The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-07-13
ALA CERTAIN
TO MEET DEATH
No Sympathy Felt for the MUIR
derer of the Denver
Priest.
HOURS NOW NUMBERED
SENTENCE TO BE EXECUTED
SOME TIME THIS WEEK.

Denver, July 1Z.-W1th the arrival OF
today, the death of sentence imposed
upon Giuseppe ALA, the priest muir
derer. began TO operate. Ala will be
hanged in the state penitentiary at
Canon City some time this week. but
the day and the hour are known only
to prison officials. and perhaps have
not yet been definitely decided upon by
them.
The custom in Colorado long followed
by the courts is to designate the week
when convicted murderers, sentenced
to death. shall expiate their crime.
leaving it to prison officials who ac-
tually carry out the sentence to select
the moment when the sentence shall be
carried into effect.
The law requires that a certain num-
Der OF witnesses be present at the time.
and in previous cases 1t has happened
that a certain number OF newspaper
men have been named in this capacity.
May Not Be Given Out.
In this way the public is made ac-
quainted with the hour selected for the
hanging. but until some such source
of information develops the people gen.
orally must continue in ignorance of
details of the plan decided upon for
any execution. This Is true of the Ala
case, and it would not be surprising if
the public received its first news of
, the actual arrangements for Alias
hanging after it was all over and the
prison physician had pronounced him
dead.
That the death sentence under which
Ala now rests will be carried into eff
feet without interruption from the par
i - 90 L. liz
certain. Governor Buchtel has stated
in emphatic language that he will not
even reprieve him, because he believes
the sentence imposed was lawful and
| just In the absence of Governor Buch-
| tel from the state. executive duties fall
| to Lieutenant Governor Harper, and in
the event of that contingency arising
during the week. Ala will have no bet
ter chance of escaping the moose, for
the lieutenant governor is known to be
of the same mind in this particular as
the governor.
Crime a Shocking One.
Realizing that the shocking nature of
his crime-the killing of Father Leo
Heinrichs at the altar of ST. Eliza
beth's church in this city while the
priest was administering the sacrament
at early mass or Sunday morning
maze Impossible the StlrTlnS OF human
sympathy in his behalf. Ala waits only
the coming of the moment when he
shall be summoned to his doom. The
greater portion of the time he lies up
on his cot, his face buried in the COW
ers. occasionally mumbling a word or
two not intended for any ears but his
own. When approached by any one he
| flies into a rage. even resenting the
presence of Jail officials. For a week
! he had absolutely refused to eat. al
though the choicest of food was placed
before him. On Friday last the pris-
| on physician, becoming alarmed at his
| haggard appearance, administered milk
/ by means of pump. This had the eff
feet of changing the prisoners mind.
and since then he has eaten unassisted.
ALA retains his fierce hatred of the
priesthood and everything connected
| with the church. When visited in his
cell recently by a Catholic priest sta
toned in Canon City he raved and
stormed and was not Quoted for some
time after the priest had withdrawn.
| Ala refused to converse with the priest,
and his attitude at times appeared
threatening.