The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-04-22


know the solemn import of what Is TAX
ing place. Congestion will follow in
few moments, when consciousness VIII
cease
Struggled Five Minutes.
The fingers Of the doctors felt a strong
pulse on the wrist Of the strangling man
for fully five minutes. The beats then
became weaker and more irregular mo-
mentarily, until they ceased in about
nine minutes. After that there were oc-
casional hatters that were barely per-
ceptible until life was extinct
Niedermier was too weak to offer
much resistance. and could not sit erect
In the chair on the scaffold. He held his
head erect TO enable the jailer to place
the moose. Then his head fell Imply on
his breast.
The Last Hours.
Peter Niedermier, weak and pale
from his double attempt at suicide,
stubbornly refused to embrace Christi
ahlty within a few hours of certain
death, joking and laughing yith the
death watch and smoking cigarettes
the greater part of the night, Isolated
from Harvey Van Dine and Gustave
Marx, his companions in crime. who.
converted to the Christian faith, spent
a night in peaceful slumber-these were
the incidents that marked the closing
hours of the automatic trio"
At o'clock Marx and Van Dine, who
had arisen at almost the same time,
prepared to dress. At clock they
We're engaged In prayer.
Both men wore the same clothes
which they had on during the trial AS
sistant Jailer oNeill took their orders
for breakfast which consisted of straw
berries and cream, fried eggs, potatoes
buttered toast, and coffee.
Laughs at Death.
Peter Niedermter spent wakoful
night. At o'clock this morning when
Assistant Jailer O'Neill entered the room
where the condemned men spent last
night. Niedermier turned to him and
blowing the smoke from his cigarette
into the air, jestingiy remarked:
Say. Jailer. open the door and let me
go home"
"Niederuier is the most remarkable
prisoner ever confined In the county
JAIL said Guard Gallagher, who left
him at midnight.
He laughs al death. He argued re-
ligion with me the greater part OF the
day. He tSld me he never received any
reports from the other world, and that
all"
Niedermier Defiant.
NAc0tklnlEL enOhS llOt1 Ills ItSllESS
nap at 500 AZ the jailer stood by the
sleeping bandit, undecided what to do
Niedermier stirred, rolled on his back.
and opened his eyes, staring In the jail
er's face. An instantaneous look of de-
fiance an9 hatred filed the bandit s
We'll" he growled.
Its nearly o'clock. Pete said the
jailer. How do you feeI?''
Niedermier rose and turned his back
TO the jailer without making g. reply
Whitman repeated the question, and
Niedermitr suilenly moved away from
him.
rs there anything you want, Pete?"
asked the iailer
''Yes-to - let alone
How He Was Guarded.
Niedermier's guards. who spent the
last night with him, one lying on his
bed u guard against attempts to tear
anew the artery he opened in an at
tempt TO commit suicide. another by
his right arm. and a third By his left
arm. to seize him in case of violence
either against himself or others respect
ing the bandits request, began TO gather
his effects and otherwise prepare for his
leaYe-takinR.
up a prayer book that had been left
by a priest and tossed IL aside with
an impatient gesture He opened an
other book, read paragraph. aud threw
that aside. His breakfast, consisting
OF berries, cream, and vegetables, was
served, and he ate in silence.
The Night Incidents.
While Niedermier did not go to sleep
until O'Clock in the morning. Marx re-
tired at 1870 o'clock, and Van Dine went
to sleep two hours later. Van Dimes
last hour was spent in writing letters
to his relatives.
Van Dine and Marx slept in separate
rooms in the jail and on the second
floor Up to midnight, they played
cards together. Van Dine winning the
last game OF ''siXty-siX."
IF they had any games on the other
side said Marx. good naturedly. Il
would try and beat you. Harvey; you
are three games ahead OF me now.