The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1921-03-01
1lSONERS NOT PERMITTED
IN WITNESS EXECUTIONS


u WITNESS EXECUTIONS
hasn't been decided where the
~ viii stand In former days
5 erected just before hanEings
Ind the giant brick smokeStaek
ntn the prison walls. The pris
1ors could not see II. nor were
NY permitted 10 witness the TAX
~ or OF the condemned man.
The Enllows was last erected some
p In 1911. say the authorities.
- its last execution II witnessed
- Of the most CHASTITY sights
evpr behcld within prison walls.
L. detorrcnt was a big man His
uock was weak and the rope was
dnuG
The murderer faced his death n
Goplfy ~ his breakfast Nearly all
/ mnrdcrcrs arc that way. A few
hgsak down but not many. Usually
| 0ney 20 TO death In a sort OF
Aze. II was that way with this
IN
Someone pulled The cord that ~
hnscd the trap. There was a swish
= the body descended and q sick-
ening. sobotns sigh N the hemp
sRrands frightened. Then came n
sfffied grunt from the deter
end . thud As the tRp swung
back and forth and tho
u hcbbcd and sagEod. . head
, hulk suuirrncd on the sod Be-
IN m stnisfer wooden sfruc-
r
ZAILIOws STORED AWAY
h6AINST ANOTHER HANGING
Then they cut the rope and
carried the deterrent away. The
eArlovs was unbolted. taken down,
nd stored away. They thought II
hight some day save money for
he state. and II has.
saw John Schmitt. I didn,
oa1k to him. for the law does not
,ermit H. But Warden Drumm
"a the guards who have been with
5chmitf told me about him. The
state law permits men condemned
TO death TO see only the warden
and guards. spiritual adviser.
uefnbers OF his immediate family.
r his attorney. schmitt has no
"
I relatives. and doesn't want to see
i anher priests or psstorr-
John schmitt was a plain high
wayman. He robbed for n living.
In Olympia he held up a store.
"a man chased him. firing a pistol.
Enitt. according TO the story he
Evartien Drlimm. fired at the
h rrntending TO wing him. But
1Yns Fhot killed the man. Schmitt
escaped to a vacant house. where
he had hidden his cap and rain
coat These he donned and returned
no his room.
a He packed mp his effects, burned
Z he checks he had stolen. counted
MS stolen cash. and calmly boarded
the auto stage.
HEARS CHIEF WARN
DRIVER AGAINST MURDERER
Before the stage started. the
kOlympia chief OF police opened the
Ndoor and cautioned the driver to
wafch for the murderer. And the
murderer escaped. Had the police
n clerk from the robbed
FORE TO the bus station. schmitt
ndoubtedly would have been henti.
red and arrested.
Schrnitt robbed gas stations In
-seatfie. In his death cell at the
state prison he often boasts that
he COLLECTED from Rockefeller"
One evening he met two police.
men on the street. They ordered
him TO halt. He killed them both.
Later the same night he met two
fklcre officers. He killed one. but
'ofher shot him and captured
nsfn.
schuftt told his guard at wara
waIia:
II shot because ] didn't want "a
y. be hanged for the Olympia affair
II was afraid ! would be identified
figured II I killed the cops and
got away. was away. and IL they
killed me, well, ! was dead and
I'd be hanged anyway II 1 was
arrested"
Another prisoner. a man serving
. long term, put II this way:
SHOT FIRST MAN
\ HOPING TO ESCAPE
OCIltIth EhDt ittH itfHb fAfshl D'-
cause he wanted TO escape, and
he didn't intend TO kin him
III there hadn't been a hanging
law IN this state. schmitt wouldn't
have killed the three policemen In
Seattle. The capital punishment
law is directly responsible for the
murder of those officers. Capital
punishnent makes the dangerous
man desperate--a menace not only
70 society but TO himself"
was sent 10 WaIla wafia by
rny Star To get the viewpoint OF
the prisoners ON capital punish
fnent.
found this-
The prisoners do not believe In
. hanging murderer. That Isn't
funny. IL isn't a joke. These men
reason They have intcllecta. and