Cole County MO Archives News.....The Tragedy July 2, 1857 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mo/mofiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Kimberly Morgan http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00004.html#0000826 September 8, 2025, 6:33 pm Newspapers.com Online July 2, 1857 Jacob Neuslein, Hannibal Weekly Messenger, (Hannibal, Marion County, Missouri), Thu, Jul 2, 1857, Page 1, Newspapers.com online, https://www.newspapers.com/image/1029393400/?match=1&terms=jacob%20Neuslein, accessed 7 Sep 2025 The Tragedy, from the St. Louis Republican “An Eye for an Eye and a Tooth for a Tooth”—the Last End of the Murders—Their Parting Word—Their deportment.—The preparations—The visitors at the jail—The approach of death—The appearance of the scoffold [sic]—The death—Shoultz (Schultz) [sic], Neuslein, La Pointe. Yesterday afternoon, between the hours of ten and four, as directed in the death warrant, the extremest [sic] penalty of the law was enforced upon the persons of Israel Shoultz (deathpenaltyusa indicates it is spelled Shultz), Jacob Neuslein and John La Pointe. Despite the exertions of friends they then breathed their last. As they died for an equal grade of crime, so they died together, side by side. During the night of Thursday, the condemned men as we learn, spent their hours in prayer. The cousoling [sic] influences of religion were brought to bear upon them, and under the careful watchfulness, the general belief was that they would die relying upon the mercy of that God into whose hands their souls were se[sic} soon to be delivered. Their priests remained one with each until a late hour, and when they left, they expressed the firm conviction of their contrition of heart. At early morning, as we understand, for by joint request visitors were denied their presence, they arose and dressed themselves, devoted their few remaining hours to holy exercises. The Holy Communion of the Last Supper was vouchsafed to them, and with apparent patience they awaited the dread summons. From this time till their last meal of coffee and cake was served them, at a few minutes after one, they devoted to the service of their Maker the few minutes of time allotted them. Meantime the preparations in the jail yard were completed. The jail gate, delivered to the custody of the County Marshal, be admitted none but those whose duty it was to be present, either ex-officio or by reason of their invitation to become the legal witnesses of the occasion. When we arrived, Mrs. La Pointe, the mother of John, was kneeling in humility of desperation upon the stone steps by the jail door. To all appearances remindful of the presence of strangers, she knelt and prayed, her very bosom heaving with convulsive agony, her face betokening the anxiety of fear and suspense. On every side tears fell from stout hearted men as they thought of her sorrow. She was subsequently induced to leave the spot so fatal to her happiness and peace. Apparelled [sic] in deep mourning, her grey hair ____________upon her countenance, spoke of the agony which a mother alone could feel. The gallows gave much fear to the few bystanders, expressions of fear lest some unavoidable accident should prolong the suffering of the doomed men, were frequent. This man urged that the catch was wrong, the hinges out of place, the trap too small, --indeed, every sort of objection was canvassed. How it all turned out as best prompted by humanity the sequel showed. On the scaffold were placed three chairs, facing the rear of the Recorder’s Court; in front of them was a form, while in their rear hung the ropes from which these men were to swing. Outside the jail yard were assembled about 1,500 persons, amongst whom might have been scattered fifty women. They were generally peaceable, but once or twice during the morning, as they grew impatient to heart that all was over, a slight confusion was perceptible. To their credit, however, be it said, that there was not hooting, no drunkenness. True, many sought by clambering on the tops of carriages to abtain [sic] a view of the melancholy scene, but thanks to a proper disposition of the police and the choice selection of the gallows ground, their morbid curiosity was not, to any extent, gratified. During all this time the prisoners were engaged with their ministering pastors, while those outside were engaged with their ministering pastors, while those outside were canvassing the just ice of sentence which brought them to the scaffold, and the enormity of the crimes which made them thus liable to the penalty of death. For Shoultz (aka Shultz) and La Pointe but little sympathy was expressed, but for Neuslein many expressed not doubts, but hope. The circulation yesterday of the report that Gov. Jackson had sent for Father Pulaski, his confessor, as was supposed, to consult with him as to any confession, gave the slightest shadow of hope; but from the fact that Mr. Kribben, who was represented as having seen the dispatch did not leave the city till the Thursday morning’s train started, while the telegraphic communication purports to have arrived before noon, conlusively [sic] gave the lie to such a chance. Furthermore, during the morning a party interested for his safety received a dispatch from Mr. Kribben to the effect as follows: “No earthly hope, The Governor is firm.” Despite all this, there was great anxiety lest the train to arrive at 3:15 p.m., should bring a commutation of his sentence and find him dead. To us even the Marshal seemed to “hope against hope” that such a commutation would arrive, and this last chance was reserved the poor man. At 2:13, p.m. the jail door creaked upon its hinges, a passage way was cleared in silence, and as the messengers of death commenced to descend from the prison house, every hat was raised and every voice was hushed. La Pointe was first led out. He was supported by a priest whose name we could not learn. Dressed in a light suit of black, his face close shaven, his arms pinioned at the elbow, he walked with a firm footing to the foot of and up the steps of the gallows. He looked neither to the right or left, only seeming to fear that he might see some acquaintance, relative or friends to part with which was worse than the death he was so bodily facing. He breathed rather than spoke responses to the prayers addressed for him by the minister. Shoultz (aka Schultz) accompanied but not led by Father Paris, followed next. He was habited in a suit of light colored clothes, around his left arm being tied a piece of black crepe. By appearance he would have been supposed to be a friend attending the last sad services of La Pointe. He walked unmoved, he looked at the gallows without the quiver of a muscle. He ascended the steps with a step, almost light. Last of all came Neuslein. His face pale, his long beard and longer hair shaking in his mental excitement. His face completely blanked he looked the most as if he stood upon the grave head had prematurely dug for himself. Father Pulaski supported his slow steps, but there was no faltering, and he moved forward evidently highly excited but as evidently resolved to dig fearless death. All of them upon the scaffold, they seated themselves upon the chairs placed at their disposal, the suspended ropes being at their backs. In front of them were their several priests, and to and with which the human law permitted them to perform. After some time, thus occupied, Shoultz (aka Schultz) expressing, in response to an enquiry, his desire to speak, he was lifted on to the chair he occupied, and then said: “Fellow citizens, I come on this gallows to die. I am grateful in the hope of God’s _____. I came upon this gallows to die, and I mean to die as a Christian. I have but a few words to say. I hope to die in the faith of Christ, my God—to die a Christian—to die as a Christian, as every Christian dies in the world. Farewell, gentlemen, farewell.” He spoke unfalteringly, and although his words were detached, the _______being good, it seemed to show his belief in the few words he uttered. La Pointe declined to make any remarks, but Neuslein, after a few seconds spent in conversation with his father confessor, rose from his seat, devoutly kissed the crucifix which he had to his hand, and while the hot and bitter tears rolled down his pale cheeks, said in his broken English: “Gentlemen—I thank all my friends for that which they have done for me. I have found in my trouble many friends. I am unable to repay them for their kindness, but my God Almighty will pay them for me, and He will pay them. I die an innocent man. I suppose I appear us a murderer in the people’s eyes; but I don’t care about that, for God Almighty knows that I am innocent before Him. I never had an idea of killing any person, and I have only done my duty. I thank all my friends again for what they had done. I have done wrong, I wish the rest of you may do better.” The county Marshal then read, in a voice, trembling with emotion, the record of sentence and death warrant. In the cases of Neuslein and La Pointe in the following form, the form being somewhat varied in the case of Shoultz (aka Schultz), the warrant for whose execution came from the Supreme Court. “Now, at this day, said defendant being brought into Court, to receive his sentence, in pursuance of the verdict rendered awaited him; and being demanded if he hath or knoweth anything to say why the Court here ought not to proceed how to pass sentence of death upon him, and having nothing to say, it is, therefore, considered by the Court that the said defendant be taken from this Court to the place from whence he came, there to remain until—next, thence to be taken to the place of execution, and there, between the hours of ten o’clock in the forenoon of said day, and four o’clock in the afternoon of said day, he hanged by the neck until he be dead; and it is further direction, that the Clerk of this Court make out a warrant under the seal thereof, commanding the Marshal to carry this sentence into execution.” At six minutes to three everything was in readiness, Neuslein was praying aloud while the others seemed to be engaged in similar occupation, but in a lower tone.—The former, as he repeated his dying prayers devoutly and at frequent intervals kissed the ropes that were so soon to deprive them of earthly existence. Their seats were removed, they bade farewell to the Marshal and his assistants and those on the full, and they were placed upon boxes, had one for each upon the trap. The prop supporting the fall was removed, the white saps drawn over their faces, the ropes adjusted and three minutes past three the trap fell and their souls took flight to the unknown regions. Shoultz (aka Shultz) died without a movement or the quiver of a muscle, he dropped down and dead with a six feet fall, Neuslein with his neck broken, full some five feet; for a second there was a convulsive shrugging of the limbs, followed by agonized pulsation, a quiver, and all was over. He was dead in five minutes. La Pointe, so vigorous and strong, died easy, yet not so easy as did the others. There was the convulsion for three minutes after Neuslein had departed, but the movement was week, and one that did not show pain, however painful it was to look upon. Once or twice his lower limbs were drawn up towards the upper, and then with a few swings and shakes he passed from earth. At a quarter past three they were declared to have been “hung by the neck until they were dead,” cut down, placed in plain mahogany coffins, on the top of each of which was a silver crucifix, and delivered to the custody of their friends, La Pointe and Neuslein being taken in one hearse, in charge of the clergy, and Shoultz (aka Shultz) being delivered into the custody of his family. Thus ended this sad and eventful tragedy, and so we say “may God have mercy upon their souls.” Additional Comments: This article contains the names of three people, Jacob Neuslein, John La Pointe, Israel Shoultz (aka Schultz) that died on the same date on death row for the same crime. In the public domain, article was written 168 years ago. Deathpenaltyusa shows 3 diff cities, possibly of birth, Jacob Callaway, John Lafayette and Israel St. Louis City. The Missouri Penitentary is located in Jefferson City, Cole county, Missouri. They were the 30th, 31st and 32nd deaths on deathrow. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mo/cole/newspapers/thetrage293gnw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mofiles/ File size: 12.8 Kb