Morning appeal. [volume] (Carson City, Nev.) 1877-1906, 1905-09-09


has legal right to do SO. Hancock
sal he would waive his right u
listen to it and so this part of the
ceremony was omitted.
AS he stood on the trap facing the
audience, still smiling, the Chaplain
uttered the last prayer.
almighty Gcd, Father of all mer-
sizes, we beseech Thee to look down
on this, Thy servant with the eyes
of Thy divine mercy. The decree OF
the law condemns him to pass unwi..
lingly to the great beyond and we
pray Thee that when he enters the
dark Wiley of the shadow of death
that Thy rod and staff shall comfort
him. and that Thy eternal charity will
yer his nakeiness. We ask this in
The name of Christ, the Savior.
Amen. ell
His Last Words
Hancock in perfectly audible
vel e spoke IS follows:
standing here today, whether in
the morning or afternoon, / know not
which it il, with to say that l free
ly forgive all persons who have had
hand in my prosecution. Forgive
them all, oh Lord of all merces for
they know not what they do" There
was pause and he smiled again AMI
continued, 81 am innocent of this
crime. 1 go to my death AN inno-
cent man.
One of the guards stepped behind
him and lifted the moose over his
head and began adjusting the knot
Just below the left ear. He smiled
and turned his head to be able to
assist in the adjustment. The touch
of the rope which was like the out
stretched finger of death upon his
person did not cause fiinching from
the inevitable.
AS the black cap was lifted above
, his head hesremarked in an ordinary
ton in which there was not tremOr
or huskiness of accent:
Il am an innocent man."
, He reached his right hand out from
: his side as we'll as he was able, tc
, indicate that he wanted to shake
: hands. The guards and the Warden.
$ and last of all the Chaplain took his
5 hand in turn and he seemed pleased
r The black cap went down, obscuriny
4 the smile upon his features and he
$ stood as steady as a clock while the
strings we're tied
Behind him, enclosed in little box,
shut off from the audience, were
! three, men each holding: knife
: ready to cut cord when the sig
nal came. These cords ran down a
square wooden way to weight which
connected the lever which held the
trap in place. One cord of the three
was attached to the weight and the
two others were blanks The man
who had passed the cords up could
X not tell which one held the weigl.l
in place.
he The Trap Falls
Everything was now in readiness
and the seconds which licked ava,
y seemed longer than minutes to tn,
y spectators.
- The Chaplain then offered up tn:
final prayer:
. May the peace of God, which pas
~ seth all understanding, keep you
- heart and mind in the knowledge an
. love of God, the Father, God tn eSor
: and God the Holy Ghost and ma
- God have mercy on your SOUL"
rs Immediately from the depths o
s the death mask, came the response
HE will, He will
The warden raised his hand 3
" twenty minutes to eleven and as !
~ went up above the level of the Ell
y. closure which shut the executioner
~ from view each man severed hi;
40 cord and the weight which was r,
- leased, started down the hollo,
wooden way. 1t could not have bee
eF ney, but some Of the spectators sal
re afterwards that it seemed an hou
Mt 1t seemed for an instant as If til
OF lever had refused to act. In til
lis midst of the suspense the trap ope
ld ed its jaw with a downward Ter
'as and the form of Hancock shot throue
the opening full six feet. There ws
Al no struggle or gyration and the bod
ell hung there motionless on a lev
at with the spectators.
Drs. Berry, Circle and Sulliva
VT stepped inside the enclosure and toe
MS the pulse of the motionless figure b
"a fore them. One who took the rig,
pulse reported no indication Of ci
LIN culatiOu but tho loft urict .xo,,1 =.