New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1907-02-27
A GALLONS MYSTERY
John Lees Remarkable Expert.
ence on the ScaffoId.
FACED DEATH THREE TIMES

And Three Times the Trap, Which Had
Previously Been Tested and Found
In Good Working Order, Refused to
Open When the Bolt Wa. Drawn.
One of the most remarkable scenes
ever witnessed ON the galloWs took
place in England in the last century.
EARLY on the morning of Feb. %,
1885, a considerable crowd of people
gathered before the grim front Of Ex-
eter prison. 1t was silent crowd,
shivering in the keen wind that blew
around those froWning walls on that ]
dull, misty morning, and it's eyes were
all bent OH Flagstaff which stood bare.
They were waiting for a flag to be
hoisted-th terrible black flag which
should announce that justice had been
done on a murderer. 5#sa
Inside the prison Warder stood =
ready, holding in his hand the cord
which should hoist the hideous black
drapery lying on the ground at his feet,
but the signal did not come. Instead
of it there arrived an excited prison
officer.
1.-THE flag will not be hoisted. Lee
will not be hanged today" he said.
John Lee, the prisoner whose death
signal that crowd had awaited, had
had one of the most remarkable es-
I, capes from capital punishment record
ed in our prison history. To this day
| 1t remains somewhat Of a mystery
how John Lee lived so many years
after the events of that terrible morn
! ing.
/ II had a Dream the wretched man
wrote to his sister the day after his
fearful experience on the scaffold-"l
had a dream on Sunday night (the
night before the day fixed for the exc
cution) that the scaffold was not ready
and that they had to make another
/ I told the officers that were on watch
over me at o'clock in the morning
but [ did not think it was coming true.
/ But it did. 1t was the Lords will that
I should not die yesterday at the time
appointed by man. believe what oc-
Cured was a miracle. [ was on the
brink Of death three times. It is my
wish to die. I am tired of this world,
and am waiting for the time to come,
and I hope it will not be long. have
been dead to this world three times"
John Lee did not exaggerate his aw-
full experience.
At 8 in the morning of that Febru-
airy day he had been led from his cell
to die. In what had been the coach
house Of the prison the gallows had
been erected. Beneath was a deep pit
covered by the closed doors, which
when the condemned man was placed
in proper position, should, at sigma
from the executioner, fly open, a bolt
being withdrawn by an assistant pull
ing lever. The whole arrangement
had been tested several times and haC
worked satisfactorily. But now, witt
John Lee standing there with the car
drawn over his face and the hangman's
rope around his neck, the flap doors
beneath his feet would not give way
Berry made the fatal signal, the assist
ant pulled the lever the bolt flew back
but the doors kept their place. Thel
warders rushed forward and stamped
with their feet upon the doors. They
remained firm Lee was led aside, ant
carpenters We're called in to saw some
Of the woodwork away. Again all was
ready The clergyman once more came
!, to the words, In the midst of life W.
) are in death" Again the signal wa
given, the bar was pulled, but the doors
refused to part.
John Lee stood there before then
alive!
! Three times did that happen. For NJ
; fewer than eighteen minutes Lee stoot
there tasting the agony of momenta
: rily expected death
Then the white cap was taken from
his face and the rope from around hi
neck, and he was led back to prison
while the Jail authorities hastily con
ferred as to what should be done. 1
telegram was dispatched to the HON
! secretary, Sir William Harcourt, in
e forming him of the extraordinary ot
/ currence and requesting instructions
e Later the undersheriff proceeded t
|. London to interview the secretary.
s II felt said Sir William Harcou1
S later in the house of commons, that
e would shock the feelings of every on
il this man We're called upon to agai
e undergo the pangs OF imminent dealt
e and | consequently signed respit
Y during her majesty's pleasure. "-Lo1
d don Tit-Bits.