Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-05-10
METzGER PAYS
FULL PENALTY
Brutal Murderer Of Homer Ward Goes
to His Awful End Without One
Trace Of Fear.
SLEEPS UNTIL CALLED TO DIE
Last Statement Throws No Real
Light on crime-Accuses oriet Of
Having Committed Murder.


OF Homer Ward, paid the penalty for
his terrible crime at o'clock Friday
afternoon at White Sulphur Springs.
He walked to the scaffold without
tremor, and displayed great nerve to
the very last. When the weight was
dropped, Metzger's body was jerked
in the air, and death resulted from
strangulation in liz minutes, his
neck not being broken. Within half
an hour after the time DR.. J. M.
Kumpe pronounced Metzger dead, the
remains had been buried. The laws
decree was carried out without sin.
gle hitch, and the attending sheriffs,
among whom we're Quinn, of Silver
Bow; Hogan, Of Cascade; Falonz, of
Sweetgrass; Munden, of Broadwater;
and Graham, of Missoula, pronounced
the execution one Of the most sue
cessful ever carried out in Montana.
On his way to the gallows, Metz
ger handed to the press representa-
tive his last statement, which has
been eagerly awaited.
Metzger's Last Statement.
It contains long story of the crime
from his viewpoint. Alexander Oriet,
his partner on the hunting trip, is
accused of numbering Homer Ward.
Meter gives minutely the details of
the trip to Homer Wards cabin the
evening before Thanksgiving. He
tells of the manner in which the stol>
en- goods were packed upon the horses,
how they turned to camp and talked
it over and how they had planned
to leave the county. His version Of
the murder is probably just as it oc.
CURED, excepting the substitution of
Oriet's name for his own. The state
ment concludes with scathing ar
raignment of Oriet, and Deputy Sher.
iff Rowe johnson. It may be said
that his abuse of the deputy sheriff
was unwarranted and was based up
on some unimportant testimony at the
trial.
"The testimony of Oriet was over
two-thirds FALSE" declares the state.
ment. "Oriet and his attorney, Free.
man, knew how it was nxed and how
had to testify. I knew as soon as
heard that Oriet was a witness against
me that I was up for the gallows
Oriet was not a man of his word with
me; he was a coward. Between Oriet
and Freeman, Pease and perhaps ORR
cts friends, they manufactured the
testimony to free Oriet. heard q
great deal of the manufacturing o1
testimony here in the Jail myself
they knew that I had no witness tc
help me and I was not in the country
long enough to gain the friendship
of any one, who would help me.
will get my neck cracked in few
hours and will take it like man
would rather hang any moment In
nocent than guilty. am not afrait
to die, have not done anything to be
afraid of. It is not pleasant thing
to pass away as I will but would rath
er pass away innocent OF murder thar
to be free man and guilty man
the guilty man may live a long time
and pretend to be happy but his lift
will be clouded with unhappiness ant
some day he will suffer and worr!
more than I ever did. Whatever HI
may do in his life he will have some
bad luck and will think of the maj
that he murdered or the innocent maj
that he convicted by his false ant
cowardly testimony. Without a doub
that man is Alexander Oriet. If h
did not murder Homer Ward, he a
least tried to have me hang for it.
will hang but through my fool tall
convicted myself, but will die haI
pier than any man who knows tina
he is going to die as do. I Will g
happily for the sake of my folks an
am in hopes that they may not hea
of my fate. feel happy and prou
of the good treatment received Wnll
in Jail. No man as a prisoner eve
had as much respect shown him as
have had. I win die happy to thin
have some friends In this countr!
but the best of friends must par
and I will bid you all farewell, wisf
ing you a long and happy life. l SUI
pose Meagher county will be the hal
piest in the state after I am at tn
end of the rope.
(Signed) HERBERT METZGER."
Visited by Rev. Wakefield.
Notwithstanding his previous tai
against ministers and religion, whe
death drew near, Metzger receive
Rev. H. G. Wakefield. of Lewistowl
IQurSOdy, anu Ou ludI udy 0nu !
day, spent many hours with the mi
lister. The condemned man talke
freely of his early life, but at no tin
showed any real repentance, nor d
he say anything that shed any furth'
light on his terrible crime.
From sleep to Death.
Metzger awakened from sleep
20 to the gallows. Until early Fl
day morning the doomed man was
tertained in the county jail, SOM
and recitations being part of pr
gram calculated to make the murde
ers last hours on eartn as pleasa
as possible, and when Metzger ret
ed he slept soundly until it was tin
for Sheriff Charles H. Shannon
awaken him for the reading OF Il
death warrant.
Metzger displayed remarkable ner
to the last, the march 10 the scafio
apparently affecting him no mo
than an after-dinner stroll. He
trayed some interest in the mechanis