In Eternity
July 12, 1888The Murder of Preller Pays the Penalty of His Crime.
He goes before his maker with a protest against the manner of his taking off.
He maintains his courage to the last, and dies without a struggle.
Henry Landgraf, the murder of his sweetheart, hanged from the same gallowe- Maxwell’s Crime.
St. Louis, Aug. 11- Hugh M. Brooks, alias Waiter H. Lennox Maxwell, the murderer of Charles Arthure Preller, and Henry Landgraff, who killed his sweetheart, Annie Tisch, are no more, the sentence of the law having been executed upon them at nine o’clock yesterday morning.
Maxwell spent his last evening on earth smoking and talking with his guards. A few minutes before midnight both prisoners retired and Landgraff slept until morning Maxwell awoke at two o’clock complaining of being cold. He drank a cup of coffee and spent the remainder of the early morning hours reading Belassy’s “True Virtue”.
It was half past five o’clock when Father Tihan administered the sacrament to Maxwell and Landgraf in Maxwell’s coil Maxwell had given up all hope and seemed resigned, but when Sheriff Harrington granted a delay until nine o’clock to give the fullest opportunity for a further respite, he brightened up only to become resigned again when the last hour came.
The hours of vigil during the long night waiting for the fatal approach of dawn were agonising enough to the doomed prisoners, but they were as nothing to the short respite of three hours. Every moment was an eternity, and yet the seconds, the minutes and the hours flew by with terrible rapidity. Doubtless the delay was ordered by the sheriff in the spirit of mercy and fair play and with the intention that if Governor Morehouse should change his mind about the respite the reprieve would not come too late, but nevertheless it meant the prolonging of Maxwell’s agony.
When the postponement of the execution was announced the deputies, by order of Sheriff Harrington, placed both prisoners in Maxwell’s call and shielded them from observation. The contrast between them was great indeed. Landgraff’s phlegmatic nature bore him up well in the terrible ordeal. His all night’s sleep had visibly refreshed him, and he appeared cheerful Maxwell looked on the other hand as though nine-tenths of his vitality were gone. His hands were as cold as ice. The relaxation to his overstrung nerves caused by the unexpected delay left him trembling like a loaf. He managed to force down a couple of cups of hot, strong coffee, which inspied a little warmth in his bloodless frame. His features, however, still retained their haggard look; deep lines drawn about his mouth as he had already in imagination suffered the horrors of a thousand deaths. But it was a physical rather than a mental weakening, the collapse of the body rather than of the mind and heart. His voice did not tremble, though it was lower and huskier than usual.
At 8:46 am a squad of police, in charge of Sergeant Campbell, marched into the jail and formed a line from the gate to the cells of Maxwell and Landgraf, who had been separated by the guards a few minutes before Through this lane then several other deputies The death warrant was read by the sheriff to Maxwell and Landgraf, and the arms of both were tied behind them by Deputy Sheriff Fortin. Then there was a cry of “back!” and the crowd surged away from the cell doors.
The procession left the cells at 8:03 a m In two minutes the deputy sheriffs and the doomed men were on the scaffold.
The black caps were placed over their heads neither saying a word, the nooses placed around their necks, and in another minute the trap was sprung. Landgraf, fell six feet and Maxwell seven fet, and the fall broke the neck of each. The bodies hung motionless without a jerk of the limbs, as Doctors Pilost and Jacobson announced the varying pulsations.
Maxwell held his crucifix for six minutes, when it dropped from his nerveless fingers. In thirteen minutes Langraff was declared dead by Dr. Jacobson, but it was four minutes after when Dr. Priest released hold of Maxwell’s wrist saying “He’s gone.”
Even in death Maxwell surprised observers The medical men had all predicted his vitality would be found to be less than Landgraf’s and he would die sooner.
Deputy Sheriff Michael Lortin Stated that both Langraff and Maxwell had shown, great bravery and fortitude, but the calmness and control of Maxwell surpassed any thing of the kind he had ever witnessed “It is not every man that would exhibit nerve enough, when he lost step with me in the procession to catch up with a trip as if he were leading a lady down Fourth street,” said he.
The police arrangements were perfect, and Chief Huebler and Captain Joyce deserve great praise for the order maintained.
Crowds gathered outside the principal entrance to the Four Courts about five o’clock in the morning and remained patiently waiting until after the drop fell in the hope of catching stray bits of information.
source: The Dactur Daily Republican
location: Decatur, Illinois
