The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1914-01-29
TIMELY ARRIVAL OF
GIRL SAVES MAN FROM
THE HANGMAN'S MOOSE

A breathiess girl. hair bedraggled
and dusty, rushing madly through the
prison gate and falling exhausted at
the foot OF the scaffold. but holding
aioft a fateful paper is all that saved
Jim Webster from dying by the hang
mans moose at the penitentiary this
morning. When all hope had fed and
II seemed as II Jim's constant pray
ers for deliverancc would go unan-
swered. a swish OF skirts. a cry of ter
ror. the clang of prison gates. the
scurrying OF feet-and Jim's life was
saved.
II was a dramatic moment at a time
when all seemed tragedy. Mems
hearts were heavy. their nerves were
tense and their faces bore the look OF
ghosts. That frantic cry from the
prison gateway and that mad dash to
the scaffold stayed the hangman's
moose and brought smiles and cheers
where but a moment before brave.
sorrowful hearts welled with tears.
Jim Webster Is we'll known in Tex
as, but he is little known in Colorado.
He was convicted of a dastardly muir
der in Pracsidio county and was SEN
fenced to hang. From the moment he
was suspected and arrested he has
declared his innocence. And despite
the load upon load of condemning
testimony piled upon him. his sweet
heart, Nell Owens. a beautiful Texas
girl, steadfastly believed in his inno-
cence.
But everyone and everything else
was against him. His old friends had
forsaken him and even his relatives
believed that the testimony given in
court must be true.
The condemned man was brought
to the penitentiary here to await the
coming of the awful day when
death must come. Efforts to gain a
reprieve were unavailing. for the evil
dence in The case had been all too
conclusive.
And today the time OF hanging ar
rived. In vain did Jim hold out that
last spark OF hope that all condemned
men have while there is life. In vain
did the condemned man look for some
thing unforeseen TO happen.
He had committed no crime. he had
done nothing to merit this kind of a
taking away Why didn't they know
he was innocent, why couldn't they
see IL in his eyes? But no. they could
MT see ii now, for those once bright.
clear. happy eyes were now dull and
sloodshot and filled with worry.
The priest came and gave to the
stricken man the consoling balm of
his religion. Then came the sheriff
and deputies. The irons were placed
upon Jim and he was led sorrowfully
from the death cell. across the yard
TO the deaih-dealing scaffold that be-
fore had sent many men. in the
twinkling OF an eye. TO their Maker.
As Jim came forth from the prison
gate he glanced down Macon avenue
in the distance in the hope that
well. that something might happen
to save him. But there was no one
or nothing that could fulfn that hope
II was indeed death that seemed the
only sure thing.
But he knew that he was innocent.
The sheriff growled gruffly as he
Inotioned Jim up the stairs leading to
the trap. Devoid now OF all hope the
young man. his grieving heart still
brave. steadily climbed the stairs and
took his position on the trap.
Hangman Andrew Hemmerlc ner-
vousiy adjusted the moose. DR.. Good
loc. the physician, slowly climbed the
stairs to be in readiness for his duty
when the trap had sprung. The pions
priest stood near. fervently praying.
-r. asr Ia -. ..-..l- ~