South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-12-16
YOUTH DENIES
GUILT WHILE HE
WALKS TO DEATH
Alleged Killer of Guard Main
tains Granite Stoicism on
Death March.
By G.. ". n. BRITT.
y. =. Special Corrcspondcnt.)


PONTIAC. H.. Dec. 15-MyTon
Corbridse was hanged at 9.o7 a.
m. today in a dingy audoueer's tent
IN the jail yard.
The e2-year-oId boy paid the
price Of the law for the murder Of
sol" Jones. a guard over him at
the Illinois state reformatory here.
which occurred exactly SIX months
ago.
This child OF the ja.ls who has
spent half the years OF his life IN
penal institutions and would have
had his 22nd birthday tomorrow II
he had lived, displayed granite
sto.cisn at the approach Of death.
He stepped out without fahering a.
he accompanied the priest. Father
J. II. Cannon. Sheriff L. n Shugart
AMI the deputies on the death
march.
Denies Guilt.
On the scanold borrowed from
Cook county, Corbrldge read poem
and died denying his guilt
He was what followers OF the
hangman's profession call good
hanging size" tall and well fleshed
and he dropped to the end OF the
rope without any slip I'm the ar
rsngemeuts. He was pronounced
dead a few minutes later by DR. G.
=. Hamilton and DR.. +. c. BOwden.
Corbridge's last wish. that he see
his brother before he died. was real
lied. Fred Corbridge. of Jackson
Vile. arrived early today. and at
GAS the condemned boy was awak-
ened 10 see him and 10 prepare for
the hanging
Sleeps SOundly.
lie had slept soundly. for almost
four hours. having retired at 3 a. III.
Early in the evening he had played
cards with the guards and at mid
night he ate hearty supper of
hamburger. rolls. coffee. ice cream
and ginger ale.
II was the first hanging I'm Liv-
ingston county fra 40 years. \ deter
mined young sheriff. Lee NJ Shu-
CART. who took Office only II days
ago, supervised the arrangements.
Corbridge was convicted OF maui
ing the life out Of John sullivan
Jones. an Illinois state reformatory
guard. with three feet Of gas pipe.
To the last he denied his guilt.
Displays Mildness.
There was no strangeness in the
prison confinement, the prison odor,
the prison watchfulness OF the
guards who played countless games
OF pitch and rummy with him. There
was n greater consideration shown
him than life had accustomed him
10 and in his turn he displayed a
miIdness which had been absent
from many passages OF his life and
a taciturnity which he may have
borrowed from the stone walls
around him.
Il don't care about hanging. but
I would like 10 have "a couple OF
hours with my brother he told
Sheriff Shugart when asked last
night about final requests.
The sheriff assured him that his
brother had promised over the tele-
phone 20 come on a night train and
be with him early today.
"And IL he doesn't come who'll
take my body?" the boy asked
cody L don't want any doctors to
get st."
Refuses DcliCaCics.
Sheriff Shugart urged him 10 make
some request for 'favors or delica-
cies which could give him pleasure
at the last.
II don't want TO cause you any
EXPENSE about this thing, Sug." the
boy demonstrated The sheriff as
sured him that the treat was all on
the county.
'Iu Just wait TO eat until my
brother comes" he said
The new black suit OF clothes he
was 10 wear on the sca0old was
brought into the prisoner last night.
lie demanded shoes which had been
overlooked. You may have any
kind OF shoes you want, Myron,' the
sheriff assured him.
Make them tan. then. don't
want any black shoes. Tans for
me" the boy replied.
Prepares Verses.
"If 7 keep on feeling like 1 do
now I believe I could just XIII my
self" he remarked. Everybody has
cot 20 die sooner or later anyhow
In preparation for the execution
Corbrid-e had prepared series OF
verses TO my mother. brother and
sister" lie refused TO part with
The paper iu advance saying he
wishes 20 read 90 on the scaffold. He
laughed as he won card games from
his guards. whistled and walked
cheertully about his cell-the death
cell