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On the 19th of last January Charles Henry Goslaw was a
resident of Los Gatos in this county, and engaged in the business of house
moving in partnership with H. A. Grant.
A
portion of the tools used in their work, consisting of nine jack-screws and
some wooden rollers, had been borrowed by Grant & Goslaw from Con Brown,
the house-mover and bridge builder of this city.
Brown had offered to sell them to Grant, but as
business was dull, the latter did not purchase and stored them awaiting Brown's
orders.
About that time Goslaw made a contract
on his own account to raise the Episcopal Church, and he used
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BROWN'S JACK-SCREWS |
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And rollers in
doing so. Finding that he needed stronger timbers to support the building, he
came to San Jose on Wednesday morning, the 19th of January, to obtain
them.
In the meantime Grant received a letter
from Brown asking for the immediate return of the screws and rollers.
Grant hunted up the tools and shipped them immediately
to Brown in this city. A few hours later Charles Goslaw returned from San Jose,
and was met at the depot by his brother John, who immediately told him what
Grant had done with the tools. Chas. Goslaw was under the influence of liquor,
and proceeded at once to |
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LOOK FOR GRANT. |
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The brothers went
to Fischer's store where Grant passed a great portion of his time, and inquired
for him.
The clerk told him Grant had gone home.
Both men, however, declined to believe the clerk and went into the back room.
Charles said he wanted to find Grant because he was going to whale h---l out of
the d--- ---d old s------- of a b-----h. With a determination worthy of a
better cause, this precious pair started for Grant's house, situated half a
mile away on the hill a little distance from the San Jose road. At the gate
John Goslaw stopped and Charles Goslaw entered. |
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"DON'T HURT HIM |
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Too d--------d
much," J. H. Hill, Grant's next door neighbor heard John say. "Oh, no; I won't
hurt him; Oh, no!" replied Charles in a sarcastic tone, as he proceeded toward
the kitchen door at the side of the house, from which a light shone. The door
of Grant's little house was partially of glass, but the owner had covered the
panes with a newspaper, and Hill could not see in. As Goslaw closed the door
Hill heard him say, "How do you do Mr. Grant." In a moment |
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HE HEARD A FALL |
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Quickly followed
by a succession of thumps, stamps and the rattling of falling kitchen
furniture. Some of the blows or thumps were dull and scarcely audible, while
others fell upon the floor and sounded loudly. Not a word was heard nor a cry
for help. Charles Goslaw came out a few moments and joined his brother. Hill
said to him: "Remember Charles Goslaw |
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I AM A WITNESS TO THIS." |
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Goslaw then struck
Hill's half open gate with his fist and said: "I have just hammered hell out of
one s-- of a b-------, and I'd just as soon lay out another man as not." He
continued to vilely abuse Hill, and form the harangue that gentleman learned
that he considered he had killed Grant and wanted to kill anybody else that
didn't like it.
Goslaw surrendered himself to
Constable Reynolds a short time afterwards and was brought to the County Jail
early next morning.
The neighbors found Grant
lying unconscious on the floor of the kitchen----a room about eight feet
square----and bleeding from several wounds about the head and
face. |
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HE NEVER REGAINED CONSCIOUSNESS |
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And died in about
forty-eight hours after the beating.
A carving
knife was found under Grant's body and it is supposed that he was cutting bread
for his supper when he received Goslaw's first blow and was knocked down.
Goslaw claimed that Grant had attacked him with the knife before he struck
him. |
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_________
The Murderer. |
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Charles Henry
Goslaw was born in New York 32 years ago, and resided in this county for
several years. He kept a restaurant in Los Gatos a few years ago. He had the
reputation of being a man of violent temper, and has been mentioned as the
leader of a mob that lynched a young Spaniard for murder, by hanging him on the
railroad bridge, several years ago. He leaves a wife and two young
children. |
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The Trial. |
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The trial took
place in Judge Belden's Court.
Following are the
names of the jurors:
C. A. Petkin, W. R. Peader,
D. S. Boyce, Jeff Bailey, J. A. Evans, Joseph Bradshaw, Wm. Boots, E. C.
Bradbury, E. W. Simons, R J. Smith, S. A. Jameson, A. R. Denike.
District Attorney Howell Moore and Assistant D. W.
Buchard appeared for the people. The defendant was represented by J. H.
Campbell.
The jury found the defendant guilty of
murder in the first degree.
The case was
appealed to the Supreme Court and ably argued by the respective Counsel but the
judgment was affirmed.
All efforts to induce the
Governor to commute the sentence |
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PROVED OF NO AVAIL. |
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And last Wednesday
the sheriff began to make preparations for the execution by the erection of the
gallows which was built for the execution of Joseph Jewell the murderer of
Renowden and McIntyre. It was also used in removing Loyd L. Majors, Jewell's
companion in crime, and Juan Wassielewsky the Pole who murdered his wife at Los
Gatos.
It is a significant fact that all of the
men executed on this gallows were residents of Los Gatos. |
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_________
Nearing the End. |
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The farewell
meeting between the doomed man and his wife and little ones, took place last
Wednesday morning. Mrs. Goslaw was accompanied by John Goslaw, her sister and
sister-in-law. The painful features of such a meeting can be better imagined
than described. The prisoner was perhaps the most self-possessed of the party.
He tried to cheer his wife and petted and caressed the children. The parting of
the husband and wife was too sad for expression. |
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_________
The
Scaffold |
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Was placed in the
northwest corner of the portion of the jail yard surrounding the kitchen, and
could be seen by outsiders only from the rear windows on the second floor of
the Court-house.
An application from Mrs.
Hattie Ballard, a daughter of Grant, the murdered man, to witness the execution
was denied. |
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Visitors at the Jail. |
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It is estimated
that two thousand persons visited the jail yesterday and inspected the scaffold
which was all ready and awaiting its victim. Few of the visitors, however, were
permitted to see the doomed man as the Sheriff was determined that nothing
should occur to excite him. Goslaw's younger brother arrived from San Francisco
yesterday. When the young man was admitted Goslaw ran forward and the two
clasped each other affectionately and kissed so feelingly that it caused tears
to rush to the eyes of the beholders. |
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The Last
Night. |
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The prisoner
passed the night talking cheerfully with his guards, Agaton Castro and J. W.
Edmondson, listening to anecdotes and talking politics, until a late hour. He
went to sleep about 2:30 o'clock this morning. His slumbers were fitful, and he
awoke at 5:30 o'clock unrefreshed. He cried a good deal this morning when
speaking of his wife and children. At 8:30 o'clock Father Picardo, and after
the reverend gentleman left he seemed to regain his courage. He has several
times this morning repeated his statement that he did not strike Grant with a
stick, but only with his fist, and the wound on the head of the murdered man
was caused by striking the stove as he fell. His breakfast was served shortly
after 9 o'clock. He conversed with his friends and the death watch, during the
forenoon at intervals and every effort was made by the latter to distract his
mind as much as possible from the terrible ordeal through which he was to pass
at the noon hour. |
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Final
Preparations. |
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The scaffold was
tested at 11 o'clock and all the necessary arrangements perfected for the
execution. A front room on the lower floor of the jail was prepared for an
operation to be made by Drs. Curnow Hammond and Seifert, immediately after the
execution. The table on which the body will be laid and an electric battery
were placed in position. Several physicians will be present at the experiment
to resurrect life when which will be made at the request of
Goslaw. |
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Morbid
Curiosity. |
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About 8 o'clock
this morning people began to assemble in small groups on the sidewalk in front
of the Court House and in the driveway leading to the gate of the Jail. A large
crowd was present by 11 o'clock and they remained until the word came out that
the tragedy was over. |
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To the
Scaffold. |
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At 11:40 the
condemned man left his cell on the march to the scaffold. He was preceded by
Sheriff Sweigert and accompanied by Under Sheriff Hinman, Deputy Sheriffs Hall
and Caldwell. As he walked along the yard between the office door and the
scaffold he did not look toward the terrible machine which was to launch him
into eternity, but glanced quickly to the right and left until when within a
short distance of the scaffold he looked straight before him. As he walked
along his features were firmly set and his hands, which were strapped to his
sides, clutched nervously. |
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A LAST GOODBYE. |
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As he reached the
platform he took his position on the trap and repeated a prayer after Father
Picardo, who stood in front of him.There stood on
the scaffold besides the officers mentioned, C M. Shortridge, L. A. Spitzer, A.
Castro, W. C. Morrow, Sheriff McCleverty of Alameda and a few others.
When he finished the prayer Goslaw said goodbye to
his friends and said he hoped to meet them in Heaven.
"Tell the Los Gatos people I die bravely," he said.
Tears were in his eyes as the black cap was drawn quickly over his
head. |
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DROPPED TO DEATH. |
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He fell six feet
and nine inches. After hanging for fourteen and a half minutes he was
pronounced dead by the physicians. Four minutes later he was cut
down. |
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INSTANT DEATH. |
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It was found that
his neck was broken by the fall. His throat under the chin was cut by the rope,
there being a wound about three inches long. As the neck had been broken, no
effort was made by the physicians to resuscitate him. |
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The
Burial. |
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The body was taken
in charge by Trueman & Woodrow, and placed in a neat casket. The remains
were taken to Los Gatos this afternoon, and the interment will take place at
Santa Clara to-morrow.
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