The Washington herald., 1917-09-13
BY An EYEWITNESS.


At twelve minutes after 10 o'clock
yesterday morning James T. Allen,
convicted wife murder, was reused by
two guards at the District Jail and
summoned to the cell door. two
spiritual advisers took their places on
each side of him, the guards retiring
10 the rear. The procession marched
away from the cell, down the corridor,
up to the scaffold landing. At fifteen
minutes after 10 he made one little
gGTsling noise, as the moose Was
frightened around his neck and wa
soon swinging at the end of a twelve
foot rope. dangling back and forth
like fish on line, twisting and turn
ing, his hands bound behind him. MS
feet strapped at the ankles, his neck
stretched to the limit and with his
heart throbs getting fainter and faint
er. Another minute and he was deau,
as the law demanded.
For twenty minutes he hung there
notionless, while twenty-five mca
looked on, witnesses and officials, a.
required by law to see that its cool
deliberate method of taking a man 5
lie was carried out. He had taken
the life OF another The law demanded
that he give up his own life in return.
He had no voice in the matter, not
even in the method in which he was
TO be killed. He did not ask his We
tim.
Crime Is ExpIated-
He swung there that he might be
an example to others who might be
tempted to do the same thing. What
thoughts coursed through his brain
-. ID Cd
and a second before his neck was
broken by the eight foot fall, we will
never know. The law asks that all
AXE notice of man dangling help
lessly at the end Of rope. The law
requires others to witness killing
asfevidence that It has been avenged.
Ono killing deserves another and
Justice retires satisfied.
Mechanically speaking, the execution
uas a success. From a standpoint OF
brutality II was also a success. Every
hing was planned in advance. The
spot where he was to stand, the black
1ead cloth. the brand new rope, and
lust how far his feet would be from
he ground when he ceased swinging.
Two men. unknown to each other.
two little rooms with their hands
IN two trigger ropes all were ready
% choke the life out of him. Neither
Snows who actually hung Allen. The
aw protects these two men. as IL
links il protects society by stretch
nE the neCks OF murderers.
The rest OF the coterie which the
aw requires to be present ut a hang
nE all stand in the open. They watch
very movement Of the man from the
in1e he enters the corridor. until the
ime he is pronounced dead by the
attending physician. Twelve jurors.
md about as many others watched
ieTvously, as most of them had never
,etore witnessed the deliberate taking
u a mans life. They saw the con-
lemned man walk nervously down
he corridor. with n spiritual adviser
m each side. and two armed guards
the rear The law is careful with
ren It Kills. Other armed men stood
bout the corridor.
Juror Faints.
The witnesses watched Allen fall
er up the steps. be placed squareIy
N the trap door. have his ankles
trapped. the handouts moved NJ,
arther on his arms. the awful black
rag slipped over his head, and
Everybody step back but one man
Who grabbed the moose and slipped
over his head and tighten II about
lis neck. a sound like a man stran-
ling came from Aliens lips. His
:nees gave way a little. His body
.uivered. One OF the jurors tainted.
IS Allen was about to sink to his
.nees in sheer fright. a man on the
,latform waved a little stick. the
ainting Juror collapsed on the floor
a heap and the trap door fell.
nd with it fell Allen like dead
eight. Some one in the little group
men nearest the scatfold Groaned.
. abe breath was jerked out of his
ody, Aliens neck was broken. he
waved hack and forth like a reed
the wind. his legs bouncing
round like ansathlete's legs when
singing on a trapeze. He twisted