Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1906-02-28
CONLEY VIOLENT
TO BITTER END
After Attempt at
Suicide Slabs Two
Guards.
CONSCIOUS ON GALLONS
Morose and Revengeful Even
to Those Who Were
Kind to Him.

John Conley died displaying the
white feather, SAID ex-Sheriff Harry
G. Kinsell, who returned yesterday az
ternoon from Taos, where he acted as
the Governors agent at the execution
of the murderer of James Reddlng.
Monday morning
The eX-sheriff has rather CHASTITY
souvenir of the occasion in the shape
of the knife with which Conley cut
his throat and with which he stabbed
two deputy sheriffs in an effort to pre-
vent them from taking him to the
scaffold. The knife is covered with
blood In speaking of the execution
of Conley, Mr.. Kinsell said:
"The courts sentence was carried
out in the best manner possible after
the man had tried to end his life.
There was nothing to do but hang him
and we had to do 1t as eXpeditiously
as possible Conley's last words pre-
viously to cutting his throat are not
printable.
Cursed Guard.
early in the morning on the day OF
the execution, went to nearby no
| tel and ordered a good breakfast Tor
Conley. 1t was taken into his cell.
The condemned man was lying upon
his bunk by the wall and did not get
| up. A few minutes later guard en-
tered and told him he had better eat
the food before it became cold. Con-
ley cursed the guard and remained
upon the bunk. had gone Ito the no
tel for breakfast shortly after Z
o'clock, when a guard ran In and told
me that Conley had cut his throat. We
went hurriedly to the jail and found
Conley lying upon the bunk with the
blood flowing from wound in his
neck which had severed the windpipe.
He still clasped bloody pocket knife
In his hand, two blades opened.
-Four deputy sheriffs threw them
selves upon him and he fought des'
perately, although unable to get to his
feet. He struck out blindIy with the
knife, stabbing Deputy Abon Tru1illo
and another offlcc in the hands. Blood
flew in every d..ection. The guards
were covered with It and | got my
share.
Subdue Man.
1--WE at length subdued Conley who
lay upon his back gasplng. He could
not speak. A surgeon was called ana
the wound was dressed. The guards
then supported the prisoner to the
scaffold and seated him upon a stool
placed on the trap. They quickly
bound him, adjusted the black-cap and
upon signal the lever was jerked
and Conley fell to his death He was
not unconscious, as stated In press
dispatches, but knew what was TAX
ing place to the end. His neck was
not broken by the fall because he did
not drop straight down,
"After reaching the end OF the rope,
Conley struggled for some time, but
soon began to weaken At the end OF
ten minutes his pulse was lifeless.
but We let him hang for short time
longer to make sure that he was dead
His body was then cut down and pre-
pared for burial. was opposed to
any more publicity in the affair than
was necessary, but many people
crowded into the jail building to look
at the body. 1t was then placed In a
wagon and taken to the public ceme.
terry by guards for burial.
Suffered.
Had Conley met his death bravely.
I do not believe he would have ex-
perienced half the suffering he did by
cutting his throat, The deputy sheriffs
stabbed by Conley in the fight In the
death cell received painful wounds
though they are not Of serious ma
ture.
"I was with Conley on several occa-
sions during the week preceding the
hanging and never saw man take
death so hard. He cried several times
and apparently could not nerve him
self for the ordeal. l did not talk
with him much for he seemed to dis
like me because was looking after
the arrangements for Governor Hager-
man who refused to commute the death
sentence for weighty reasons. When
he saw me as he was being taken to
the gallows, he closed his eyes and
would not open them until the cap had
been placed upon his head"
After making his report to Governor
Hagerman this morning, Mr.. Kinsell
| left for his ranch, where he will re-