Cañon City record., 1908-07-23
OsH|lI'fII IQlA PMS !
nle B6tIM PHuLTY
tcontiausd nom pas. ons.,

rope Alias neck was not broken and
headied OF strangulation. After the
lapse ,af nineteen minutes the body
was cut down and he was pronounced
dead by Dr. Carrier. who, with other
physicians present. signed the death
During his incarceration here ALA
was vindictive and unrepentant.
Twice he tried TO cheat the gallows
but was in each instance prevented
from doing SO by, the vigilance Of the
prison authorities. For. more than 4
week he refused to eat any food. and.
probably would have died Of starva-
ton had not the prison" physician
taken drastic measures to prevent it
by pumping food into his stomach.
Some ten days ago he struck Deputy
Warden Jameson a vicious blow in
the face when he. entered his cell, but,
was quickly overpowered by Mr..
Jameson and the guard and thrust
back into his place Of Imprisonment.
Although naturally of an uncom-
municative disposition ALA from time
to time told Sasso. his guard. some of
his life history. ALA said that years
ago his religious nature was awaken
ed trough the influence Of the pastor
of a Presbyterian mission in italy,
and. he and his wife became a fire.
quent attendants at the mission ser
vices. Having been reared in the
Roman faith the parish priest threat
ened accommodation unless he ceas-
ed his visits to the Presbyterian mi
sion. This Ala declined to do. but his
wife. at the order of the priest, re-
services. ALA was duly excommuni-
Gated, and the priest, he asserted,
alienated his wife's affections and
broke up his home.
to America, and ALA, homeless and
until animated by an insane desire
for vengeance came also to this coun-
try determined to slay his enemy.
Learning in some way that the man he
was searching for was In Denver Ala
made his way to that city where he
spent some time In visiting the var
ious Catholic churches In quest OF his
victim. becoming all the time more
vindIctive until at last he developed an
unnatural hatred of priests in general.
which eliminated in the assassin ton
of Father Leo last February.
The crime committed by Ala was a
most dastardly and cold-blooded af-
fair and brought down upon his head
the condemnation OF law abiding peo-
pie in all part sof the United States.
At $3.50 O'Clock Sunday morning. Feb
ruAry 23rd. during the celebration of
early mass the murderer entered st.
Elizabeths church and shot down his
victim for no other reason than the
fact that he had an undying hatred
for the church and for those engaged
in the gospel ministry. Fifteen days
after the commission OF the crime ALA
was placed on trial before Judge
Greeley w. Whitford of the West Side
court in Denver and three days later
the jury selected to try the case re-
turned a verdict Of murder In the
first degree with the death penalty A.
punishment. sfg
The prisoner was denied q new trial
and sentenced to be hung during the
week beginning July 18th in expiation
Of his crime.
ALA made several attempts to cheat
justice Of its demands after his in
generation in the jail at Denver. nrst
by attacking his guard with . razor
suicide by butting his head against
with a view Of escaping and subse-
quently by endeavoring to commit
the stone walls and the iron bars of
his cell.
Saturday afternoon. March 21st,
Ala was brought to Canon City by
Deputy sheriffs Ronaldson and Young
OF Denver and immured in the state
penitentiary where he was at once
placed in solitary confinement and
where he remained to cogitats upon
his fate until last evening whom he
was taken to the execution chamber
to have the black cap adjusted, the
moose put about his neck and the
death trap sprung.
During all Of the days and nights
Of Alias Imprisonment here he has
never been beyond the sight Of his
guards, one Of whom has bsen sta
toned In front OF his cell ct ali hours.
He has not besn allowed 70 talk 10