Rensselaer Republican, Volume 24, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 September 1891 — A REVOLTING EXECUTION. [ARTICLE]

A REVOLTING EXECUTION.

Murderer Dragged to TTist Death Streaming with Blood. He Tried to Avoid the Gallows by Suicide— Is Dragged Shrieking to the Gallows. ~ Pleading for Delay—Diea.with Corses on His Ups. The history of the gallows tells no more hideous story than that of the execution of Louis Bulling, the St. Joseph wife murderer, at Savannah. Mo., on the 4th. Just before tho time fixed for the execution the doomed man shot himself in a vain effort to commit suicide, and finally died on the gallows, shrieking for-xnercy and cursing his executioners. Up to a few days ago Bulling» seemed cheerful and hopeful in the face of approaching death. He had twice before cheated the gallow s by jail breaking. He reasoned that that chance still remained, and to it might be added two mutation of sentence and suicide. One by one these chances faded away. Early last week it was learned that Bulling had planned to break jail the third time,-Steel -saws xvere-fonnd in WAeeli, and they were taken away from him. Perpetual guard was kept over him and all visitors were searched before being permitted to enter. All means of escape were cutoff. Then the doomed man sent for his father and mother apd pleaded with them to appeal to the Governor for a commutation of sentence. The faithful parents went to Jefferson City and had several personal interviews with Governor Francis, but he was firm in Ins determination not to interfere. Still the parents did not lose heart. They made another call on the Governor Friday aud pleaded for their son’s life. Tho Governor would not interfere. Then Mr. and Mrs. Bulling telegraphed their son the Governor’s decision and followed the message to Savannah. They had an affecting parting from tho doomed man Thursday night and never saw him again to lifa. When Buffing's second chance for life disappeared he broke down When he received from his parents the message that the .Governor was obdnrate he fainted and was with difficulty revived. Ho was a confirmed opium eator, and during the night was given largo doses of tile drug. It failed to have its accustomed effect, and the condemned murderer slept less than two hours during the entire night. The Rev. August Lavake, during Balling’s braking hours, spent the time in reading the Bible and praying, exhorting Bulling to confess his sins and receive baptism. Sheriff Barry had set the hour for the exocutiori at 10 a? m. When he went to the cell at 6 o’clock to prepare the doomed man for the scaffold, Bulling pleaded so pitifully for an extension of a few hours that the Sheriff yielded and gave him until 2 o’clock to live. Bulling ate a light breakfast and spent the rest of the time in pleading for mercy and attending to the religious exercises conducted by the Rev Mr. Lavake. fie still had a faint hope of a commutation, but at noon submitted to tho baptismal ceremony and received tho sacrament. When 2 o’clock arrived he renewed his supplications to the sheriff and pleaded - for one hour more.” He fell on his knees before tho sheriff and begged piteously for mercy. The sheriff granted his request. Then Bulling asked for brandy and the sheriff gave him a pint. Injections of morphine were administered, but neither of the drugs had much effect. The sheriff then retired, leaving tho murderer with Rev. Mr. Lavake, at the same timo removing tho guard from the cell door at Bnlling’s request to be left alone with his spiritual adviser. The silence of tho jail was broken only by the voice of tho priest, when suddenly two shots rang out. The sheriff ran to the cell. T,ho priest lay prostrate on the floor. A t his side lay— Bulling, weltering in hiflown blood; which flowed from wounds in his breast. He had shot himself twice with a revolver. The priest had fainted. A hasty examination of Buffing’s body showed that one of the bullets had entered the left breast and.< glancing from a rib, had passed abound his body and came out of his back. The other bullet had inflicted only a slight flesh wound in his left side. He had not lost consciousness, and when the sheriff ordered four deputies to carry him to tho scaffold he cursed and swore at them in a horrible way= —Thu deputies dragged the struggling man to toe court yard and lifted him upon the gallows. He refused to stand and they placed him on a chair. . rAs ho sat there he presented a revolting spectacle. Ho was dressed only In shirt and trousers. Ills hands and face were covered with blood, which stained his shirt, and bipod was streaming through his shoes, whence it had run from the wounds in his breast, and formed dark pools on the floor of the scaffold dripping thence to the ground beneath. He cursed and swore at the cried and screamed for mercy anu shrieked in his terror. The sheriff gave him a large glass of brandy and he swallowed it at one gulp. Finally he was told to get pp and stand upon the drop. He refused and four deputies held him up while the rope was being adlusted. The black cap was placed over his head* and yelling, screaming and blaspheming, he shot through the opening atexaetly 3:22 o’clock. His nock was broken by the fall and he died almost Instantly. -- The Rev. Mr. Lavake has been arrested for giving Bulling the revolver wlfh which he attempted tocommitsuicidc. Theßov. Mr. Lavake declines to be interviewed.