People's Pilot, Volume 3, Number 33, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 February 1894 — A SCENE OF HORROR. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

A SCENE OF HORROR.

It Attends the Hanging of George H. Painter, in Chicago. The Rope Breaks and the Doomed Man Palls to the Floor—Picked Up in a Dying Condition, His Inanimate Body Is Hanged Again. A BOTCHED JOB. Chicago, Jan. 29.—George H. Painter was hanged in the corridor of the county jail at 8:03 a. m. Friday for the murder of Alice Martin. The execution was marred and delayed by an unfortunate accident. At the first attempt made to carry out the sentence of the law at 7:59 the rope broke, carrying the condemned man to the floor with a heavy crash. Blood streamed from a wound in his head and dyed the white shroud in which his form was enveloped with deep Crimson stains. • The spectators —there were not many of them —jumped from their benches and chairs as the body struck

the floor. . Dr. Fortner and the other physicians and jail officials hurried to its side, but there was not a movement to indicate that life still existed. While the shroud-en-veloped and bloodstained body lay at one side of the scaffold with the physicians hovering over it, the drop was put back in place and a new rope 'was strung. Then the body was dragged to the drop again, while suddenly cries from the prisoners in other parts of the jail broke in upon the almost deathlike stillness. They had in some way learned that the drop had fallen. The cries and shrieks were taken up from cell to cell, and from tier to tier until pandemonium seemed to have broken loose. The bailiffs were sent back to stop the thrilling clamor.

, There was a pause in the proceedings until the cries could be stopped, and then the body was placed a second time under the rope. It was a difficult task to fix the noose, and the scene was revolting. Blood had trickled to the ‘ bottom of the shroud and the hood was saturated. The neck had keen broken in the first fall and the head had to be held up while the noose was put over it. Then it was found that with the body flat on the drop there would be almost no fall, ana it had to be pulled Lack to the inner edge, where it could be supported in a sitting position by one of the jail officials standing on the more solid part of the scaffold. It seemed a long time, but in reality it was only four minutes from the time the drop fell the first time until Jailer Morris, gave the signal and it again fell. It was 8:03 o’clock when Painter’s body straightened out at the end of the rope after the second fall and at 8:18 he was pronounced dead. Painter kept up his courage to the last. He had taken liquor to strengthen him before beginning his march to the scaffold. He walked to the platform without a tremor. On the scaffold he made a brief speech, concluding as follow's: “If I killed Alice Martin —the woman I dearly loved, the woman I loved so much that I would have almost committed a crime for her, 1 pray this minute—my last minute on earth —that the Eternal God will put me into eternal hell. Look here, gentlemen, if there is one man among you who is an American, I say to you on his soul—on his soul, I say, see that the murderer of Alice Martin is found. Good-by.” [Painter’s alleged crime for which he suffered the penalty of death was the murder of Alice Martin, in her room at 86 Green street, about midnight May 17, 1891. A man named Truesdale and a woman named Morris also lived in the house. A fewmoments before 12 o’clock they heard quarreling in the room of Alice Martin, followed by sounds as if blows were being struck and a fight was in progress. A few moments later they were startled by the appearance of Painter, who rushed into their room crying out: “Alice has been murdered.” His coat, they declared, was somewhat bloody and he was greatly excited. They followed him back to the room where they found the lifeless body of Alice Martin lying across the bed and evidences of a terrible struggle. Painter gave the alarm to the police. He was subsequently arrested an t at his trial was convicted. An unsuccessful anpeal was made to the supreme court. Then Gov. A'tgeld was called upon for executive clemency. Twice ho granted a respite, but finally refused to interfere further, and the law was allowed to take its course.]

GEORGE H. PAINTER.