Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1906-04-26
JOSEPH SMITH !
DIES ON SCAFFOlD.
Pays Penalty for Crime Al.
most Three Years
Old
MET FATE WITH CALENESS
Had Refreshing Sleep the Night Be.
fore and Ate Hearty Breakfast and
Dinner Neck Was Broken and
Death Resulted Instantly.

Fort Madison, April 21.-Cooi ano
urmoved to the last, Joseph c. Smith,
negro murderer, was hanged at the
state penitentiary here at noon yes
terday. He went to his death with.
out a tremor and smiled as Sheriff
William Caldwell of Monroe county
adjusted his scaffold rope.
The prisoner before mounting the
scaffold was given an opportunity to
make statement, but he declined.
Accompanied by Sheriff Caldwell
and his three deputies. Smith APP
preached the seaffold at 11:36. He
walked up the runway without hest
tation and took his position on the
scaffold. In the yard were a number
of men from Monroe county. Smith
! recognized his lormer neighbers from
his place on the gauows and bowed
deeply.
"Howdy, gentlemen" he said in
natural voice, but without show or
bravado. RE made no other remarks.
During the ordeal of adjusting the
hanging clothes he stood like man
having his measure taken at tailor's.
The execution went off without -
hitch. Smith died instantly, hS necA
| being broken by the fall.
Thirteen minutes later he was Of
ficially pronounced dead by DR.. G. N.
Hyatt, Monroe county coroner, ano
DIR. L. r. Clutch, county physician.
Smith slept soundly Thursday night
After substantial breakfast he ex.
ercised the right Of a prisoner who is
about to die and ordered whet he
wanted for dinner. His last meal was
brought to his cell at IL O. IA. and no
dined heartily on porterhouSe steak
mashed potatoes and gravy, French
sardines, olives and custard pie.
Smith is a negro, 43 years old. He
shot and killed co,ored woman with
whom he was infatuated. He had
known her in Virginia and when she
came to Iowa he followed. She nad
married here and avoided Smith. He
claims that she tainted him with hav.
ing lost favor with her and in many
ways inciIed him to that state of mel.
tai feeling which made him irrespon-
sible. In one of these fits he killed
her. The crime was not denied and
no justification was offered for 1t,
The murderer was hstless from the
moment he committed the crime till
the erection of the gibbet. Even the
ringing of the hammers did not seem
to penetrate his sensibilities and
having killed the woman he seemed
to face death with indifference.
He was coal miner in Virginia
and in Monroe county. He was a
quiet man who did not interfere with
his companions and is said to have
participated little in the affairs of the
camp. He lived alone and brooded lis
silence over the wrongs that he
thought he suffered. He had been in
little trouble, but had been arrested
on complaint of the woman he after
ward killed, but he protested that he
did not kill in revenge. He never
displayed high order of intelligence
and to this is attributed IS stoical
indifference to his horrible fate.
Smith has been confined under sen.
tence of death for more than year
and half. AS for himself, he never
has exhibited interest in the prcceeu
ings in his behalf His attorneys and
friends have done all that there was
to do hardy wlLnout his Endorsement.
The only feeling he ever exhibited
was three weeks ago when put in the
death cell under what is known as
the death watch. But his agitation
soon subsidized and he resumed his at
tftude of listlessness.
Smith murdered Ida Canady at
Buxton, Oct. 16, 1903. He was sen.
fenced to death on Dec. 80. 1895. The
governor decided that the appeal for
Communication of sentence to life i'm
prisonment was equivalent to appli-
cation for pardon and sent the petit
tion of Smith to the legislature, which
held that it had no jurisdiction. Pend
ing the consideration the governor
fixed April 20 as the day upon which
the hanging should occur If the legis
lature did not intervene. The hour OF
o'clock N tie morning was first
fixed, but this was changed TO IL
o'clock noon.
1t has been ten years since there
was a legal hanging in Iowa. James
o. Dooley of Adams county, aged 16,
was hanged Oct. 10, 1894, at Fort
Madison, for numbering his sweet
heart
j. K Cumberland was hanged Feb
5, 1896, at Fort Madison. He had
oeen convicted of double murder in
Shelby county several years before
~ moe An yparc