morning only the wall guard
I'm the corner tower above could see
these mute evidences that a mans life
was soon 10 be taken by the law.
Prison Yard Deserted.
The prison yard was deserted. Even
the TRUSTEES among the convicts were
locked in their cells before the hour of
no approached. There was a clang OF
steel doors and n rattle of bolts and
bars I'm the corridors of the cell houses
q short distance away.
At 1915 o'clock the outer gates of
the prison were opened and closed and
opened and closed again. as one install
ment after another of men who had
been made special deputy sheriffs 90
allow them to witness the execution
entered he yard. passed along the ce-
nent walks and around the north side
OF the cell houses TO the east side
wire was stretched across from builC-
ings TO wall about 100 feet from the
chair and canvas. Against this wire
the men crowded kept i'm order bv
uniformed guards among them o.
looking down, rifle i'm hand from the
wall.
Next the wire were chairs and OIL
cIoth-covered tables for the newspaper
men. At the same time the big gates
were opened a number Of men were
allowed upon the wall. They filed
along and ranged themselves both ways
from the southeast corner.
Waiting For Condemned Man.
Looking southwark from the wire on
Ssthe left and directly ahead were the
grim stone walls. surmounted bv the
guards. with their rifles. and the rows
Of spectators silhouetted against the
sky At the base of the wall on the
left was the chair, with its background
low brick wall Of 5he buildings. in
Guiding the blacksmith shop with its
blue canvas and omiuous holes
The spectators along the wire shifted
a about uneasily. talking i'm low tones.
pulling out watches and keeping close
eyes on the corner of the blacksmith
shoD around which would come the
death party. Minute after minute
passed.
out Of the dark holes i'm the canvas
! were thrust the muZzles of rifles The
marksmen were apparently accustom-
ing themselves 20 the rest and range.
The dark barrels were steadily trained
toward the death chair raised. and
trained again with careful aim Then
they were withdrawn
Acting Warden Wright and Sheriff
Emery walked out made a careful in
. spection of the chair and strobe back
around the building.
Worked Up to High Pitch.
Everybody was on a high nervous
tension. Guard David Hilton. seeking
something on which 90 stand and look
over the heads of the crowd went to "A
svheeIbarrOw resting against a neigh-
boring pile of bricks. AS he seized the
barrow 20 turn 81 over and take It
closer to the scene, it scraped against