| Show imet MET DEATH BRAVELY PETER EXECUTED FOR MURDER OF JAMES R HAY protested his innocence to the last and ma rita retained ined his wonderful self control to the last moment peter the convicted mur derer deter of his neighbor jaines R hay was executed at the utah state prison friday morning about persons being ing present at the execution morten sen was shot to death meeting his end while seated in a chair in a cor ner of the prison yard four bullets entered his body two piercing his heart and two passing directly under it his life was snuffed out instantly and physicians say his death was ab eol sol painless died game and protested his innocence to the last in a statement be he prepared for presentation to the public ae through the press he said among 0 other ther things to the world I 1 want to say and swear by the heavens above by the earth beneath and by all things I 1 hold dear on this earth I 1 am not guilty ol 01 that cowardly murder murdee of my dearest friend I 1 I 1 ask therefore no man mans s pardon tor for aught that I 1 may have done in life the condemned mans man s last night on earth was spent in calm and peaceful sleep and he ate a hearty breakfast on the morning of the execution did not ask tor for nor re belve the services of a clergyman on the day of the execution from his attitude the day previous it was ex pecked that be he would desire spiritual comfort during his last hours on earth but not once did he even speak of such a thing peter who was execute ed tor for the murder of james R hay was born in richfield utah thirty eight years ago his early years were spent there and when a young man he removed to provo it was while living at that place that he married a miss watkin who Is the mother of five children lived for a time in og den and while there engaged in the lumber business he owned a sawmill near there at one time which after ward was destroyed by fire it has been claimed since that he burned the mill himself since moving to salt lake city mor has resided most of the time in forest dale and prior to his arrest for the murder of hay was considered an upright and honorable citizen he is said to have been a man with a g great determination and a strong will and would generally succeed in what ever he undertook when he was arrested for murder on december 18 1903 his wife left him and went to ogden to reside with her rel relatives atiles never saw her since that time the refusal of mrs to have anything more to do with her husband has had a great influence on public sentiment the general belief is that she took tool this step because she wag was convinced of his guilt the murder of james R hay was committed on the night of december fg 76 1901 and was convict ed on june 14 1902 hay had gone to s home to collect a sum of money which owed the pa cefic lumber company tor for whom hay was employed and hay left the formers home together and the latter was never again seen alive his body was discovered later it hav ing been buried burled in a pasture the man had been shot in the back of the head was charged with the crime and after a hard legal fight has paid tho the penalty with his life |
