A SHERIFF'S FATE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 44, 21 February 1891, Page 1 (Supplement)

A SHERIFF'S FATE.

He Drops Dead Before an Execution*

On December 19th, Sheriff Webb died suddenly of heart disease, ab Sherbrooka (Quebec).

He was preparing to execute Rami la Montague, and it is believed that the excitement attending the preparations for the hanging was the cause of his death. La Montagne was hanged at 9.26 o'clock, the Sheriffs death having delayed the execution only a few moments.

The crime for which La Montagne suffered the extreme penalty of the law was most abominable. One night in the month of July, IS3B, he went to the house of his brother-in law, Napoleon Michel, enticed him to the door and shob him twice. Then he deliberately cut the throat of the wounded man and slashed his bleeding body with the knife. Not sabisfied with this act of unparalleled brutality, the murderer dragged the still living man back into the house and set it on fire. He then fled, leaving his victim for dead, but Michel dragged himself from the flames badly burned, and died after a few weeks, but not without relating to the officers of justice all that had occurred.

Mrs Leda Michel, wife of the victim and sister of La Montagne, an unusually handsome French-Canadian girl, 20 years old, was arrested for complicity in the crime. Her beauty and bhe facb bhab she was in an interesting condition secured her acquittal. A large reward was offered for La Montagno and he was finally capbured, bub before hia trial took place Leda absconded and was arrested in Boston, from which place she was extradited on a charge of arson. Sho refused to testify at her brother's trial and was sent bo gaol for a year.

La Montagne made no remarks on the scaffold, and seemed to be very much impressed when he learned of the sudden death.of the Sheriff.