The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1916-08-05
'CLAUDE NJ. SUTTON EXP|ATES
HIS CRIME ON THE GALLONS
MURDER OF DR.. KENNEDY WAS
AVENGED LAST EVENING AT
MOUNDSVILlE PENl..
TERTIARY
Body of Unfortunate Man Will Be ak
EN- Home BY Aged Father and
Brother For Burial.

! Claude Sutton, of Mill Creek, Ran
! dolph county, died on the SalloWs at
the Moundsville penitentiary last even
! ing, paving the penalty of the law for
/ the brutal murder of DR.. J. J. Ken
! nedy, of the same neighborhood about
one year ago.
! The condemned man went to his
death very stoicaliy maintaining the
same attitude Of unconcern that he
! had displayed since he was placed IN
the death cell several weeks ago.
A father and twin brother. who have
been in consultation with the doomed
man for the past two days, remained
| in front Of the prison until the time
of execution arrived. Then they said
they preferred to take a ''stroil about
/ the town until after the banging rath-
er than see the young man pass into
! the great unknown.
Flowers on Body.
Adding impressiveness to the scene
a convict. named Smith. who has a
long sentei%e to serve. received a bou-
Quet of flowers yesterday afternoon
from friends. He asked Warden White
| if he would permit him 10 place them
upon the body of the unfortunate
young man. His request was granted
and just as soon as Sutton had oeen
"cut down from the rope OF the Sc"
fold, Smith, with tears in his eyes,
placed the little bouquet in the hands
of the dead man and it will be taken
10 the grave with Sutton who expfated
| his crime yesterday afternoon.
| Another sorrowful scene, was enact
ed when the father and twin brother
/ of the murderer called at the penten-
| tiary after all the visitors to the exc
cution had departed. and claimed the
| body. which was prepared for burial
and will be taken to Mill Creek, Kan
dolph county, for interment.
Father and Brother Weep.
The aged father held up we'll under
the strain as did the twin, brother Of
| the doomed man, but after the execu-
! ton when they viewed the remains
they both broke down and wept bit
terly..
The prisoner, however did not seem
to realize that his death was near. AT
! 3 o'clock in the afternoon he was CIV.
en- an excellent dinner consisting OF
fried chicken, other palatable dlsnes.
J ice cream and cigars and the time
passed so rapidly while he was enjoy
! ing this he apparently did not know
| that when he was being led from The
death cell that he was going to the
| gallows where a few minutes later he
would pass into the Great Beyond.
While partakine of the repast with
the warden in the death cell, Sutton.
seemed in the best Of spirits. Then
his spiritual advisor entered the death
| chamber and engaged the prisoner IN
singing hymns. About the same time
the prison choir began singing Shall
We Gather at The River" Guards
~ ON
/ cell. The warden arose and acting
| on a supernatural instinct Sutton got
up from his chair and automatically
| fell in line with the procession.
Chief of Police Leyland Of Wheeling,
was first The warden, the prisoner
and a guard fell in behind him. They
were followed by other guards and
the prison choir.
Sutton Joins Line.
Sutton with spirit Of good fellow
ship Joined in line of his own volitlon.
| Warden. White and a guard grasped
| his arm and with everyone singing
| they reached the scaffold. While
the sweet resonances of voice con-
/ tinued braces we're strapped around
Sutton, his knees and arms were
bound. The prison chaplain uttered q
few words of prayer for the repose or
| lUS SUuI vi oullO1 olu as I4S oAAA>th
was pronounced by those on the
! scaffold the button was pressed. the
electricity applied, the trap doors fell
and the death of DR.. j. Kennedy was
avenged.
The story Of the crime has already
appeared in The Intelligencer. SUIT
ton, was alleged to be addicted to the
use of dope. According 10 the testi-
mony given at his trial he saw .hn
physician receive large sum 60,
money from another patient. Then In
the middle Of the night he is supposed
to have awakened the doctor. telling
him his brother was i'll. DR.. Kennedy
| dressed and started with Sutton TO the
latters home. After having gone half
/ the distance. Sutton drew shot gun
! and killed the doctor. He made =
| confession before he was taken to The
penitentiary.
Dead in Thirteen Minutes.
Immediately after the trap doors
were sprung and the body fell four
physicians were on hand TO conduct
the final examination. The body
dropped at $40 and thirteen minutes
later Sutton was pronounced dead.
| The examining physicians were Drs.
A. B. Rinehart and R. P. Barlow, Of
i'McMechen:: J. c. Peck and c. Z.
Hutchinson Of Moundsvile. Rev. B. NJ.
! Spur conducted the last rites.