Bismarck daily tribune., 1908-09-25
D. N. Noah, Condemned MUIR
defef, Calmly Awaits
the End, Oct. 23
Approves Of Capital Punish.
Inent and Satisfied With
His Sentence
Denies Mental Failure on
That He will Weaken =
.. on the Scaffoldoy ,, . /,

55A Tribune man had an interview
with D. M. Noah, the condemned
murderer,,at the penitentiary, Wed7
nesday, and was surprised to, find
that instead of a Jh desperate and
bIoodthirsty criminal he found a
handsome. young man, we'll dressed
and as cheerful as though the end
Of all earthly things for him was
not but short month away. A},': d
! Noah is but 20 years old, but
looks much younger. He has black,
curly hair, carefully parted in the
middle, dark brown and expressive
eyes, a straight nose, full, red lips,
brunette complexion, in all face
which betokens good nature and in
te1ligence capable of many accom-
plishments had it been given proper
direction and opportunity for full
development. He has a good figure,
denoting strength and excellent
health. He is about five feet, ten
inches tall and will probably weigh
100 pounds.
The prison record shows him to
have been a model prisoner thus far
although he is given to imaginings
| that some people are misrepresent-
ing him, this because some news
papers have told some dreams about
him which he says are entirely de-
void of truth.
The interview with the doomed
man took place in little room just
inside the entrance to the main cell
room and the Tribune man and a
friend were allowed to talk to Nnoh
freely without the presence of any
of the prison officials, SO that all
would feel perfectly at ease.s, -,
/ Noah complained that he had been
frequently misrepresented by the
newspapers inasmuch that they in
timated that he was losing his mind
under the strain approaching death
that death watch had been placed
over him and that he would weaken
when the final test came
do I look like crazy MANI
he asked. 'Do I look like 1 was
scared out of my wits over approach
ing death? I hardly think so, as
: was never more in full possession
of my head than now. There is nc
death watch set over me and none is
needed, as l realize that I am tc
pay the penalty for killing johnson
and am ready to meet death, and
will not finch when the end does
come.
when a man kills another he
must die for it, the law says. I die
kill Lewis Johnson, but it was mo-
premeditated murder-it was done
after hard drinking spell. But the
fact that a man commits murder
when drunk is no excuse, for he i!
not compelled to drink, and if ht
does, he must take the consequence:
whatever they may be.
There was no enmity existing be
tween Johnson and myself, on tht
contrary, we were the most intimate
friends. Johnson had had trouble
with his wife and brooded over it /
great deal and asked me to come ou
and keep him company, which / did
We drank a great deal that nigh
in February, and Johnson went owe
all his troubles, and said he was in
clined to take the gun which wa
lying near, and end it all sait
I might do it for him, or words tt
that effect, and pointed the gun a
him andtit went off. / didn't ever
know it was loaded. ] have no rec
objection of hiding the body in tn
cellar, but when / was accused o
murder / acknowledged shooting hin
and here am. might have tough
the case and got off with manslaught
er, but I killed him. my friend, an.
the law says must die for it, so di
must, on the 23d of October.
Noah told his story in matter o
fact way which gave chill to his lis
teners, and no one telling of CON
monplace incident in their live
could have been more devoid of az
itation. There was not the slight
est tremor in his voice as he spok
of death, neither was there augh
of brayado. He did not seem to ri
J gret that he had not fought the cas-
and escaped. possibly with a senten
ce of life, or less, but has eyidentl