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THE EXECUTION OF PATRICK BOYLE
EDWARDSVILLE - PREPARATIONS FOR THE EXECUTION OF PATRICK BOYLE
Source: Edwardsville Intelligencer,
Wednesday, January 13, 1892
EDWARDSVILLE - SUFFERED DEATH! PATRICK BOYLE FOR THE MURDER OF JOHN MUENCH Source: Edwardsville Intelligencer, Saturday, January 23, 1892 Patrick Boyle suffered the punishment of death today as the penalty of murder. The trap was sprung at ten minutes after 2 o'clock. This late hour was chosen to grant the condemned man the utmost limit of time within which the sentence was to be executed. The stay last week came within a few minutes of the time set for the execution. As an application had been made for a supersedeus, Sheriff Hotz concluded to avoid any appearance of undue haste. The respite granted by Governor Joseph Fifer, last week, was followed up with renewed efforts on part of the attorneys and friends of Boyle. L. N. Staats and W. P. Early, his attorneys in the trial of the case, received the assistance of Judge C. L. Cook. Failing to secure a commutation of sentence to life imprisonment, they shoght intervention from the Supreme Court by making application for a writ of supersedeus. The record of the case was made up Wednesday and Judge Cook left with it in the evening to have it reviewed by one of the supreme judges. The following telegraph was received last night: "Springfield, Ill., Jan. 22d. George Hotz, Sheriff Madison County, The writ was denied in Boyle case. C. L. Cook."
Boyle manifested no perceptible interest in the efforts which were being made in his behalf. He has been under guard for several weeks. James Judd remained with him during the day time and John Daniels at night. The other prisoners showed him special deference. He had his own way and was considered authority on matters pertaining to prison conduct. He went to bed last night at 10 o'clock and slept until 6:15 this morning. He awoke once during the night, but did not get up from his couch. When he awoke this morning, he was ill-tempered. At 7:00 o'clock he was shaved and immediately after dressed himself in the clothes provided for him a week ago. Shortly afterward, Rev. J. C. Daw, his spiritual adviser, offered him consolation and administered the sacraments. After the priest's departure, he called to his cellmate to send him a cigar. He smoked it and then had breakfast. He had prepared a long list of dishes that he desired, comprising oysters, fish, five or six kinds of meats, vegetables, three kinds of pie, port, sherry and angelica wines, three ounces of brandy, and one dozen of Key West cigars. His wishes were complied with as far as practicable. He drank a cocktail, then started in on breakfast with oysters. He ate much more than last Saturday morning, and drank three cups of tea. After he had finished, he passed what was left to the prisoners occupying the cells nearest him. He used a stick to pass the steak and similar articles. When he came to dispose of the eggs, he spread a piece of paper on a broom and placed the articles on the paper. After breakfast he appeared to be in better humor. He lit another cigar and began promenading the corridor, bumming a song or whistling. At one time during the morning he thought of the drop and inquired of his guard and the reporter of the Intelligencer if a fall of six feet was sufficient to break one's neck. At 11:30 o'clock, Sheriff Hotz went in to read the death warrant. The prisoner waived the reading of it, the paper having been read to him last week. The Sheriff then told him to be ready at 2 o'clock. Boyle showed no emotion. Dinner was then served. Boyle ate a little of nearly everything brought him. After dinner he lit a cigar and commenced pacing the corridor. At two o'clock, Deputies John H. Glass, Ferd Vollbracht and Pat McCambridge entered the jail and tied his hands in front of him. Sheriff Hotz admonished those present to keep quiet as the time for the execution was approaching. The deputies brought the prisoner, who was accompanied by Father Daw, to the scaffold. He took position on the box on the trap. Deputy John Glass tied his legs. Sheriff Hotz asked him what he had to say. He replied, "Give my body to Father Daw." Deputy McCambridge then drew the black cap over his head. Deputy Vollbracht adjusted the noose. The trap was sprung immediately, the time when it fell being 2:10. Drs. Pogue, Peter Fischer and S. T. Robinson took position beside the body and _____ 2:18 and 2:19 pronounced him dead. He died without drawing a muscle. The body was cut down thirty minutes after the trap was sprung. The body was taken in charge of C. J. Leuckel for Father Daw, with instructions not to remove the black cap.
The jury empanelled consisted of A. Keller, Nicholas Selp, Joseph N. McKee, Moritz Wilhelm, William Bond, Pat Flynn Sr., Henry Brockmeier, H. E. Prickett, Jones Tontz, Dirk Devries, P. Schmidt and Barney Fahrig. The deputies who guarded the jail and jail yard were: Gail Stubbs, Fritz Fiesler, Henry Walters, John Grigsby, Henry Harles, William Flynn, Ben Peters, C. H. Bartels, Henry Wieneke, Joe Burkhardt, Ed Jaggers, George Brendle and Martin Fischer.......
Preparations for carrying out the sentence were completed a week ago. Architect C. J. Spilman designed the scaffold and Chalres Pauley had a force of carpenters get out the frame work. The open space on the south, between the jail and the store building of C. H. Kraft & Co., was enclosed with a board fence, sixteen feet high. The scaffold was erected in about the centre of this enclosed space. The south door of the jail opens to the stairs leading to the scaffold. The gallows consist of two main posts, eighteen feet high, joined on top by a cross piece, in the middle of which is fastened a ring, to which will be attached the rope. Around this structure is a frame work which supports a floor, eight by eight feet, nine feet from the ground. In the center of the floor is a trap, 9 feet 8 inches by 3 feet 4 inches, hinged on one side, and fastened on the other with a subtle trigger bolt, worked by a hand lever. In the center of the trap door was placed a stool or box about 18 by 18 inches, six inches high, on which the prisoner stood. A slight pull of the lever springs the bolt, and the trap drops and is caught by a steel spring, which prevents the door from rebounding. The rope was furnished by C. Wilkinson, successor to Bob Humphrey, who for many years supplied the ropes for such purposes, in this entire section of country. It is woven of American hemp, is twenty feet long and three fourths of an inch thick. It had a knot and a noose tied in it.
Hundreds of applications for permits to witness the execution were received. Sheriff Hotz decided to give no undue publicity to the occasion. Sheriffs of neighboring counties who applied and the officers of the courts received cards. Other applications were not granted. The following is a list of those to whom cards were issued: Sheriffs H. D. O'Neil, Macoupin county; Cosmos Keller, Jersey; Henry Michael, Montgomery; A. L. Dawson, St. Clair; J. C. Wright, Bond; Adam Junker, Clinton; James E. Tedrick, Effingham; John Knoeppel, Scott; Charles Wieseman, deputy, Hancock; and H. D. Langley, deputy, St. Clair; also to W. C. Dowell, deputy warden; Col. E. A. Burke and Capt. Thomas Sturges of the Southern Illinois penitentiary; Judges A. S. Wilderman, G. W. Wall, B. R. Burroughs, W. H. Krome and J. E. Dunnegan; G. F. McNulty, states attorney; Robert Hagnauer, circuit clerk; H. Lanham, county clerk; Francis Brandeweide, clerk city court, Alton; George Kalbfleisch, county treasurer; T. P. Dooling, superintendent; S. O. Bonner, coroner; James Anderson, surveyor; Rudolph Raab, marshal, and V. H. Siegel, treasurer, Carlinville....
LETTER FROM JOHN MUENCH'S MOTHER Rev. August Schlegel, of St. Boniface's church, who administered the sacraments to John Muench, is in receipt of a letter from the parents of the latter. They reside at Altdorf, Canton Uri, Switzerland. The letter was written in German by his mother and the parts of interest read translated about as follows:
PATRICK BOYLE'S REMAINS TAKEN TO CEMETERY. NEWSPAPER SOLD OUT. Source: Edwardsville Intelligencer, January 27, 1892 The details of the execution of Patrick Boyle for the murder of John Muench, Saturday, as published in the Intelligencer extra, were complete to the hour of going to press. The remains were taken in charge at the jail yard gate by Roa & Dale, the undertakers, and were kept by them until next morning. The interment took place Sunday morning in the Catholic cemetery. The demand for extra copies of the Intelligencer containing an account of the affair far exceeded the supply. The paper was on the streets one hour after the execution. The newsboys reaped a harvest. Carl, the son of F. G. Girnt, hobbled around on his crutches and in two hours sold 84; George Belk's corps disposed of 170 before nightfall, and George Martin sold 48 on his round with the evening papers. Calls for copies continued to come in Monday, but the supply was out. An extra run was made Monday morning for out-of-county subscribers. The public wanted the news. The Intelligencer supplied it.
Copyright Bev Bauser. All rights reserved.
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Unless
the governor stays the execution, Patrick Boyle will suffer the
extreme penalty of crime Saturday. The preparations for carrying out
the order of the court are being made. An enclosure has been built
sixteen feet high, on the south side adjoining the jail. The
scaffold is being constructed and will be erected in a day or two.
Architect C. Spilman has designed the structure and Charles Pauley
has had a force of carpenters employed in getting out the frame
work. Sheriff Hotz has received applications for permits to witness
the execution from all over the country. The sheriffs of twenty or
more counties have applied. These will be given due consideration.
Applications from other sources cannot be granted. The law provides
that the judges, prosecuting attorney, clerks of the courts of the
county, together with two physicians and twelve reputable citizens
and such ministers of the gospel not exceeding three, as such
criminal shall name, and any immediate relatives of said criminal
shall be present, together with such officers of the prison,
deputies and constables as shall by him be deemed expedient, but no
other persons than those mentioned shall be permitted to attend.
Sheriff Hotz has issued a permit to those who are expected, which
reads as follows: [missing] ... The jurors and also the deputies and
bailiffs, who are necessary to assist, have been chosen. The death
watch has been put on. James Judd is with the prisoner in daytime
and John Daniels does duty during the night. Boyle gives no evidence
that he realizes the awful doom that is before him. Father August
Schlegel, of St. Boniface's church, attended him until Monday, when
Father J. C. Daw took charge of him. Rev. R. G. Hamilton of St.
Andrew's Episcopal church, has also been interesting himself in
behalf of the prisoner. Efforts have been made to have the governor
commute the sentence. Judge C. L. Cook has visited the governor for
that purpose. Father Daw and Mr. Hamilton have also been to see him
to make appeals for the prisoner's life. The crime of which Boyle
was convicted was committed on Wednesday, August 12th, near Nameoki.
The evidence as brought out at the trial proved that Boyle and a man
named John Muench were tramping and met at Nameoki in the morning of
that day. They went into Charles Forcade's saloon, where Muench
treated Boyle, laid down $1 and received the change, 90 cents, from
the bartender, Louis Roeder. They remained around Nameoki until in
the afternoon, when they started north on the railroad track. After
proceeding some distance Muench stepped off the track. When a few
yards away, Boyle drew a pistol and shot Muench in the back,
commanding him to turn out his pockets and deliver the money and
everything else he had. Muench handed over 95 cents and a bundle
which contained several shirts. Boyle then ordered him to go back
where they came from. Muench made his way back to Nameoki and went
to the saloon where they had been during the day. A physician was
summoned who pronounced the wounds serious and the injured man was
put to bed. Telegrams were sent to various points and Boyle was
arrested at Carlinville, on a C. & A. fruit train. In the car in
which he had been, the conductor, H. B. Gates, found the bundle of
clothes taken from Muench. Sheriff Hotz and Deputy Vollbracht went
after the prisoner the next day, Thursday, accompanied by Louis
Roberts of Mitchell, who had seen Boyle get on the train at that
station. The man was identified and turned over to the officers. He
was handcuffed and taken to the depot. A train was due at 9:30 in
the evening, and the intention of the officers was to take the
prisoner away on that train. The train was late and at 3 o'clock
next morning, Friday, had not come. Sheriff Hotz stepped into the
operator's office to get information concerning the train, leaving
the prisoner in charge of his assistants. When the officer returned
the prisoner had gone. Search was instituted but it was not until
afternoon that Boyle was again apprehended. He was found by a party
of farmers in a field. He had applied at different places and asked
to be freed from the handcuffs. The fact that he was handcuffed
awakened suspicion. The shackles, however, proved an easy means of
identification. Boyle had traveled 35 miles on foot with the
handcuffs on. He was locked up until Saturday morning, when Sheriff
Hotz went after him. He was brought here Saturday evening. Muench
was brought up from Nameoki Thursday morning by Supervisor T. W.
Kinder and placed in the county hospital. The bullet had lodged in
the lungs and he was suffering intense pain. Dr. E. W. Fiegenbaum
had him under treatment. He saw that the condition of the patient
was critical and informed the officers. After Boyle's arrival
Saturday evening, he was taken to the hospital, where a preliminary
hearing was held by Squire John Hobson. Muench, whose life was
slowly ebbing away, positively identified the prisoner as the man
who shot him, and made a detailed statement under oath of the
shooting. He described the clothes that were taken from him and said
a laundry receipt was with them. He was shown a bundle wrapped in a
newspaper and asked if that was his bundle. He replied "no," saying
his bundle was done up in reddish paper. The bundle had been
________ in the newspaper by the officers. The newspaper was taken
off and the reddish or brown paper bundle was found inside. When
Muench saw the brown paper he stated that his bundle was wrapped in
paper like that, pointing to the paper. He described the garments
and when the bundle was undone, every garment was found to
correspond minutely with his description. Muench died Sunday
morning. Drs. E. W. Fiegenbaum and William Olive made a post mortem
examination. They found that the bullet had torn the left lung and
caused internal hemorrhage. The bullet extracted was found to
correspond in size to the chamber of the revolver which Boyle had.
Coronor S. O. Bonner held an inquest Sunday afternoon. The jury
consisted of Monzo Keller, foreman; W. R. Crossman, clerk; A. P.
Wolf, G. B. Bickelhaupt, Frank Stillwell and J. G. Barnsback. They
returned a verdict that John Muench came to his death from a gun
shot wound from a pistol fired by the hands of Patrick Boyle. The
preliminary hearing of Boyle was continued on the Monday following
the death of Muench, but no additional facts were brought out. Boyle
claimed that he had never seen the man until after being arrested.
He was committed to jail without bail to await action of the grand
jury.