The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1905-10-20
NORTH DAKOTA EXECUTION.
John Rooney Hanged in Penitentiary
at Bismarck.

John Rooney Hanged in Penitentiary
at Bismarck.
Bismarck, N. D., Oct. 1S.-PrOtest-
ing his innocence to the last John
Rooney was hanged at 1.:Q5 a. m. for
the murder of Harold Sweet Aug. 26,
1902, west Of Fargo. He walked into
the trap singing a song of his
composition. He remarked on the
small attendance and expressed regret
late an hour. Rooney talked on the
scaffold for. fully ten minutes. Al.
though claiming that he had accepted
the faith he ignored the prayers OF the
priest and interrupted with a song.
The execution was without a hitch and
death resulted almost instantly. 1t
was the first execution in the state
p%enitentiary.
His body was Ngiven to a local society
of doctors, organized especially for the
purpose, and the request of the state
university for the body was ignored.
Poems OF OLD MEXICO.
Indian Farm Laborcrs That Are
Really Beasts OF Burden.
The Mexican peon is the backbone Of
the republic. Without him the great
landed estates, Or haciendas, would lie
in idleness, while agricultural and COM
mercial interests would stagnate. OF
a cast iron constitution, he can. endure,
apparently without effort, the hardest
sort of drudgery. His energy comes
from a diet that consists chiefly Of
ground peppers, beans or ~frijoles and
a large quantity of tortillas. He works
from 6 to 6, enjoying in the meantime
his two simple meals. In general, the
Indian farm laborers are of a submis-
sive and respectful disposition. Like
the negroes of the south, they are not
far from the main building, SO as to be
on, hand whenever their services are
required. They usually insist, how
ever, on celebrating their holidays,
which lessons their real usefulness
about IS per cent. The holidays are
micro and afford the laborer. many
opportunities to quaf from the stupe-
flying pulque bowl. Their stock Of sur
plus change is not apt to be excessive;
It cannot be when most of them re-
ceive. but little over 20 cents a day.
Field hands in the states of Guanajua-
to, Michaocan and Queretaro receive
"a cuartillo of corn In addition to their
wages Of 10 cents a day. One hacien-
dado who voluntarily raised the wages
of his hands to ID cents a day found
himself without laborers for two days
Of the week. AS the extra wages sup
piled living means for the entire week,
what was the need of working?
These laborers are Of all sizes and
ages; but, whether young or old, all
bear alike upon their brow the depress-
ing and degrading leathern thong that
makes OF them beasts Of burden The
effect Of this customary strap on the
shape Of the head Is seen in. the fact
that the poems the country over have
peak shaped heads tending toward the
shape Of the pointed hat. The supply
Of laborers is, so to speak, perennial.
The young muchach0 receives his train
ing in watching the sheep and the
goats, acting as, messenger or prodding
the burros in the pack train. When he
10 about sixteen years old he takes his
place with the regular laborers and be-
gins to cast his eye about for a help
mate. The wife may prove useful and
earna small wage at some such opera
ton as sowing seed. Her life will be a
m~onotonous one. a stripe cloth serves
az dress and skirt, q strip of leather
provides sandal, and in the hot re-
glolnrls the clothing for the boys Il even
% sstmple. All that - required e
jorongo, which consists Of = yard Of
cotton clothswith &hole for the head
$and Two depending daps toS cover
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