The Washington times., 1905-02-10
Pays Penalty of Wife
Murder in District
Jail.
CHEERFUL TO THE LAST
Quickest Execution in This
Jurisdiction Last
Moments.

gulre, spiritual comforter in his last
hours, and with a prayer upon his lips,
Augustus L. Shaffer, made atonemens
at the District jail this afternoon for
the murder OF his wife on the night OF
August y, 1903
Twenty seconds was the time that
elapsed between Skaters leaving his
cell and the drop of the trap. The exact
time of the springing of the trap door
was recorded at the Jail as 12:07 o'clock.
Twenty-four minutes later the hang
mans rope was sIackened, the body
placed IN a coffin and taken to Mt. Olivet
Cemetery, where interment was made.
Officials at the Jail with physicians
and ministers who have witnessed most
of the executions IN the east corridor
of the jail within the last twenty years.
said Shafers was the quickest they had
ever seen. On all sides the GOODNESS aid
calmness with which the man met his
doom was commented upon.
The Jail physician, who had as his as
sistants six doctors and medical stu.
dents, examined the oody from time te
time as It swung between heaven anu
earth, and finally, at 12-3f, they instruct
ed the warden's ASSISTANTS TO drop the
body. Life was extinct, and IT was
found that Shaffer's neck had been broIz-
mouth hung open, but there was no ex-
preston of pain on his face.
Dies Without Struggle.
1ilSES was liOL q lH4lClt VI @iiGSS4C OA
a voluntary movement of the body after
the door fell from beneath the con-
demned man. The heavy rope which had
been used In the executions of many
persons at the Jail, the last Of which was
John Buriey, a negro hanged On August
q, for committing the crime of rape
cut deep into the flesh of the mans neck
and discolored It, but there We're few
breaks of the skin.
At noon the large clock III warden
Harris Office struck the hour and sound
ed Shaffer's death knen Captain Harris
took the death warrant, about one nun
dred words. and going to Shaners $ cell
in the main rotunda of the jail read it tc=
him through the wire grating, Whiie
Father Mcguire, the jail chaplain, alood
by reading from his prayer book
Shaner simply smiled when the war
den had concluded, and said ne was
ready to meet his God. He smiled CON
tinualIy and seemed less ag1tated lnan
those who had been summoned 10 see
him swing into eternity
Priest and Warden
With Father Mcguire at his right side
and Warden Harris on his left. Shaner.
who was clad in q neat-htting black suit.
black tie and shoes, and a white shirt,
walked across the rotunda, from which
all the other prisoners had been re-
moved, and within two minutes was in
the death cell, from which he stepped
onto the scaffold.
Two assistants to the warden tied his
hands behind his back and strapped his
feet together at the knees and ankles to
prevent ccnyulsions of the BODY aEler
the door was dropped
Led by Captain Harris, who pushed
aside the white curtains across the out
let. and Father Mcguire, Shaffer, with
his coal black hair neatly parted, ana
his black moustache curled at the ends,
took four steps TO the center or the
trap door Father Mcguire stood di-
Of him nd DFaVed for
the reDose of his soul
! Skaters smile proadened as his eyes
| fell upon the priest Unheedlng the
placing of the rope around his neck by
the wardens assistant, and obIiVfouS to
| the fact that a crowd was gathered Il;
the corridor to witness his execution. he
said in q mild voice, Into Thy hdndS,
O Lord, I commend my spirit.
/ Warden Harris does not permit per-
sons who are to be hanged to make q
| statement. and as the moose was pull
| ed around Shener's neck and he finished
| his prayer. the black cap was adjusted
and fastened by a draw-string around
| his neck
Fall of the Trap.
Captain Harris then drew handker-
chief from mis- pocket and the door fell
from under Shaffer. The body fell
| about ten feet and stopped with a sud
| den jerk There was slight noise
made by the breaking of his neck and
bodv swung in midair for twenty-four
| minutes during which several exami-
! nations were made. Five minutes at
| ter the trap was sprung his pulse was
| almost normal it being registered as
| IS Five minutes later the jail pnySl-
clan announced that Shaners pulse was
20
I Instruments were used to detect any
beating of the heart after twenty min
| utes had elapsed the hands were feIE
| and found cool and preparations were
| then made to lower the body OF the
murderer
Two Men at Ropes
Adjoining the death cell two assistants
to the warden stood grasping a rops
leach. One of these was attached 10 the
door and caused it TO drop the other
was merely used to confuse the two men
and snare one man from the positive
knowledge Of the fact that he had taken
q human life.
,Tbev RECEIVED their signal from War
den Harris. and each leaned back and
Dullpi hard upon their ropes IN an III
stant They then LETT the eastern part
i. of the Jail and went about their other
duties in the 1ail ,.e. -,
caIly the same as yesterday-a large
beefsteak potatoes. bread and butter,
coffee and an orange.
+. Yesterday afternoon rather Mcguire
heard his confession. ana TINS morning
| The prisoner received Holy Communion.
He awol<e at his usual hour, o'clock,
was shaved arrayed himself in me suit
= which was TO be his shroud, and then
took the last sacrament. A lew mo-
lnents later he had his breakfast and
chutted cheeIfully with tatnsr Nc