The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1920-05-01

been sentenced to die for his crime.
Story Of the Crime.
Hugh Bragg paid the full penalty for
killing Sheriff Morton at exactly b:So
o'clock. The execution was sueoesstui
in the fact that Bragg's neck was dis
located by the drop. He lived twelve
minutes and IS seconds after he fell
through the aperture in the gallows.
Sheriff w. E. Morton, in speaking or
the murder Of his brother. John Dennis
Morton, said: ~ cannot feel the least
pity for Bragg. My brother was a kind
and considerate man. Bragg haa pouenI
an auto with a forged check. My broth
er caught him ON the street at eo"ah
Bragg accompanied M brother Tor
few steps and then asked to be allowed
to send to his sisters house Tor some
clothes.
Dennis turned around to send
small boy to get the clothes and like .
flash Bragg shot him in the back. There
was no motive, as Bragg was crlpplea
and wore two artificial limbs and coula
not get away. And my brother was Try
ing TO do him favor at the time.
! The crippled man then stumped up
to the second story OF his home, keep
ing people away with ms revolver;
There he secured Winchester rifle and
took up his station at an open wlnoow'
Uncle Ed. Bobbet, relative or me
dead man. slipped up the stairs DehitN
Bragg and the latter turned with ms
Winchester. The cartridge Jammeo ana
Bobbet fioored him. AS 1t was Boopel
took an awful chance.
0lorted In HIS Crime.
Bragg then asked Did l Kill Den
MIS-" When told that he had, ne eN
claimed. We'll. / am = giau !
did. That's just what l aimed 10 40
Bragg was tried and sentenced TO dle
on March 30th. last but received re-
prieye of thirty days. or late he has
occupied himself operating typcwrlt-
ing machine in his cell. he mas pro
fessed repentance and sorrow Tor ms
crime and claimed that reading me
Lives OF the James Boys" had fostcrcd
In him a desire TO emulate these muir
derous thieves OF history, whom dlne
novel authors have thrown q haIo
At S o'clock Friday afternoon the
waiting room at the penitentiary was
filled with a small throng awaiting the
Prom scene Of Crime.
Riley Cox, D. r. Callahan and Emery
Rose, all relatives of the murdered man
were present. with the four brothers.
together with DR.. r. A. Ashworth anu
DIR. o. P. Wilson. Several newspaper
men were also present l.,
supper was being served to the IN
mates Of the prison and. as is usual.
the penitentiary band was rendering
music. A..
Suddenly the strains or nearer, W!
God, to Thee" swelled in the ar. n ma,
were, at that time. as the grand ola
hymn rose out in full volume Is nor
known but each one In the Wallihs
room looked nervously at some one else
Suddenly Warden J. q. Terreil APP
n.ared in the door and said: Gentle,
men, you will please form In Inc anu
any one that has fire arms on ms per-
SON will leave them in the ONCE
Took on Their Guns.
rwo hercnlean deputies who were at
the prison on business, plunged thelr
hands under their coats and -FOUR heay!
calibered revolYers were placed on 'ne
desk. ,-h +ho
slowly the crowd went through the
c,rcnlar entrance cage and when the last
one had entered the steel bound court
yard, the procession was 1orineo. GueruS
looked down from their stations nlsn Oh
the walls and though everyone IN ma
little moving throng knew that hunoreIs
of ewes were looking on from the cen
houses, not q sound came from tness
places. 49,. Il, aoo+b
Bragg had been taken from his dcath
cell and removed d, TO s of the scaffold
TWO Of his brothers. Ike and Jim Brass.
had visited him earlier in the Gay pu'
did not wait for the execution
ministers Present.
Roy II. G.. Gaunt. the chaplain or inc
prison, was with him just before ms
removal from the cell. as were KEY, -
G. Slater and Arch-Deacon b. NJ oputIt.
When called to accompany the Suaros
Bragg had just finished Two Ie''e nS thS
to Mrs, Nellie Payne, an aunt ana lhe
other to Miss Hazel Payne met
They were neatly typewrltten ana %eFe
left living on the bed in the death cen.
1t was stated by W ;st,as the ereatest
composure while being taken from ms
cell and being bound, preparatory 10 MS
execution ,,, ,+atc-
ment on the scauo!a anu as Iecjded nv
was not asked to, as 1t was oeci1eu oy
the officials, not to prolong the horror
Of the affair any longer than was neces-
sary.
The crowd, upon being ushereo INTO
the death chamber. stood before raiS-
ed platform. which was shrouaeo , Wlsn
a black. baize curtain. An electric nsnt
globe could be seen through the Glotn
and the sound of men shunllns Hoou'
and murmuring was hearu.
II rsminded one Of horrible movie
show. ~ 80, vhiske5
aside. 60, ,,sod IN
h,acI can, arms and legs tightly
STRANDED. stood q figure, the Knot IN inc
rope about its neck twisting us heau
awry. o,d Tho
The ministers, several SudruS aiiu Inv
warden stood near the figure
The warden stepped to the front anu
"Gentleman. this Is Hugh Bragg. to
no executed for the murder or Shcrlit
John Morton Dennis, OF Webster cou''
ty!" ., h-;aF nravcr,
The warden then reached out ana press
ed a button. There was an interval OF
about two seconds and the doomed man
took a long breath, as drowning man
Clutches at a straw, and the himsy cap
Iyas drawn in against his mouth.
was sudden Shock.
The spectators had steeled themselves
hut the sudden drop OF the platform
and the fall OF the body startled al.
There were no twitchings OF inc
limbs, merely several convulsiVe move
ments Of the chest. The physicians ap,
nlied stethoscopes to Bragg's heart ana
in II minutes and SIS seconds ne was
pronounced dead. 49,, a
The body was then taken down anu
remoyed i'm an ambulance for burial.
bragg lost his two lower limbs some
Years ago while working as a brakeman
ON the b. & Q. railroad. 1t Is stared
that he got drunk, failed TO app!
brakes on the train and the cars ran
away down a hill.
In the ensuing wreck he sustained IN
turtles that necessitated the amputatlon
Of his lower limbs.
SHORT RETURNS