The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1908-09-25
NOAH READY FOR HANGMAN
Continued from Page One.

Continued from Page One.
good figure. denoting strength and
excellent health. He is about Ave
feet, ten inches tall and win probably
weigh about 100 pounds.
Is a Model Prisoner.
The prison record shows him to
have been a model prisoner thus far
although he is given to imaginings
that some people are misrepresenting
him. this because some newspapers
have told some dreams about him
which he says are entirely devoid OF
truth.
Noah complained that he had been
frequently misrepresented by the
newspapers inasmuch as they had in
timated that he was losing his mind
under the strain Of approaching death,
that a death watch had been placed
over him and that he would weaken
when the final test came.
do / look like a crazy man?" no
asked. do look like ] was scared
out Of my wits over approaching
death? I hardly think so, as I was
never more in full possession OF my
head than now. There is no death watch
realize that am to pay the forfeit
for killing Johnson and am ready to
meet death and will not finch when
the end comes.
Reoitss Story Of Murder.
when a man kills another he must
die for 1t, the law says. l did kill
Lewis Johnson, but 1t was not pre-
meditated murder--it was done after
hard drinking spell. But the fact
that man commits a murder when
drunk is no excuse, for he is not COM
PEELED to drink, and IL he does, he
must take the consequences whatever
they may be.
There was no enmity existing be-
tween Johnson and myself; on the
contrary, we were the most intimate
friends. Johnson had had trouble
with his wife and brooded over 1t a
great deal and asked me to come out
and keep him company, which / did.
We drank a great deal that night in
February, and Johnson went over all
his troubles, and said he was inclined
to take the gun which was lying near,
and end 1t all. / said l might do It
for him, or words to that effect, and
pointed the gun at him and 1t went
off. I didn't even know 1t was loaded.
have no recollection Of hiding the
body In the cellar, but when was
accused Of murder acknowledged
shooting him and here am. l might
have fought the case and got off with
manslaughter. but 1 killed him--my
friend-and the law saws ! must die
for 1t, so die I must, on Oct g."
viii Never Weaken.
Noah told his story in a matter of
fact-even buoyant-way which gave
q chill to his listeners, and no one
telling of a commonplace incident in
their lives could have been more de-
void of agitation. There was not the
tremor in his voice as he
spoke of death, neither was there
aught OF hravado. He did not seem
to regret that he had not fought the
case and escaped, possibly with a
sentence of life or less but has evil
IDENTIFY schooled himself to view the
OF his act with stoicism.
In his conversation a slight lack OF
education was apparent IN his Eran.-
mar, but he said he had held some
good positions and could have held
others had he not been wayward and
foolish" as he put II. He spoke of
the "foolishness" which had landed
him In the penltentiary before this
term and commented upon It as a
strong point for the prosecution In
his trial. He said all the stories about
iom that had appeared in the papers
since his incarceration in the peniten-
larry were made up out OF whole
10th and emphasized his statement
nat he would never weaken at the
asst, as he firmly believed the sem
tence just, as he views the law, no
natter what his intent had been
when the killing was done, In which
position he Is unique In the annals OF
nen facing execution.
His Religion Undecided.
Regarding religion he is unsettled
apparently in point OF creed He has
lad Father Clemens of the Catholic
'hurch and later had Archdeacon
Zones, but on this matter he did not
ouch to the reporter.
AS to the place OF execution Noah
aid 1t was matter OF indifference 10
Inn and that he had not suggested to
DUPLICATION to the supreme court for
decision as to where II should take
'lace. He was to be hanged. and that
vas all there was to It, He said he
vas not opposed to capital punish
nsnt. but had always favored #, and
he cool way in which he discussed
his point as 1t applied to himself gave
me creepy feeling.