The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1909-09-28
INDIAN Dies
ON GAEL0MS
CALMLY SMOKES CIGARETTE
AS HE MARCHES TO DEATH
SMILES AS BLACK CAP SHUTS
. .sasfas
LIGHT OF DAY FROM EYES.

A dispatch from Carson says that
George Williams, the Indian muir
derer of Barney Giffen and James
Connors, the two rpospectors near
Stimler, In the Silver Peak country
in November, 1907, was hanged at
the prison. The STORY is one of
more than ordinary interest.
The Indian had passed. a quiet
night in his waking hours having
the guard read from the Bible.
especially the 18th chapter of st.
John which had been fully explained
to him by Rev. Pike, the Indian mis-
sionary. In the morning he asked
that he receive the last sacrament
which was given to him. He told
the minister that he was sorry for
the crimes that he had committed
and acknowledged that he was the
murderer of the prospectors. He
Joined In the prayers and in the
singing of the hymns Nearer My
God to the Thee" and mot a Friend
Like the Lowry Jesus"
The straps were placed upon his
body and then he turned and babe
goodbye to the guards and officers
that were in the condemned cell.
Warden Maxwell started on the last
walk from the condemned cell to
the scaffoid, bearing in his hand the
warrant of execution. He was fol-
by the Rev. Pike who slowly
repeated the prayers for the dying.
Then came the Indian walking, I'M
supported and smoking a newly made
cigarette, Upon his face was a half
smile and he calmly gazed down over
the little group of witnesses that
stood below him. The straps were
quickly adjusted around his ankles
and then he turned half around 10
Captain Muller who was upon the
scaffold and asked that the cigarette
be taken from his mouth n this
was done. The moose was placed
around his neck and pulled into
place by Chris Yeager and the cap
tain of the guard quickly pulled the
black cap over his head and face and
gave the signal:
The body shot through the trap;
there was a working of the feet for
several seconds, a convulsive shudder
and the form hung rigid-the neck
had been instantly broken. For
fourteen. minutes and fifteen sec
onds Doctor Huffacker used the
stethoscope and then stepping back
ward announced to the warden that
the man was dead. Warden Maxwell
gave the oficial statement chat the
law had been obeyed" and the room
was cleared.
Among the witnesses to the hang
ing was Governor Dickerson who
went to view the affair in company
with Captain Cox and several men,
Bers of the state police. The gov
ernor was asked prior to the hang
ing if he had ever witnessed an af-
fair of the kind and said, mo, l
never have and there are not enough
horses in the state to pull me to
another. / believe that a man In
my position should know what a
hanging is like and for that simple
reason l am here today. The execu-
ton of the law lies in my hands,
must know what a man is condemned
to when it is said that he must
hang"
Throughout the fourteen minutes
that the body was hanging prior to
the official announcement of the
death, the governor strobe restlessly
up and down the long room, the
creak of his footballs being the only
sound ave the labored breathing of
the witnesses. Petty, who has been
occupying the condemned cell with
the Indian, was taken from the cell
at a little after ten o'clock and
marched by three guards into the
main building of the Jail until af-
ter the hanging was over and was
then returned to the guarded room
to stay until he marches to his final
drop. He was in his shirt sleeves
and bare headed and as ne walked
through the group Of men that stood
on the prison porch, he gazed ner-
vously around from face to face for
a sign of a friend. He is haggard
and drawn, his beady eyes starey and
bearing a look that is far from good