Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-02-24

Ia; courage unsurpassed Iie 80"
..a,,or,, times that when the hour u os"''
a,r,o he would meet it bravery tha' -
-. hoer a soldier and knew no" 10 nc
r. o.titude on the scaffold bore out MS
I'D, IN fulI. He stood erect, heels close
jonathan his shoulders back and MS gaze
directed over the heads OF the crown ~"
ward the far end of the corridor. ihc
Rev. J. r. Burkland, who was recitih'
the prayers for the dying as the proce'
sion approached the scaffold. cohtiiiu7i
them while Hoch was preparing lot eN1o
cution. Deputy Sheriff Peters spoke y
Hoch, asking him to move backwards II
he was not squarely on the drop. ii"cH
glanced down at his feet, moved quicNiy
to the rear and again resumed hiS mliltd-
nv attitude. He had said that he did not
care to saw anything on the scafold. but
while Deputy Sheriff Peters was pinion-
ing his feet Hoch spoke to him in low
voice.
do you want to say something! asker
Deputy Sheriff Peters.
YES" said Hoch.
|. The Rev. BurkIand was still rccitinG
the prayer and Jailcr Whitman rnotioncd
| to him with his hand to silence him. The
the prayer, and Whitman stepped to the
| edge of the scaffold and asked him to de-
| sist for moment.
AS soon the voice Of the clergyman
| had ceased. Hoch spoke up in a strong.
clear voice and with n pronounced Ger
man accent, saying:
Father forgive them, they know not
| what they do. I must die, an innocent
| man. Goodbye"
| He bit off the last two words IL 4
| crisp, incsive fashion and just as soon
as he had uttered them the drop fell.
Dr. Mcnamara, a county physician
was at Hochs side the instant ne fell
and declared that death had been instan-
taneous. the neck having been broken.
Hochs pulse continued to beat for 70
| minutes after DR.. Mcnamara had de-
clared his neck broken.
While the execution of Hcch was in
| progress Attorney Edward Maher was
still making desperate efforts to induce
| Judge Lands to sign an appeal and grant
Hoch a supercedas until this application
for q writ of habeas corpus could be test
| ed by the federal supreme court
At a few minutes after / o'clock .Tudg.
Lands left his chamber on his way to
| lunch. AS he stepped, into the hall Maher
stopped him, saying:
I'VE have only a little time These M
pers will be here in n few minutes witt.
the mans signature"
Il am going out now" replied the
judge. II shall be in court at O'Clock"
My God, judge" implored the attor
ney, the tears springing to his ewes
don't leave the building. Please don't
do it Give this man the right of appeal.
We want to save his life and at . O'Clock
it will be too late. For Heavens sake.
don't leave the building
You make it terribly hard for me :.
said the judge. but as told YOU. I can
not grant an appeal. NY oath of office
demands that L consider right In this
last hour before the execution am an
pealed to and l do not think | would h..
complying with my oath if l DELAYED this
execution
Judge, if I didn't think that this moo
man had been deprived of n fair cba,c,
wouldn't make this appeal to YOU. VIVA.
errors his attorneys may have made
should not cost him his life when there
IS still way open. Grant me this right
of appeal and don't leave the bui1din,
until You have done So
II do not think that | can" ron1ied
Judge Lands
LOOK here.' continued Maher, holding
up his watch. 'tSee what time if is 7,
few minutes this man will be dead A. 1
O'Clock an appeal or signature to ~,
pers. so far as he is concerned. will bo
past For Gods sake, remember wbo+
Your going means
Judge Lands. who had been maxim ,
his way toward the elevator as RAPIDLY
as he could in the face of the Information
of Mr.. Maher, stopped and confronted
the attorney
Il have expressed my views on the sub
Ject of appeal" he said in a slow voice |
II will not grant one, so there is no usc
of my remaining
Hasn't this man the rights of every
other citizen" demanded Maher.
Yes replied Judge Landis but I |
say there is no appeal in such case. |
He left the building
Attorney Maher waited for Il few mo-
ments to gather some legal authorities
and then joining Attorney Comcrford.
who was coming back from the iaiI. they
set out to find Judge Lands and again
ask for delay and an appeal They
followed him to the Great Northern Ho-
tel and not finding him there went to tn"
Union League Club. They missed hin,
there, and as they turned away from tn.
clubhouse they met a newsboy CARRYING
extra editions of the papers announcing
that Hoch had been hanged.
Both attorneys declared that the case
would be continued and the appeal made
| finally to the supreme court of the Unit
cd states. If it is there decided that
Hoch at the time of his execution still
possessed the right of appeal proceed
ings of criminal nature. the LAWYERS
| declare. will be instituted against all tn,
pubic officers who had anything to do
with the execution.
The body Of Hoch was given to a local
undertaken, who buried it at his own
expense.