Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1905-02-14
Makes q Confession.

broken.
Makes Confession.
Hardly had his struggles ceased when
his confession was given out by his
three spiritual advisers, Revs g. l.
Petrie, H. B. Lee and John B. Thompson.
It read as follows:
u. Samuel McCue stated this morn
ing in our presence and requested us to
make public that he did not wish to leave
this world with suspicion resting on
any human being other than himself:
that he alone was responsible for the
deed, impelled to 1t by an evil power
beyond his control, and that he recog-
nized his sentence as just"
The body will be taken to Brooks
vile, near Alton, for burial.
After the execution one of McCue's
spiritual advisers said Mr.. McCue
left this world with feeling of bitterness
toward no human being init. His heart
was wonderfully softened He was
earnest and tender. This morning in
our presence he offered to God fer
vent prayer for his family; for his
brothers and their wives; for his Sis
ter; for his uncles and aunts, and, last
ly and most fervently of all, for his
children He called them each by name.
He invoked the blessing Of Almighty
| God on them all.
Story Of the Crime.
]. Samuel McCue was 46 years old,
and twice had been mayor of the city OF
Charlottesville. The tragedy for which
he paid the penalty created more In
| terest than any other crime that haa
occurred in the state in the past quarter
century. On Sunday night, September
4, McCue accompanied his wife to
church, and they returned home about
| 9:15 o'clock. Within IL minutes after
they had repaired to their room to re
tire for the night the city was aroused
by messages announcing the murder Of
Mrs. McCue. Friends, physicians and
officers hurried to the McCue home
Mrs. McCue was found dead in thu
bathroom, and McCue was lying on tn,
floor with an abrasion on his cheek ant
feigning inconsistencies. He later az
serted that the attack had been mad,
by an unknown white man, who had
climbed through a window. Mrs
McCue had been dealt blow thai
broke her nose and her left ear had
been almost severed by second blow
Death was caused by gunshot wound
just above the heart. McCue never wa,
able to explain the presence in the bath
room Of q small piece of cotton under
shirt which fitted exactly torn placa
| in the shirt which he had on when TIL
officers arrived. Two women figured
In the reports that circulated as to tn,
cause Of the murder, and a letter fille<
with endearing language sent him b,
one OF his women clients was produced
at the trial. McCue had quarreled wit!
his wife q number of times. She wa,
40 years old, and the mother of fou,
children. The coroner's jury held Nc
Cue for the murder three days after
occurred, and he had since been con
fined In the jail, vehemently protestin,
his innocence His trial was conclude,
November S, and he was convicted, tn,
Jury being out only rs minutes.
For years McCue was one OF the mos
prominent men in the state. His Wit,
was . member of the Field family
Gen. Field was at one time attorns,
general Of the state. and later was nom
mated for vice president on the popu
list ticket. McCue, in addition to hi
interest in public affairs, was socist,
leader. At the meeting Of the stat
Bar association, several years ago at tn,
Greenbrier White Sulphur Springs, b.
led the german with Miss May Handy
now Mrs. James Brown Potter, Of Nsy
York.
4 Goes to scaftold with Smile.
| Washington, Feb. 1l.-Augustus I
sAa6er was hanged In the United State
jail here ct 1907 o'clock Friday for tn
murder Of his wife in August, 1908. Til,
death warrant was read to him a fey
minutes before noon, and as he crosse,
the rotunda to the scaffold he smile,
bravely. The execution occurred with
out unusual feature. Skaters spir
ttual adviser announced that the cor
demned man had been repentant for III
past four months.
i
1achen Clerk in Prison.