Accident – Death – Obituary News : : 1. John Rooney North Dakota Penitentiary
2. Cool John Rooney Execution
2, 1902, Rooney and two accomplices, William Long and Frank Scallon, confronted harvest hand John Cameron, who had hopped off a freight train and was walking toward Hankinson. Cameron was shot and killed by Rooney, who then fled the scene with his accomplices.
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Rooney was captured in Minneapolis and returned to North Dakota to stand trial. He was convicted of murder and sentenced to death by hanging.
Despite his criminal past and the violent nature of his crimes, Rooney faced his fate with a calm demeanor, earning him the title of “the coolest man ever to be hanged” in North Dakota.
His execution marked a rare occurrence in the state, where the death penalty was seldom imposed due to the reluctance of juries to sentence convicts to death.
Rooney’s story remains a part of North Dakota’s history, showcasing a unique chapter in the state’s judicial system and the life of a criminal who met his end with a sense of coolness and composure.
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Rooney and his accomplices, masked bandits, targeted the Sweet brothers near Fargo’s west side Milwaukee roundhouse in 1902. Despite resistance from the brothers, a scuffle ensued, leading to the fatal shooting of Harold Sweet by Rooney. The subsequent trial found Rooney guilty, with the jury recommending the death penalty. Sheriff Treadwell Twichell oversaw Rooney’s transport and safekeeping. Despite a brief reprieve due to a technicality, Rooney was eventually sentenced to be hanged. His attorney, W.S. Stambaugh, fought vigorously for a sentence reduction to no avail. Rooney’s execution date was set for October 17, 1905, marking the end of a notorious criminal’s chapter in history. John Rooney, a criminal sentenced for execution in 1905, maintained his composure until the end. Despite facing multiple death sentences, he rarely showed emotion. However, after one sentence was reaffirmed, he broke down in tears. Rooney protested his innocence to the last moment, walking bravely to the scaffold and singing a song of his own composition. Refusing to betray his accomplices, he faced his fate with courage. Even in his final moments, he remained true to his criminal code. Rooney’s execution, carried out with solemnity, was described in detail by witnesses, highlighting the somber yet determined demeanor of this notorious criminal.
8, 1902, Rooney and his gang spotted one such harvest hand, a 19-year-old named George S. Stretton, who was about to board a train in Hankinson.
Rooney and his group accosted Stretton, and in the ensuing scuffle, Rooney shot Stretton in the chest with a revolver. Stretton died the following day, and Rooney was arrested and charged with murder.
After a brief trial, Rooney was convicted and sentenced to death by hanging. Despite appeals for clemency, including a petition signed by over 1,000 citizens, Rooney’s fate was sealed.
On the morning of his execution, Rooney remained composed and even sang a song as he walked to the gallows. His final words, “Goodby, gentlemen, goodby,” echoed through the prison walls as the trapdoor opened beneath him.
Rooney’s execution marked a turning point in North Dakota’s history, as it was the last legal hanging in the state. The public outcry and subsequent abolition of the death penalty signaled a shift in attitudes towards capital punishment.
Today, the story of John Rooney serves as a cautionary tale, a reminder of the consequences of a life of crime. His legacy lives on in the records of the North Dakota Supreme Court and the memories of those who witnessed his final moments.
As the sun set on Oct. 17, 1905, John Rooney, the “coolest man ever to be hanged,” took his place in history, leaving behind a complicated legacy of crime and punishment.