The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1916-03-02
Names Last Hanging

W tS bhihei "iihiAsoi, VIII oho' oAe
killed Policeman William Lawrence
in Bath. This execution took place
at one-half minute before noon on
Friday, Nov 20, 1885. Circumstan-
ces surrounding this case and the ex-
ecution of wilkinson were directly re-
sponsible for the abolition of capital
punishment in this state.
The crime for which Wilkinson
paid the penalty attracted widespread
attention. Policeman Lawrence dis
covered his slayer and another man
breaking into store. He chased
them and ran into Wilkinson, who
fred infiicting the death wound and
then made his escape.
CAPTURED BY BANGOR MAN
After q long period he was cap
tured at Bangor by Dennis Tracy. a
member of the police force OF that
city. Tracy had been much interest
ed in the case, as he was in all GRIM
inal matters he later became a
very we'll known detective of Maine,
and studied it carefully, familiarizing
himself with the supposed murderer's
description. This officer for some
reason felt sure that the man would
head for a seaport city and so haunt
ed the water front of Bangor and
one day the search was rewarded
AS Tracy was making his way
along the City Point wharves he saw
his man. This man was at work
overhauling lumber. The policeman
dropped from the wharf down upon
the lumber raft and arrested Wilkin-
son, who was taken back to Bath,
tried and convicted.
BY many it has always been felt
that Wilkinson went to his death I'M
der an assumed name. At this time
80 years after the crime-it is rath-
er hard to ascertain why this was,
but it was so.
Much public sentiment was created
for Wilkinson, because 1t was felt his
crime was not premeditated, and
that verdict of manslaughter or
murder in the second degree should
have been returned by the jury This
would have provided a penalty Of q
term of years or of life Imprisonment
according to the verdict. The jury
however, after hearing the evidence
said guilty in the first degree.
1t was claimed that he was con-
nected with prominent people and
| took fictitious name to protect his
people from the scandal which would
come. To the very last Wilkinson
died. protesting he was a victim OF
his own unfriendliness and that he
was being wrongfully executed. TIC
the very last he declined to give any
name other than David Wilkinson.
Likewise he refused to tell where he
came from or to give bit of in
formation concerning himself.
In the little cemetery at Thomas.
ton, in the shadow OF the State Prison
wall. there is a modest headstone, the
only inscription on which Is the -four
numerals "2695." References to the
prison records show that convict
1896 was Daniel Wilkinson and the
natural supposition is that it is he
who lies buried there.
ENSHROUDED IN MYSTERY
Is 1t?
That Is a question which has beer
many times asked
For many years following the exc.
cution there was a persistent claim
that Wilkinson was not executed
that, in fact. there was no execution
but that dummy was used and thai
1t was not the body of Wilkinson
which was buried in the prison GENE
terry.
According to this story Wilkinson
had powerful friends who succeeded
in saving him from the gallows. anC
helped to spirit him out of the coun
try into the Canadian northwest
where, at times for several years, i
was reported he had beer seen ant
recognized by Maine men.
This was not the first time that {
rumor has existed of failure to ex
ecute in Maine When Joseph S
Sager was publicly executed on the
square at Augusta in 1884, his body
was hurried to Hallowell where eff
| forts We're made to restore lift
through the aid of electricity
So secretly was the body disposed
of that it was reported the effort wal
successful and that Sager went tC
Texas and settled 1t was also claim.
ed that the body was buried on one
of the islands of Lake Cobbossee.
contee.