The Birmingham age-herald., 1906-02-26
FIRST LEGAL EXECUTION
In Carson City Was Great Event and
 Social Success.
From the Sunset Magazine.

tTOm lle sunset MdBdZlHe
 Kerr was a man whose name fitted him like a glove. I do not remember his Christian name, If, indeed. he had such a thing, but he didn't need any just Kerr was enough. Still this mar had the distinguished honor of being the first to be hanged by due process of law in Western Utah, and if justice had slip per her blind and gone to work with her eyes open the procession following him would have been long one, anc some, whose names have since been writ ten more or less high on Nevada's scroll of fame would not have been around when the offices got ripe. This, however is a Aggression and merely an experssior of individual opinion.
 Lucky Bill' William Thorington, had been tried by an informal court of his peers, found guilty of cattle stealing and accessory in a murder, and was duly hanged on Clear Creek, four miles south of Carson City. Kerr was tried in the territorial court of Utah and hanged by the United States marshal John D. Blackburn.
 He was a Mlssouran lanky of build and about six feet four inches in length or possibly six foot six when the kinks were out of him. His crime was the mur- der of two young fellows who had just crossed the plains, coming I believe from Michigan. Kerr imagined he was 8 bad" man; instead he was simply cow ardly, despicable assassin. He ran across the young fellows, and, pretending tc own a ranch up Kings Canyon, back of Carson, hired one of them. Taking him up the road in the evening, Kerr shot him to death rifed his pockets, getting 40 cents. With this he purchased more liquid courage, and, hunting up the other young immigrant, told him he could give him job along with his partner. He did, killing him at the same spot, anc dumping both bodies into the creek.
 This murder proved more profitable, net ting almost dollar Kerr drunk, boastet of the killing, thinking it would make hin reputation as gun man. He was ar. rested, tried before Judge Cradlebaugh and. hoping to save his neck, confessed He was sentenced to be hanged, the judge expressing regret that he didn't have as many lives as a eat so that he could be hanged several times. There had beer several escapes owing to inadequate iai facilities, and to prevent any accident oi this kind, the execution was fixed at g date just remote enough to permit tho marshal to prepare for it.
 The execution took place at the scene o1
  cess. The whole town turned out to dc honor to the occasion, and I, being small was permitted to crowd through to the front row. The gallows consisted of two posts set in the ground with a platform supported by shorter posts. Kerr mounted the platform and made a rambling speech confessing his crime, and generously for giving everybody, including the marsha in charge of the ceremonies
 TA kf.. and owing to the fact that the rope had not been stretched and that sufficient allowance had not been made for the slack in his couplings when he shot through the trap and the wrinkles camc out his feet struck the ground. The rope was short enough. however. to stretch him out full length. and he swung round and round on his toes, unable to main. tain his balance, literally going out quiet ly on his tiptoes. His eyes had beer covered with strip of black cloth tied around his head, and in the drop this was pulled up, exposing his left eye Every time he swung round he reproach- fully gazed at Blackburn and. while he couldn't give voice to his thoughts. his expression indicated that the suspense was killing him.
 Blackburn was tender hearted and cas- iiv moved to sympathy. He walked around the scaffold to where a shovel. used in setting the posts. leaned against it. and with this he gently scooped the sand from under Kerrs feet. smoothing his dying pathway with a shovel and givine 2 happy termination to what promised for a while to he hiatus, His presence of mind and prompt action were hiPh'v commended and that night Carson fity celebrated the consur1mation of her first and greatest social function.