April 6, 2025 • 50 mins
In this episode of The Lethal Library, hosts Stephanie and Dani dive into a true crime tale from Idaho's early 20th century archives. They explore the sensational and tragic story of Frederick Seward and Clara O'Neill. Frederick, lovesick and desperate, ends up committing a heinous crime in 1908 Moscow, Idaho. The duo brings to light all the gritty details from the time, including the shockingly direct headlines and vernacular of newspapers back then. From Frederick's tragic attempts at suicide to his ultimate fate at the gallows, this episode is packed with historical drama, yellow journalism, and a wild trip into old-timey Idaho. Tune in to learn about the twisted web of romance and murder that captivated a town and ended in a somber execution.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Stephanie (00:30):
Alright.
Welcome back to another episodeof The Lethal Library.
I'm Stephanie.
I'm Danny, and we are here totell you another true crime tale
from Idaho.
This episode is a little bitdifferent.
We're going way, way back in therecords, kind of an old timey
case, and I'm, I'm prettyexcited for it just because it's
(00:51):
not something that we normallydo.
but Danny, what do you got forus?
Well, I have to tell you, I hada lot of fun researching this
one.
I'm actually very excited aboutthis.
The old timey, uh, I had funresearching it.
Uh, there was a lot of.
Uncommon words that we no longeruse today.
So, if you hear that, know thata lot of this is from news
(01:14):
articles and we might be quotingthem.
Yeah.
This is from news articles fromthe 19 hundreds.
So you're gonna hear some wordsthat might be not, not okay.
Now.
Not.
Okay.
Now I really try to play themdown, but here we be and, uh.
Anyways.
I hope you enjoy it.
Super interesting case.
(01:36):
Was this a desperate crime ofpassion?
If I can't have her, no onewill.
What hold did this woman have onthis man?
Oh, in Moscow, Idaho.
On October 19th, 1908.
Ms.
Clara O'Neill was found dead.
At two o'clock in the afternoon.
Frederick Seaward had shot herin a store room in the back of
(02:00):
the house that was formerlyoccupied by Grace Fleming.
20-year-old Clara was foundlying in a pool of her own blood
that covered the, nearly thewhole floor.
This was all in the newspaper.
They're not holding back.
They're giving all the de, allthe dets.
They hadn't learned that maybeyou should keep some back so
(02:22):
that you can verify things.
Or if someone mentionedsomething you're like no one
else would've known.
They're probably like, come infellas.
Take your pictures.
Yeah.
Uh, not worried about evidenceat all.
And this was a time of like.
I think they called it likeyellow news or more
sensationalized news.
(02:43):
Very, it was about selling thosepapers.
It was so a little sprinkle oflike a TMZ vibe.
Yeah.
Was, I would say very accurate.
There was no shame in it at all.
Nope.
Like who can write the mosteye-catching story?
Uh, and no regard for herfamily's feelings or loved one's
(03:03):
feelings.
They're just gonna give you thedirty dirt.
I.
They're selling papers.
Clara was lying face down with abullet from a 38 caliber Smith
and Wesson 38 special.
The bullet wound entered theright temple and exited at her
left temple.
(03:24):
Ooh, she had two additionalshots to her chest.
Newspaper's report.
CLA paid the penalty of life shehad led at the hands of her
alleged lover.
A little victim blaming here.
Yeah, this is the sensationalismthat we're gonna get here.
(03:45):
Seaward then attempted to takehis own life by shooting himself
in the head, just above hisright eye.
A telephone call was made to thesheriff about a murder, and they
quickly made their way to thescene.
Sheriff JJ Keen and DeputySheriff Grant Robbins found both
victims lying on the floor.
(04:05):
Seaward was moaning andattempting to cut his own throat
with a jackknife.
Yikes.
What a scene to come up on.
Isn't it Just so sensa.
I It's very sensational.
This was I'm sure the talk ofthe town, so I had to look up
what a jacknife was.
What is that?
(04:26):
It's just a folding knife.
Oh, yeah.
So, okay.
The more you know.
Thank you because I was like.
Maybe I should know that.
I don't know.
I'm like, I have no idea what ajackknife is.
I go, it's a folding knife.
It's a pocket knife.
You heard it here first.
Folks.
Uh, Clara had been living in thehouse for several months and
went by the name of GraceWilson.
(04:48):
Scandalous, very mysterious.
She is a daughter of awell-to-do and respectable
people.
Clara is the mother of athree-year-old daughter that is
crippled from the waist down andis living somewhere in Spokane.
And this is the kind of languagethat I'm talking about that was
in the paper.
We would never refer Yeah.
(05:10):
To somebody as, but it was, thatwas the vernacular at the time.
Clara was from Wallace, Idahoand had been separated from her
husband for two years.
Her most recent employment inPalouse was at a sporting house.
What, tell me, Danny, what is asporting house?
(05:32):
Well, a sporting house is wherethey do a little gambling.
Ooh.
A little drinking.
Oh, a little womanizing.
Okay, we're getting the vibes.
Okay.
We're getting the vibes.
Okay.
Okay.
It was also reported that shecame from good parents that did
(05:53):
not know of her waywardnessuntil she was murdered a rebel.
I think she was probably havinga lot of fun.
She's 20, she's out there.
She's doing what she wants todo.
Clara had just arrived in Moscowon Saturday and registered at
the Hotel Del Norte under thename of Ms.
(06:17):
Lawrence from Spokane.
Sounds fancy.
I love the, I love the alteregos.
I know, uh, seaward has moved tothe Inland Hospital where his
wounds were dressed, but hisrecovery is in question.
Dani (06:36):
Uh oh.
Stephanie (06:37):
Trigger warning, his windpipe had been severed, so
the doctors had to sew it backtogether.
I just can't even imagine this.
In the 19, in the twenties,1908, oh God, this is before the
Titanic.
Yeah.
Oh my God.
The doctor stated the bulletwound would not kill him, but it
(06:59):
will be a couple of days beforethey will know the true outcome.
Well, yeah, they literally sewedhis throat back together.
They're like, this is probablygonna be infected.
'cause we all coughed in it andweren't wearing gloves.
Oh, we let all the reporters in.
I bet you all the reporters camein and got touch it you.
Yeah.
Do you need to fill the woundfor accuracy?
(07:21):
For reporting?
For reporting?
Yes, I do.
Doctor journalistic integrity.
I can just picture they, becauseyou know, that wasn't these
protocols of no infection.
Were they still putting lecheson people in this time?
Fuck yes.
They were.
Throw a couple leeches on thewound.
Little bloodletting that don't,it's not gonna hurt'em.
(07:43):
It's not gonna hurt'em.
It's, oh, it can only help.
Oh my God.
Newspapers report that Clara wasliving at a house of ill Reput
and Palouse.
Oh.
Not, and that is where she metSeaward, a tangled web.
Her recent travels to Moscow wasto search for work, and Seaward
(08:05):
had followed her.
They quarrel, and that's whenSeaward shot her.
What was the quarrel about?
Do we know?
Yes.
Okay.
I'll tell you.
While recovering from shootinghimself and slicing his own
throat, wild seaward, signs ofwritten confession.
(08:30):
I wonder what, I wonder how muchmorphine he was on.
Right?
Because you know, they justpumped that shit.
They're like, I watched LittleHouse be comfy.
I watched Little House.
We all did right?
Our was addicted to it.
And you know what?
They probably were having that.
Cough syrup that had cocaine init too.
They're like, take some of this.
(08:50):
Everyone loves this.
Everyone feels great.
You're gonna feel like a champ.
It doesn't even matter if theydon't have a cough.
You'll feel amazing.
Something in this is just veryhealthy for you.
I didn't even if it makes youfeel good, if it makes you
happy, yeah.
(09:11):
During the trial evidence showedthat C word was living with
Clara and Palouse, and she hadleft Moscow to escape her life
of shame.
During the trial, evidenceshowed that Seaward was living
with Claire and Palouse, and sheleft to Moscow to escape her
life of shame.
Seaward followed her and triedto compel her to return.
(09:34):
He had threatened to expose herto her parents as she did not
come back with him.
Okay, rude.
I'm gonna tell your parentsabout all of this stuff.
Leave me alone.
C word.
I'm living my life.
He lured her into a vacant houseoutside of the rain, and while
Clara was adjusting his necktie, sea word, put his left arm
(09:59):
around her neck and held heruntil he could shoot her.
Not great behavior here.
Why are you chasing a woman ofthe night?
Mm.
She doesn't want you.
She's a professional.
She doesn't want you.
She has a job.
She literally went to anotherfucking town, ba And I know that
(10:23):
this is insensitive as well, butlike the term like Captain save
ho.
Does she even wanna be saved?
Like no, she doesn't.
She's I be, she is ha She hasthe choice to be with her rich
parents and live a life ofRight.
Propriety.
She's and righteousness.
She's doing her thing.
(10:44):
Go girl.
You do.
You don't.
You are handy.
Back there, but I don't want youanymore.
Yeah.
Bye.
Don't go looking for love atthe, what is it called?
A game house?
Was that what it was?
A game house.
What is it?
(11:04):
It's a racing something.
God damnit.
I'm gonna lose.
Sorry, I thought I wrote it.
It's, oh my God.
It's racing something.
What was, don't be looking forlove in a sporting house.
(11:24):
Thank you.
In December, seaward isconvicted of murder.
Ooh.
Judge EEC Steel, which is agreat name, very cool name
sentence, seaward to hanging.
Yes.
He said quote, it is thejudgment of the court that you
(11:45):
turned over.
To the Warden of Idaho, theIdaho State Penitentiary at
Boise, and they're executed bysaid warden, by hanging by the
neck until dead, that this deathsentence be executed on Friday,
February 19th, 1909, between thehours of eight o'clock and 2:00
(12:07):
PM of said day.
And this was the time wherepeople were like.
Y'all hear there's gonna be ahanging.
Get the kids.
Let's pack a picnic.
Get the basket with the picnic.
Honey.
Don't forget to make thoselittle things that you make.
Those pastries, you can sellthem.
I love those people will reallywant those.
(12:29):
Honey.
Yeah, we can make a little extramoney.
The kids wanna bring theirfriends.
Let's go play date.
So awful.
When the sentencing was read,seaward grasp the table for
support.
Uh, again, it's a littleconfusing to me because you were
ready to try to remove yourselffrom the earth with very drastic
(12:53):
measures.
Mm-hmm.
Cutting your own throat.
I just can't, after you've shotyourself.
Yeah.
That's, you're, you'rededicated.
I don't know what else to say.
Yeah.
But it's like you're.
I guess if someone else is doingit though, and hanging, I mean,
(13:15):
is not pretty.
In early January, 1909, seawardwas transferred to the Idaho
State Penitentiary in adisheartened state and was
placed under death watch.
He had breakfast and then laiddown for a few hours, but did
not sleep.
The 300 mile trip was not aneasy one, and Seaward was very
(13:38):
tired.
So someone's sharing the,because these, this is from
newspaper articles.
Yeah.
Correct.
They have all the details.
Oh, there's totally sharing.
There's no, nobody from thecorrectional institution is
keeping quite how they gonnaknow.
Right.
How would they know?
Dani (13:58):
They're never gonna know.
Stephanie (14:00):
Um, so that's quite a track.
Dani (14:03):
Hmm.
Stephanie (14:04):
Um, and I did some research on that and I'm pretty
sure it was done by a horse andcarriage travel.
Um, I don't think that they, Imean, I, I don't think they had
the railroad system from clearup north down here.
(14:25):
Mm-hmm.
And there are dirt roads andprobably terrible dirt roads.
Yeah.
I mean, some of those canyonsare fucking scary, so they
probably use like an old Oregontrail.
They're like, we can take this.
That'll do see the ruts.
Let's go follow the ruts.
In early February, friends ofseaward are trying to get a stay
(14:48):
of execution.
They're asking for a co, acommutation of a sentence, big
word.
The governor, James H.
Brady is reviewing thetranscripts from the trial to
decide if a state should beissued.
So the pardon board can take alook at the case.
I can't even imagine what thesetranscripts look like.
(15:08):
And this is interesting that thegovernor is the one reviewing.
Mm-hmm.
So clearly the legal system wasquite a bit different.
Yes.
Like maybe, so governors cancommute still.
Mm-hmm.
But like for appeals and thingslike that.
And he's like, let me take alook.
Let me see what I can do.
Yeah.
Interesting.
I think governors had way morepower.
(15:30):
I think so too.
They were like the president oftheir little state.
I'm the president of Idaho.
Uh, but they're not scheduled tomeet until after the scheduled
execution date.
Oh, everyone's busy.
We've got John's going onvacation.
He's going down to the HellCanyon.
(15:50):
It's gonna take him 17 businessweeks like we've got.
So, you know, Mary's having ababy.
You need an appeal.
Shit, wait.
It's really, we're just booked.
I'm so sorry.
All a Goldie.
Nobody looked at my calendar.
(16:11):
Yeah, I have a vacation.
We're going to Reno.
Prison officials say seawardseems to be resting with a
fairly clear mind, verydetailed.
He is reading a lot.
Sleeps fairly well.
And eats with a normal appetite.
(16:31):
He's fairly, fairly, fairly,fairly.
Well, they've got like theirnotepad, they're watching him
sleep.
Mm-hmm.
I bet you these guys, how muchare they gonna pay me for my
story?
Exactly.
They're waiting for somethingjuicy.
They're like, you know, theother day he farted and smelled
it.
John, you wanna meet me at thebar when we're done?
And I will just tell you hiswhole day I kept notes.
(16:54):
He ate.
Three servings of corn from thecafeteria.
Could you believe it?
Yeah.
He liked his cold alt oatmeal.
Wild.
Uh, Seward's father came tovisit him and also met with
Governor Brady to ask for a stayof execution for his son.
On February 18th, the governorgranted a state until April 7th.
(17:17):
The state is so seaward mayappeal the case to the Supreme
Court or present it to the boardof Pardons.
Okay.
Either way, and I'm sureSeaward, it's like, I'll take
whatever.
Yeah.
They're giving him some moretime.
Sure.
In April, the Board of Pardonsextended this stay until May
7th, so they can review hiscase, get back from vacation,
but we're all booked after theirmeeting on April 27th, they
(17:43):
declined to intervene.
They're like, no.
Seward's attorney argued beforethe board that seaward is facing
death without friends orsufficient funds to pay for an
attorney, but to no avail.
I Nola speak.
I know I love it.
But to no avail.
(18:05):
No avail.
so they're pleading, I mean,this is, he's gonna die alone.
Mm-hmm.
A lonely death.
And they're putting this in thenewspaper like this is their DEF
defense.
Give him hard time.
He's lonely.
He's gonna die alone.
Mm-hmm.
After the rejection, it isreported that Seaward had seemed
(18:26):
to accept his fate and isactually jocular.
Jocular.
I know a bonus word.
That's not even in myvocabulary.
It's joking, humorous.
Thank you, Danny, because I waslike, I'm gonna have to fucking
look it up now.
Um, I don't know if I said itcorrectly, but that's what that
word is.
(18:46):
That's what it looks like.
It says.
So sound off if let us know.
He is again, under death.
Watch when Seaward learned ofthe board's decision.
He stated.
All right.
Let them shoot their wad.
When is this big thing gonnacome off?
(19:08):
I can just picture like someguard in the corner and be like,
quote that directly.
Yes.
Yes.
They're gonna pay me 17 centsfor the story I'm going to.
It could be just to get somebeers down with the pup.
It could be generational wealth.
You never know.
Warden Snook.
It said sea word showed brutalindifference, but with his
(19:32):
impending death, he is slowlybecoming humbled.
Sea word professed to haveaccepted religion and is relying
on his faith.
He is ready to pay the price ofhis crime.
Sea word is spending most of histime writing letters to
relatives and friends, and he istalking about his salvation and
(19:52):
his belief in the hereafter.
Dead for him.
I just love the verbiage thatthey used in favor.
Yeah.
Warden Snook is preparing forthe execution and is limiting
the audience attending perSeward's request.
How gracious.
I bet.
I bet.
People were pissed.
(20:13):
They're like, oh, you can't justgo see a hanging anymore.
What does this world come to?
Gosh, we can't even have funactivities anymore.
What the hell?
Government overreach.
And I'm not even gonna be ableto sell my wife's baked fucking
goods.
We made 300 pastries for thisevent.
We're fucked.
(20:34):
Can we, is that a write off?
Probably not.
This.
Okay, sorry.
Warden Snook will also stretch acanvas over the scaffold in
order to block people fromviewing the execution from the
hills that surround the prisonhigh tech.
They're like, we know you'regonna walk up there or get up
(20:56):
there with your horse and try towatch.
We're putting a tarp up.
Well, and if you know where theprison's at Yeah, it is.
You can see literally in alittle valley surrounded by.
These little hills.
Yeah.
Yeah.
The, the hills.
This is the old Idaho penpenitentiary, isn't it?
Yeah.
Oh yeah.
It's, it's a concert venue now.
(21:17):
If you're not from the area,please go look it up.
It's so you can still visit theprison.
Mm-hmm.
It's like a museum.
A lot of it's like just tuckedin, right?
Like hills on three sides.
A lot of, there's, they do fieldtrips there.
I went on a field trip there inelementary school.
Um.
The only, my, my dad took offwork to chaperone, He just
(21:39):
wanted to go see thepenitentiary, like, so anyway.
Fair.
But it's that, and like thebotanical gardens right.
Is right there.
Yeah.
And they have, have the, so havea huge garden bishop's house
right there.
And it's a concert venue thatis, it's, it's a nice venue for
like.
Smaller concerts, you won't seebig, big, big names there, but
(22:02):
like Willie Nelson played therejust a few years ago.
Went to that salt and pepper.
I mean, yeah.
So it's, it's a really coolvenue.
I have a soup in my brain.
Stop.
Sorry.
Um, I've, I have been there Ithink within the last, uh, six
(22:23):
years.
Really?
Yeah.
Seven years.
Um, and.
Uh, it's creepy, but cool.
It's very cool.
Um, it's a cool piece of historyand to be able to do those
tours.
Yeah.
And see all of the conditionsand like what the isolation
looked like.
And there's a lot of like ghostystories that they have.
(22:45):
They do paranormal out there.
Yes, they do.
And so it's, if you're intothat, if you're in the area,
definitely do it.
If you're not from the area,look it up because it's just.
A cool piece of history that'slike right there in Boise.
It's like a little baby Alcatrazright here.
It really is.
It's a big deal here, so.
Mm-hmm.
Everybody's like, oh, I've beenthere.
And every kid has went on afield trip there and was
(23:08):
absolutely horrified when theysh, I don't know if they, they
shut you in the, in the cell.
They show you and then they makethe parents laugh at you.
They show you the hanging thing,the execution chamber.
Mm-hmm.
Me.
I'll never forget that.
I was like eight.
Maybe they, or nine, maybethey've, maybe they cut that
out.
Now they're like, you know,maybe we shouldn't show them the
(23:29):
like we should Executiondevices.
I don't know.
They're six.
Maybe we shouldn't bring thechildren in there.
They're six 10.
Yeah, I was probably six toeight.
I think it was probably thatage.
Like maybe eight.
Yeah, like third.
It was elementary for sure.
It was not middle school.
School.
It's let go scare the fuck outof these kids and they would
put.
Part of the tour is they'relike, yes, everyone go look.
(23:50):
And then they put you in thecell and they lock it and all
the chaperones are like, ha ha,ha ha, smile.
And you're like, oh my God, I amgonna die in a prison cell.
Yeah.
Like, but it is really, it's acool piece of, uh, history
architecture.
(24:11):
Just the whole thing.
Yeah, it's, it's, I think it'scool they've preserved it.
So sorry to get off the beatenpath, but interesting stuff.
Check it out guys.
So Snu is wraps his canvas.
Mm-hmm.
So he has some privacy.
(24:32):
Um.
And you know, we're not gonnaget a lot of people viewing
because See where he blockedyou?
Yeah, he didn't, it's blocked.
C word quote.
I have the instinctive fear ofdeath that is given to all men,
and I do not believe that Ideserve to die.
Although I realize that thestate has a moral, as well as a
(24:56):
legal right to exact the penaltyfor my deed, seaward signed in
a, in a signed statement,Seward's father again visits him
from Washington as reportingthat their partying was one of
the saddest in thePenitentiary's history.
Seaward statement is issued, soI'm gonna read his statement.
(25:22):
I was born on January 11th, 1881on a farm about seven miles from
Palouse City, Whitman County,Washington, and I lived on a
farm where I was born untilabout 13 years old.
During that time, I went to thecountry school for a number of
terms, but did not make anygreat progress in my studies as
(25:45):
it was difficult for me tolearn.
When I was about 13 years ofage, I went to the home of my
uncle Span Bryant in StevensCounty, Washington, and stayed
with him for some time workingon his farm when I was about 15.
My father moved to the villageof Republic Ferry County,
(26:05):
Washington, and I went there andworked for about two years in a
laundry, which he wasconducting.
I went from there to KettleFalls and worked in the livery
stable.
Later I went to Spokane andworked for about two months on a
rock crusher at the New Depot,which was being constructed.
(26:27):
I later secured a positiondriving Dre.
A Dre.
I had to look it up.
Yeah.
I'm like, who Dre?
It's a flatbed wagon, a horsedrawn wagon.
Oh, we're talking the day.
Yeah.
Uh, so he did that and he saidquote, which lasted for eight or
(26:49):
nine months.
And from then on, I worked ondifferent ranches, mostly in the
Palouse County country until thelatter part of the year, 1907,
when I went into the employ ofCB LIC at Palouse Washington, I
worked for him steady for abouta year, and when his employee
was up to the time when theoffense for which I was
(27:12):
convicted was committed, wascommitted by me, LIC was a
saloon keeper.
And this was the first time Ihad worked in a saloon.
Just this is scandalous, right?
Mm-hmm.
All the stuff he's now, he's asaloon worker.
Scandalous.
I have worked and struggled hardeven since I was 13 years of age
(27:33):
and been honest and haveendeavored to keep the laws of
my country.
I have a father and a mother.
My father is about 50 years old,and my mother 45.
I have four sisters.
One whom is married and twobrothers, my family has done
very little to help me since Igot into this trouble.
(27:56):
They are poor and were unable togive me any assistance in
furnishing money.
Mother is heartbroken over thetrouble.
The effect of the execution uponher is what I fear more than the
execution itself.
Mm.
I feel it will eventually causeher death.
(28:16):
And that's real talk and listen,everything that he said, of
course it's not an excuse.
I can see it's interesting tosee that attitude.
'cause people are always like,we were always taught to pull
ourselves up by the bootstraps.
And this, you know, he isn'tmaking excuses, but this is a
kid that's worked in jobs,probably unpaid a lot of it
(28:39):
since he was a a child.
Mm-hmm.
And so he's trying to say.
Yeah, I've done all this.
It's, this is gonna kill my poormom.
So far he hasn't blamed thevictim, which is very
surprising.
No, and I just find that thesekind of, you know, he's writing
his story.
Mm-hmm.
Like this is his, he's writinghis legacy.
(29:01):
I want you to know me.
This is his legacy.
This is me.
And I'm gonna tell you fromstart to finish, I'm a person
where this is at and at thispoint.
I don't think that he, he knowsthat he is gonna get hung.
Mm-hmm.
Like he knows that.
So it's very factual.
A lot of it.
(29:21):
He knows the paper's gonna pickit up.
At least you have something onrecord.
Yes.
But the mother thing washeartbreaking.
That is tough.
Yeah.
I thought that was very sad thathe was thinking of his mother.
Not of himself.
Mm-hmm.
And that's probably the reasonshe was fighting it as well,
(29:42):
because like we said, he's like,it's gonna kill, kill my mom.
It's gonna kill.
He's like, I already tried tooff myself unsuccessfully, but
like, my mom kill, my motherwatching me hang is not gonna be
good.
Which a hundred percent.
He continues and, and now he'sgonna start talking about Clara.
(30:03):
I first met Clara O'Neill, thewoman whom I killed on March,
1908.
She told me that she wasmarried, but at that time was
living the life of a sportingwoman.
I lived with her for about sixor eight months before the
tragedy occurred.
I had expected her to marry me,and she had promised to get a
(30:26):
divorce and leave the business.
In which she engaged and marryme and greatly desired.
She live a decent life as mywife.
Morals are very, and that'sagain, we don't look for women
in sporting houses, but he wasreally trying.
(30:46):
Yeah.
And, but I mean.
I, I wish I knew more about likethe industry back then.
I feel like she was probablymaking a good to live as a, this
was probably one of the onlyways to live as a single woman
back then.
And have your own money and, andhave control of your own self.
(31:09):
Yes.
Not have a dad.
Not have a husband.
This isn't promoting it.
No, it's just the laws areespecially action.
You could own shit.
Yeah.
Even if you're married, no, youare literally like property of
your husband.
And so this was a different way.
So just interesting that thiswas his choice of where to look
(31:30):
for a woman.
I mean, I kind of think it mighthave happened that just, he was
working there.
I think he was smitten with her.
Mm-hmm.
And I, and he's like the ideaof, yeah, I'm gonna just, we can
get outta all this.
I'm gonna take care of you.
We'll run away from here.
You and me.
Johnny used to work on the dogs.
(31:51):
Mm-hmm.
Exactly.
Exactly.
Sorry.
So it's like, I can kind of see,and I mean, he was young and it
was a very different time, butif you don't, and he thought he
was, I bet you he thought he wassaving her.
And, and she's like, but where'sthe money gonna come from?
But I don't think she wanted tobe saved.
(32:12):
I don't think she wanted to besaved.
And I think she's like, becauseshe would've went back home to
her.
Family easily.
She was doing her shit.
Go get it, girl.
So I think that he, I think hewas a convenience for her and he
thought that he was doing her afavor.
Yep.
I think, oh.
(32:33):
W Well, I'm, she's like, you'resweet.
Yeah.
Okay.
We can live together, but look,this is my job.
And then he's like, I don't wantthis to be your job.
We to be a proper marriedcouple.
And she's, and she's like, oh,that's not, did you see what you
signed up for?
Did you see how much you make?
Yeah.
Did this is not, no, I'm cool,dad, but I don't, no, I'm not
(32:56):
changing my ways.
Mm.
Such a.
I like imagining what it mighthave been because who knows,
this is all just con conjectureand us literally from 1908
reading newspapers, but 1909wild stuff.
Yeah.
Scandal.
(33:16):
This, uh, let me continue on hisstatement.
When I met Clara O'Neill, shewas in the House of Grace
Fleming, a landlady, and peus.
I.
Running a house of Ill fame inPalouse City where I was
working.
Grace fl.
(33:37):
Grace Flemings subsequentlymoved to Moscow and kept a house
of the same character.
Mm-hmm.
Claire did not go there atfirst.
The Fleming woman, however, hada strong influence over her and
a few days before the tragedy,she left Palouse City and came
down to Moscow for the purposeof engaging in the old life
(33:59):
against my desire.
Again, women in stem.
I know it's not, but I just likethis was, she's like, you're
being fucking annoying.
I am doing my thing.
Me and Grace make a ton ofmoney, dude, and I have
independence, and you're not thefucking boss of me.
(34:22):
I know I'm not gonna settle downand be your little house.
That's not what I want.
And especially for her having akid and didn't feel the need to.
Because it was so shameful beinga single mother back then.
Mm-hmm.
And so when he's offering like,I can basically make you a
respectable woman, and she'sstill like, eh, not that
(34:44):
respectable motherfucker.
Her failure and refusal to giveup the business worried me, and
I felt her associates wereprejudicing her against me.
Oh, meaning Ms.
Fleming said, you're gonna gomarry the fucking guy that's
cleaning the bar.
What are we thinking here?
(35:06):
I kind of feel like that's it.
Like Grace is a business woman.
Yeah.
And also running, running ahouse.
If Claire's gonna leave that themaking of the money, why
wouldn't she hook up with a guy,a rich client?
Right.
I feel like she knew that mostrich clients probably have wives
(35:30):
or they just know they couldnever marry a woman of.
Quote unquote, ill repute myface.
They, they can't, the, but shesurely is not gonna marry the,
the guy that's cleaning the bar.
Whatever he did.
No.
Like, no.
Oh.
I feel like it was infatuation.
(35:50):
I, I do feel that too.
Uh, he continues a number ofdays before the crime was
committed.
I left Palouse City, giving upmy job temporarily, and went
down to Moscow to see ClaraO'Neill, to induce her to go and
be with her aunt in Spokaneuntil she could procure a
(36:12):
divorce and marry me.
She wanna do that.
It doesn't sound like she wantedanything to do with that.
I had no intention of harmingher.
She was the last person in theworld to whom I wanted harm to
come.
I do believe that.
I always thought that she was avery beautiful and attractive
(36:35):
girl, and I expected somedaythat she would be my wife in my
right sense.
I would've rather killed myselfthan to have killed her.
And I still regret that I wasunsuccessful in taking my own
life.
Mm-hmm.
When I attempted to do sofollowing the shooting, I can
(36:56):
see that.
'cause he was trying, I.
That's not a standard method ofsuicide.
It's not like these lame fuckingpeople that shoot themselves in
the leg after they kill theirpartner and claim it on.
Oh, there was a gunfight.
Oh, there was the Rob and theycame in and they were, they
shot?
No, two.
Two.
They shot my husband five timesin the head and then shot me
(37:18):
once in the thigh.
He barely escaped.
So it's like a grazed thigh.
You're like, wow.
They were a markman with her.
Yeah.
But no, to try to, he shothimself physically and then cut
your throat.
Yeah.
That is extreme and rare with abullet in your head.
(37:42):
Yeah, I think he was just so,this is a crime of passion.
I think he was just lovesick.
He did not understand.
Why she wouldn't quit hersporting business.
I think he thought that hedeserved her too.
Yeah.
He's like, yeah, I know I'mpoor, but you're also a
prostitute.
(38:02):
So I am, and I feel like this isthe original nice guy.
I'm kind to you.
Why I don't, I don't try to beatyou in our scheduled paid
appointments.
Mm-hmm.
If there were any, I don't know.
Right.
But.
I didn't ever try to hit you.
I wasn't mean to you, so I tookcare of you.
You're not wanting to be mywife.
(38:23):
This is the deal of a century.
Yeah.
And because societally it kindof is.
Yeah.
But not to clear her.
She's like, she's like, anyway,I'm not.
No, I like you, but I don't likeyou that much.
And she had other avenues.
Yeah.
Well, she was apparentlybeautiful and working her thing
(38:45):
mm-hmm.
And doing her shit.
So, uh, he continues here.
I solemnly state, I committedthe deed, which robbed Clara
O'Neill of her life without anypremeditation.
It was an act done in aninstant, and when it was done, I
had at the time no desire tolive for myself.
(39:08):
I.
Or hope any further happiness inlife.
That's rough.
And he, he did it.
So, I mean, it's not right, butI do appre, you know, this is
something I'm appreciatingabout.
He's being honest that some oftoday's murder, no, you're
never, I did not do it.
Oh, it's this person's fault.
(39:29):
That person's fault.
They made me.
Oh yeah.
No, he's, no, he's like, he's astandup.
He's like, I, I did it.
This is how I did it.
I wish I would've off myself.
I hate myself for doing it.
Now my mom has to watch me hang.
Yeah.
Later report state that, uh,seaward was divorced and had a
(39:50):
son that was five years oldliving in Montana.
Oh.
On the eve of his execution, heate a hardy supper and slept
soundly according to the paidguards.
Whoever, whoever was watchingthat night didn't understand how
much people want the deets ofthe last meal.
Hardy, great.
(40:11):
Thanks.
What exactly was it?
Was it Stew?
Was it steak?
TTMZ wants to know.
I know he would.
That was an amateur working thatnight.
Yeah.
Hardy, did he have potatoes,steak, right.
It's ham steak.
I bet the jail food wassometimes even better than what
(40:33):
they have now.
Because they weren't using anylike mixes or any No, like it's
actual vegetables.
They're like, okay.
It's like us opening thefreezer, but like, fuck What's
for dinner?
Yeah, they're using, I gottafeed 20 people.
Real rice, real bread.
Like got potatoes.
We got that ham and listen up,Joanne.
(40:55):
A potato Beth.
Get that ham out.
Let's cut it up into some steaksteaks.
How are we making the taters?
We do a mash.
We do em fried.
We do in sliced.
We do, I think with a hamssteak, if I'm going with a hams
steak, I'm gonna have to saysome mashed taters because I, I
think that there was probablymashed potatoes for sure.
Well, we are in Idaho and listenup, I'm sorry.
(41:19):
Potato products are superior.
I kind of feel the same way.
Mashed potatoes, french fries,potatoes, all groton hash
browns.
Vodka, potato, vodka.
Hello.
Name a more versatile vegetable.
I dare you.
(41:39):
Y'all wanna make fun of Idaho.
Y'all wanna make fun of Idaho?
No for potatoes.
It will never hurt my feelings.
I'm so proud of potatoes.
We could.
Forest Gump.
I'm about, I'm about to cry.
I am so proud of potatoes.
If we could first gump thosepotatoes.
I love fried potatoes.
Yes.
Mashed potatoes.
(42:00):
Baked potatoes twice.
Baked potatoes, hash browns.
Roasted potatoes.
Okay.
Stewed potatoes.
There's just, you will never,y'all can slander Idaho in so
many ways, and you'll probablybe right.
You will never get me fucked upabout a potato.
(42:21):
Ever.
I literally, it should be ourflag.
Why isn't it just a potato?
We don't need anything else.
We don't need just a fuckingpotato gym state.
We should be named the potatostate.
By the way, we are not named thepotato state.
We are the gym state.
Um, because why is that?
We have lots of gems here.
(42:42):
We have one of the most raregems.
In the world.
It's only found one other placeon earth.
Oh, do tell, I think it's calledthe Star Garnet.
Oh, yes.
That is our, that is our gym.
That's our gig.
But it's only found like, Ithink somewhere in India or
somewhere very far away that youcannot find it anywhere else.
We have mines here.
(43:02):
We have, as a kid, I wentRockhounding here.
Yes, you go GOs.
Yeah, you can go find stuff.
Anyways, we're fucking awesome.
I hope you enjoyed the break.
Do we have more in the case?
Just a, just a smidge.
Just a, just a little more toclose it out.
Um, we're talking about hisfood.
(43:24):
Okay.
Yeah.
Hardy, Hardy food and he sleptsoundly.
There was a potato in there.
I know it.
He was free of all drugs, oftengiven under the circumstances.
Ooh, so what drugs?
Cocaine.
Morphine.
I don't know.
They're like, again, this coughsyrup with the cocaine in it.
(43:46):
We didn't even fucking drug him.
It's, it's very healthy for you.
He's, he's handling this, he'shandling it.
He didn't even need any of thecocaine, cough syrup.
But you know what?
You don't have to worry abouthis last, I'm gonna tell you
about his last male stuff.
Mm.
His breakfast.
And I don't know a person whocould eat breakfast if they knew
(44:06):
they were gonna be dying in justa little bit.
I would be passing, but he atea, according to this little
snitch guy, his breakfastconsisted of mash and milk.
What is that like grits orsomething?
What is, I don't know.
(44:30):
Probably oatmeal, because Ican't imagine it's mashed
potatoes.
No.
In breakfast it's probably anoatmeal or grit type thing.
Yeah.
Okay.
We should, I should have Googledthat.
I didn't, no yogurt parfait?
No.
Uh, they said no blueberryallberry and pancakes with
natural maple syrup.
Well, you'll get your mash andyou'll be, you'll be good with
(44:50):
it.
Uh, he had told his pastorquote, I have nothing to say on
the scaffold.
But you may say for me thatwhile I've made a failure in
life, I have hope for the lifeto come.
God has forgiven me and I havepeace.
Honestly, I do.
I do just have to say thatknowing all of the murderers
(45:15):
that we've talked about, andlisten, you're never gonna get a
pass.
You're, you're a fuckingmurderer.
But especially in this time, tobe so honest and be like.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Um, yeah, I mean, and not blamewomen or there's no victim
blaming here at all.
He's saying like, I loved her.
(45:36):
She didn't wanna do what Iwanted her to do.
I lost my shit and I fuck I shother and immediately wish I to
which I was dead to violentlykill myself.
Thanks, doc.
I, he tried to use two methods,like, yeah, thanks Doc.
I didn't really wanna live afterthat.
He's like, could you stop sewingup my esophagus?
(45:58):
Please stop.
But what a wild story.
And this was, I can't believehow much info there was on you
were able to find.
It was so fine.
But let me just, let me, there'sjust a few more.
Oh, tell me.
Yeah.
On May 7th, 1909.
(46:18):
Seward walked calmly to thegallows as he passed other, the
prisoners of the penitentiary.
He bit them a cheerful farewell.
Aw.
The last words of Seward wasquote, rich, make a good job of
it.
Rich was his executioner.
Yeah.
He's like, get or done?
Yep.
Reporter stated, stated that hestepped firmly onto the trap and
(46:41):
no weakness manifested untilthey placed the black cap over
his head.
The trap was sprung by thewarden at 8 0 9.
The body dropped seven feet anddeath was instantaneous.
Thank goodness.
The neck hadn't been broken.
The body was placed in a coffinand taken to the prison yard
(47:01):
where the grave was ready, andthat's where he's at.
And some of these like hangingmethods don't always go to plan.
So I can totally appreciatebeing like.
Please.
Let's do it.
Do a good job.
I've already tried and failedtwice myself.
Just do a good job of it.
Let's just do it, please.
(47:22):
And because it's traumatic if itdoesn't go well.
So I totally get that sad storyall around.
I feel terrible for Clara, likeshe was just trying to do his
thing.
Oh my gosh.
Guys, Google the picture of him.
You can see where he shothimself.
He like doesn't, he must've losthis eye.
Or the functioning of it.
Yeah.
Or something.
(47:43):
It appears to be that way.
Google him.
Um, he What a crazy picture tohave.
That's a very clear picture.
Yeah.
Um, I just, this kind of justcame up in an article that I was
reading.
I'm like, I'm gonna go checkthat out.
So it was fun, it was different.
A lot of different verbiage wasused.
(48:05):
Um, and I really was surprised.
I.
By his response to the wholething, because that's not what
you get.
Now, women were not allowed manyof the rights.
They were truly viewed asproperty as a wife.
(48:26):
Yeah, absolutely.
And he wasn't taking those typesof narratives, which is, again,
this isn't an excuse, but it wassurprising for me and surprising
that he was like, yep, I did itand I wish I was dead already
about it.
Um, I only feel bad that my momis gonna Yep.
This, this is gonna kill my mom.
So it was, and then he wrotethat whole narrative and was
(48:49):
honest.
Mm-hmm.
No spin.
Didn't try to protect himself.
No.
There's no spin.
Which he's like, no, I got, Isnapped and I killed her.
Yeah.
He's like, I wish I was deadabout it.
He tried to be dead about it andthen he was dead about it.
But anyway.
Yeah.
I hope you enjoyed our little.
(49:09):
Let us know if you like thiskind of'cause.
I have a couple other ones on mylist that are like these old
timey ones.
They're a hella fun for me toresearch.
They're very interesting.
I will say this is one that wasvery captivating for sure, in my
opinion.
So thank you again.
Thank you, Danny, for youramazing research finding these
1908 newspapers.
(49:31):
I know it, it was a lot of this.
I, I was rocking this one.
Yeah.
I loved it.
I just love that there'sarchives that have this shit.
Anyway, follow us again.
New TikTok out.
We are trying to be a TikTokstar.
Not really, but um, I will justsay, when you guys comment on
our tiktoks, we literally willbe.
(49:52):
Talking about it for days, like,yes.
Oh my God, that comment was sofunny.
Did you say that?
Oh my God.
Stop.
Like, you guys are just cool andwe love you, so follow us.
Questions, comments, concerns.
If you're connected to a case,reach out to us at the Lethal
library@gmail.com.
If you've emailed us before,we've emailed you back, check
(50:13):
your spam and junk.
If you've reached out and you'reconnected to a case.
We've emailed you back, so checkthat.
We would love to chat with youor answer any questions.
Other than that ten four rubberducky.
Fuck yeah.
Alright.
Welcome back to another episodeof The Lethal Library.
I'm Stephanie.
I'm Danny, and we are here totell you another true crime tale
from Idaho.
This episode is a little bitdifferent.
We're going way, way back in therecords, kind of an old timey
case, and I'm, I'm prettyexcited for it just because it's
(00:51):
not something that we normallydo.
but Danny, what do you got forus?
Well, I have to tell you, I hada lot of fun researching this
one.
I'm actually very excited aboutthis.
The old timey, uh, I had funresearching it.
Uh, there was a lot of.
Uncommon words that we no longeruse today.
So, if you hear that, know thata lot of this is from news
(01:14):
articles and we might be quotingthem.
Yeah.
This is from news articles fromthe 19 hundreds.
So you're gonna hear some wordsthat might be not, not okay.
Now.
Not.
Okay.
Now I really try to play themdown, but here we be and, uh.
Anyways.
I hope you enjoy it.
Super interesting case.
(01:36):
Was this a desperate crime ofpassion?
If I can't have her, no onewill.
What hold did this woman have onthis man?
Oh, in Moscow, Idaho.
On October 19th, 1908.
Ms.
Clara O'Neill was found dead.
At two o'clock in the afternoon.
Frederick Seaward had shot herin a store room in the back of
(02:00):
the house that was formerlyoccupied by Grace Fleming.
20-year-old Clara was foundlying in a pool of her own blood
that covered the, nearly thewhole floor.
This was all in the newspaper.
They're not holding back.
They're giving all the de, allthe dets.
They hadn't learned that maybeyou should keep some back so
(02:22):
that you can verify things.
Or if someone mentionedsomething you're like no one
else would've known.
They're probably like, come infellas.
Take your pictures.
Yeah.
Uh, not worried about evidenceat all.
And this was a time of like.
I think they called it likeyellow news or more
sensationalized news.
(02:43):
Very, it was about selling thosepapers.
It was so a little sprinkle oflike a TMZ vibe.
Yeah.
Was, I would say very accurate.
There was no shame in it at all.
Nope.
Like who can write the mosteye-catching story?
Uh, and no regard for herfamily's feelings or loved one's
(03:03):
feelings.
They're just gonna give you thedirty dirt.
I.
They're selling papers.
Clara was lying face down with abullet from a 38 caliber Smith
and Wesson 38 special.
The bullet wound entered theright temple and exited at her
left temple.
(03:24):
Ooh, she had two additionalshots to her chest.
Newspaper's report.
CLA paid the penalty of life shehad led at the hands of her
alleged lover.
A little victim blaming here.
Yeah, this is the sensationalismthat we're gonna get here.
(03:45):
Seaward then attempted to takehis own life by shooting himself
in the head, just above hisright eye.
A telephone call was made to thesheriff about a murder, and they
quickly made their way to thescene.
Sheriff JJ Keen and DeputySheriff Grant Robbins found both
victims lying on the floor.
(04:05):
Seaward was moaning andattempting to cut his own throat
with a jackknife.
Yikes.
What a scene to come up on.
Isn't it Just so sensa.
I It's very sensational.
This was I'm sure the talk ofthe town, so I had to look up
what a jacknife was.
What is that?
(04:26):
It's just a folding knife.
Oh, yeah.
So, okay.
The more you know.
Thank you because I was like.
Maybe I should know that.
I don't know.
I'm like, I have no idea what ajackknife is.
I go, it's a folding knife.
It's a pocket knife.
You heard it here first.
Folks.
Uh, Clara had been living in thehouse for several months and
went by the name of GraceWilson.
(04:48):
Scandalous, very mysterious.
She is a daughter of awell-to-do and respectable
people.
Clara is the mother of athree-year-old daughter that is
crippled from the waist down andis living somewhere in Spokane.
And this is the kind of languagethat I'm talking about that was
in the paper.
We would never refer Yeah.
(05:10):
To somebody as, but it was, thatwas the vernacular at the time.
Clara was from Wallace, Idahoand had been separated from her
husband for two years.
Her most recent employment inPalouse was at a sporting house.
What, tell me, Danny, what is asporting house?
(05:32):
Well, a sporting house is wherethey do a little gambling.
Ooh.
A little drinking.
Oh, a little womanizing.
Okay, we're getting the vibes.
Okay.
We're getting the vibes.
Okay.
Okay.
It was also reported that shecame from good parents that did
(05:53):
not know of her waywardnessuntil she was murdered a rebel.
I think she was probably havinga lot of fun.
She's 20, she's out there.
She's doing what she wants todo.
Clara had just arrived in Moscowon Saturday and registered at
the Hotel Del Norte under thename of Ms.
(06:17):
Lawrence from Spokane.
Sounds fancy.
I love the, I love the alteregos.
I know, uh, seaward has moved tothe Inland Hospital where his
wounds were dressed, but hisrecovery is in question.
Dani (06:36):
Uh oh.
Stephanie (06:37):
Trigger warning, his windpipe had been severed, so
the doctors had to sew it backtogether.
I just can't even imagine this.
In the 19, in the twenties,1908, oh God, this is before the
Titanic.
Yeah.
Oh my God.
The doctor stated the bulletwound would not kill him, but it
(06:59):
will be a couple of days beforethey will know the true outcome.
Well, yeah, they literally sewedhis throat back together.
They're like, this is probablygonna be infected.
'cause we all coughed in it andweren't wearing gloves.
Oh, we let all the reporters in.
I bet you all the reporters camein and got touch it you.
Yeah.
Do you need to fill the woundfor accuracy?
(07:21):
For reporting?
For reporting?
Yes, I do.
Doctor journalistic integrity.
I can just picture they, becauseyou know, that wasn't these
protocols of no infection.
Were they still putting lecheson people in this time?
Fuck yes.
They were.
Throw a couple leeches on thewound.
Little bloodletting that don't,it's not gonna hurt'em.
(07:43):
It's not gonna hurt'em.
It's, oh, it can only help.
Oh my God.
Newspapers report that Clara wasliving at a house of ill Reput
and Palouse.
Oh.
Not, and that is where she metSeaward, a tangled web.
Her recent travels to Moscow wasto search for work, and Seaward
(08:05):
had followed her.
They quarrel, and that's whenSeaward shot her.
What was the quarrel about?
Do we know?
Yes.
Okay.
I'll tell you.
While recovering from shootinghimself and slicing his own
throat, wild seaward, signs ofwritten confession.
(08:30):
I wonder what, I wonder how muchmorphine he was on.
Right?
Because you know, they justpumped that shit.
They're like, I watched LittleHouse be comfy.
I watched Little House.
We all did right?
Our was addicted to it.
And you know what?
They probably were having that.
Cough syrup that had cocaine init too.
They're like, take some of this.
(08:50):
Everyone loves this.
Everyone feels great.
You're gonna feel like a champ.
It doesn't even matter if theydon't have a cough.
You'll feel amazing.
Something in this is just veryhealthy for you.
I didn't even if it makes youfeel good, if it makes you
happy, yeah.
(09:11):
During the trial evidence showedthat C word was living with
Clara and Palouse, and she hadleft Moscow to escape her life
of shame.
During the trial, evidenceshowed that Seaward was living
with Claire and Palouse, and sheleft to Moscow to escape her
life of shame.
Seaward followed her and triedto compel her to return.
(09:34):
He had threatened to expose herto her parents as she did not
come back with him.
Okay, rude.
I'm gonna tell your parentsabout all of this stuff.
Leave me alone.
C word.
I'm living my life.
He lured her into a vacant houseoutside of the rain, and while
Clara was adjusting his necktie, sea word, put his left arm
(09:59):
around her neck and held heruntil he could shoot her.
Not great behavior here.
Why are you chasing a woman ofthe night?
Mm.
She doesn't want you.
She's a professional.
She doesn't want you.
She has a job.
She literally went to anotherfucking town, ba And I know that
(10:23):
this is insensitive as well, butlike the term like Captain save
ho.
Does she even wanna be saved?
Like no, she doesn't.
She's I be, she is ha She hasthe choice to be with her rich
parents and live a life ofRight.
Propriety.
She's and righteousness.
She's doing her thing.
(10:44):
Go girl.
You do.
You don't.
You are handy.
Back there, but I don't want youanymore.
Yeah.
Bye.
Don't go looking for love atthe, what is it called?
A game house?
Was that what it was?
A game house.
What is it?
(11:04):
It's a racing something.
God damnit.
I'm gonna lose.
Sorry, I thought I wrote it.
It's, oh my God.
It's racing something.
What was, don't be looking forlove in a sporting house.
(11:24):
Thank you.
In December, seaward isconvicted of murder.
Ooh.
Judge EEC Steel, which is agreat name, very cool name
sentence, seaward to hanging.
Yes.
He said quote, it is thejudgment of the court that you
(11:45):
turned over.
To the Warden of Idaho, theIdaho State Penitentiary at
Boise, and they're executed bysaid warden, by hanging by the
neck until dead, that this deathsentence be executed on Friday,
February 19th, 1909, between thehours of eight o'clock and 2:00
(12:07):
PM of said day.
And this was the time wherepeople were like.
Y'all hear there's gonna be ahanging.
Get the kids.
Let's pack a picnic.
Get the basket with the picnic.
Honey.
Don't forget to make thoselittle things that you make.
Those pastries, you can sellthem.
I love those people will reallywant those.
(12:29):
Honey.
Yeah, we can make a little extramoney.
The kids wanna bring theirfriends.
Let's go play date.
So awful.
When the sentencing was read,seaward grasp the table for
support.
Uh, again, it's a littleconfusing to me because you were
ready to try to remove yourselffrom the earth with very drastic
(12:53):
measures.
Mm-hmm.
Cutting your own throat.
I just can't, after you've shotyourself.
Yeah.
That's, you're, you'rededicated.
I don't know what else to say.
Yeah.
But it's like you're.
I guess if someone else is doingit though, and hanging, I mean,
(13:15):
is not pretty.
In early January, 1909, seawardwas transferred to the Idaho
State Penitentiary in adisheartened state and was
placed under death watch.
He had breakfast and then laiddown for a few hours, but did
not sleep.
The 300 mile trip was not aneasy one, and Seaward was very
(13:38):
tired.
So someone's sharing the,because these, this is from
newspaper articles.
Yeah.
Correct.
They have all the details.
Oh, there's totally sharing.
There's no, nobody from thecorrectional institution is
keeping quite how they gonnaknow.
Right.
How would they know?
Dani (13:58):
They're never gonna know.
Stephanie (14:00):
Um, so that's quite a track.
Dani (14:03):
Hmm.
Stephanie (14:04):
Um, and I did some research on that and I'm pretty
sure it was done by a horse andcarriage travel.
Um, I don't think that they, Imean, I, I don't think they had
the railroad system from clearup north down here.
(14:25):
Mm-hmm.
And there are dirt roads andprobably terrible dirt roads.
Yeah.
I mean, some of those canyonsare fucking scary, so they
probably use like an old Oregontrail.
They're like, we can take this.
That'll do see the ruts.
Let's go follow the ruts.
In early February, friends ofseaward are trying to get a stay
(14:48):
of execution.
They're asking for a co, acommutation of a sentence, big
word.
The governor, James H.
Brady is reviewing thetranscripts from the trial to
decide if a state should beissued.
So the pardon board can take alook at the case.
I can't even imagine what thesetranscripts look like.
(15:08):
And this is interesting that thegovernor is the one reviewing.
Mm-hmm.
So clearly the legal system wasquite a bit different.
Yes.
Like maybe, so governors cancommute still.
Mm-hmm.
But like for appeals and thingslike that.
And he's like, let me take alook.
Let me see what I can do.
Yeah.
Interesting.
I think governors had way morepower.
(15:30):
I think so too.
They were like the president oftheir little state.
I'm the president of Idaho.
Uh, but they're not scheduled tomeet until after the scheduled
execution date.
Oh, everyone's busy.
We've got John's going onvacation.
He's going down to the HellCanyon.
(15:50):
It's gonna take him 17 businessweeks like we've got.
So, you know, Mary's having ababy.
You need an appeal.
Shit, wait.
It's really, we're just booked.
I'm so sorry.
All a Goldie.
Nobody looked at my calendar.
(16:11):
Yeah, I have a vacation.
We're going to Reno.
Prison officials say seawardseems to be resting with a
fairly clear mind, verydetailed.
He is reading a lot.
Sleeps fairly well.
And eats with a normal appetite.
(16:31):
He's fairly, fairly, fairly,fairly.
Well, they've got like theirnotepad, they're watching him
sleep.
Mm-hmm.
I bet you these guys, how muchare they gonna pay me for my
story?
Exactly.
They're waiting for somethingjuicy.
They're like, you know, theother day he farted and smelled
it.
John, you wanna meet me at thebar when we're done?
And I will just tell you hiswhole day I kept notes.
(16:54):
He ate.
Three servings of corn from thecafeteria.
Could you believe it?
Yeah.
He liked his cold alt oatmeal.
Wild.
Uh, Seward's father came tovisit him and also met with
Governor Brady to ask for a stayof execution for his son.
On February 18th, the governorgranted a state until April 7th.
(17:17):
The state is so seaward mayappeal the case to the Supreme
Court or present it to the boardof Pardons.
Okay.
Either way, and I'm sureSeaward, it's like, I'll take
whatever.
Yeah.
They're giving him some moretime.
Sure.
In April, the Board of Pardonsextended this stay until May
7th, so they can review hiscase, get back from vacation,
but we're all booked after theirmeeting on April 27th, they
(17:43):
declined to intervene.
They're like, no.
Seward's attorney argued beforethe board that seaward is facing
death without friends orsufficient funds to pay for an
attorney, but to no avail.
I Nola speak.
I know I love it.
But to no avail.
(18:05):
No avail.
so they're pleading, I mean,this is, he's gonna die alone.
Mm-hmm.
A lonely death.
And they're putting this in thenewspaper like this is their DEF
defense.
Give him hard time.
He's lonely.
He's gonna die alone.
Mm-hmm.
After the rejection, it isreported that Seaward had seemed
(18:26):
to accept his fate and isactually jocular.
Jocular.
I know a bonus word.
That's not even in myvocabulary.
It's joking, humorous.
Thank you, Danny, because I waslike, I'm gonna have to fucking
look it up now.
Um, I don't know if I said itcorrectly, but that's what that
word is.
(18:46):
That's what it looks like.
It says.
So sound off if let us know.
He is again, under death.
Watch when Seaward learned ofthe board's decision.
He stated.
All right.
Let them shoot their wad.
When is this big thing gonnacome off?
(19:08):
I can just picture like someguard in the corner and be like,
quote that directly.
Yes.
Yes.
They're gonna pay me 17 centsfor the story I'm going to.
It could be just to get somebeers down with the pup.
It could be generational wealth.
You never know.
Warden Snook.
It said sea word showed brutalindifference, but with his
(19:32):
impending death, he is slowlybecoming humbled.
Sea word professed to haveaccepted religion and is relying
on his faith.
He is ready to pay the price ofhis crime.
Sea word is spending most of histime writing letters to
relatives and friends, and he istalking about his salvation and
(19:52):
his belief in the hereafter.
Dead for him.
I just love the verbiage thatthey used in favor.
Yeah.
Warden Snook is preparing forthe execution and is limiting
the audience attending perSeward's request.
How gracious.
I bet.
I bet.
People were pissed.
(20:13):
They're like, oh, you can't justgo see a hanging anymore.
What does this world come to?
Gosh, we can't even have funactivities anymore.
What the hell?
Government overreach.
And I'm not even gonna be ableto sell my wife's baked fucking
goods.
We made 300 pastries for thisevent.
We're fucked.
(20:34):
Can we, is that a write off?
Probably not.
This.
Okay, sorry.
Warden Snook will also stretch acanvas over the scaffold in
order to block people fromviewing the execution from the
hills that surround the prisonhigh tech.
They're like, we know you'regonna walk up there or get up
(20:56):
there with your horse and try towatch.
We're putting a tarp up.
Well, and if you know where theprison's at Yeah, it is.
You can see literally in alittle valley surrounded by.
These little hills.
Yeah.
Yeah.
The, the hills.
This is the old Idaho penpenitentiary, isn't it?
Yeah.
Oh yeah.
It's, it's a concert venue now.
(21:17):
If you're not from the area,please go look it up.
It's so you can still visit theprison.
Mm-hmm.
It's like a museum.
A lot of it's like just tuckedin, right?
Like hills on three sides.
A lot of, there's, they do fieldtrips there.
I went on a field trip there inelementary school.
Um.
The only, my, my dad took offwork to chaperone, He just
(21:39):
wanted to go see thepenitentiary, like, so anyway.
Fair.
But it's that, and like thebotanical gardens right.
Is right there.
Yeah.
And they have, have the, so havea huge garden bishop's house
right there.
And it's a concert venue thatis, it's, it's a nice venue for
like.
Smaller concerts, you won't seebig, big, big names there, but
(22:02):
like Willie Nelson played therejust a few years ago.
Went to that salt and pepper.
I mean, yeah.
So it's, it's a really coolvenue.
I have a soup in my brain.
Stop.
Sorry.
Um, I've, I have been there Ithink within the last, uh, six
(22:23):
years.
Really?
Yeah.
Seven years.
Um, and.
Uh, it's creepy, but cool.
It's very cool.
Um, it's a cool piece of historyand to be able to do those
tours.
Yeah.
And see all of the conditionsand like what the isolation
looked like.
And there's a lot of like ghostystories that they have.
(22:45):
They do paranormal out there.
Yes, they do.
And so it's, if you're intothat, if you're in the area,
definitely do it.
If you're not from the area,look it up because it's just.
A cool piece of history that'slike right there in Boise.
It's like a little baby Alcatrazright here.
It really is.
It's a big deal here, so.
Mm-hmm.
Everybody's like, oh, I've beenthere.
And every kid has went on afield trip there and was
(23:08):
absolutely horrified when theysh, I don't know if they, they
shut you in the, in the cell.
They show you and then they makethe parents laugh at you.
They show you the hanging thing,the execution chamber.
Mm-hmm.
Me.
I'll never forget that.
I was like eight.
Maybe they, or nine, maybethey've, maybe they cut that
out.
Now they're like, you know,maybe we shouldn't show them the
(23:29):
like we should Executiondevices.
I don't know.
They're six.
Maybe we shouldn't bring thechildren in there.
They're six 10.
Yeah, I was probably six toeight.
I think it was probably thatage.
Like maybe eight.
Yeah, like third.
It was elementary for sure.
It was not middle school.
School.
It's let go scare the fuck outof these kids and they would
put.
Part of the tour is they'relike, yes, everyone go look.
(23:50):
And then they put you in thecell and they lock it and all
the chaperones are like, ha ha,ha ha, smile.
And you're like, oh my God, I amgonna die in a prison cell.
Yeah.
Like, but it is really, it's acool piece of, uh, history
architecture.
(24:11):
Just the whole thing.
Yeah, it's, it's, I think it'scool they've preserved it.
So sorry to get off the beatenpath, but interesting stuff.
Check it out guys.
So Snu is wraps his canvas.
Mm-hmm.
So he has some privacy.
(24:32):
Um.
And you know, we're not gonnaget a lot of people viewing
because See where he blockedyou?
Yeah, he didn't, it's blocked.
C word quote.
I have the instinctive fear ofdeath that is given to all men,
and I do not believe that Ideserve to die.
Although I realize that thestate has a moral, as well as a
(24:56):
legal right to exact the penaltyfor my deed, seaward signed in
a, in a signed statement,Seward's father again visits him
from Washington as reportingthat their partying was one of
the saddest in thePenitentiary's history.
Seaward statement is issued, soI'm gonna read his statement.
(25:22):
I was born on January 11th, 1881on a farm about seven miles from
Palouse City, Whitman County,Washington, and I lived on a
farm where I was born untilabout 13 years old.
During that time, I went to thecountry school for a number of
terms, but did not make anygreat progress in my studies as
(25:45):
it was difficult for me tolearn.
When I was about 13 years ofage, I went to the home of my
uncle Span Bryant in StevensCounty, Washington, and stayed
with him for some time workingon his farm when I was about 15.
My father moved to the villageof Republic Ferry County,
(26:05):
Washington, and I went there andworked for about two years in a
laundry, which he wasconducting.
I went from there to KettleFalls and worked in the livery
stable.
Later I went to Spokane andworked for about two months on a
rock crusher at the New Depot,which was being constructed.
(26:27):
I later secured a positiondriving Dre.
A Dre.
I had to look it up.
Yeah.
I'm like, who Dre?
It's a flatbed wagon, a horsedrawn wagon.
Oh, we're talking the day.
Yeah.
Uh, so he did that and he saidquote, which lasted for eight or
(26:49):
nine months.
And from then on, I worked ondifferent ranches, mostly in the
Palouse County country until thelatter part of the year, 1907,
when I went into the employ ofCB LIC at Palouse Washington, I
worked for him steady for abouta year, and when his employee
was up to the time when theoffense for which I was
(27:12):
convicted was committed, wascommitted by me, LIC was a
saloon keeper.
And this was the first time Ihad worked in a saloon.
Just this is scandalous, right?
Mm-hmm.
All the stuff he's now, he's asaloon worker.
Scandalous.
I have worked and struggled hardeven since I was 13 years of age
(27:33):
and been honest and haveendeavored to keep the laws of
my country.
I have a father and a mother.
My father is about 50 years old,and my mother 45.
I have four sisters.
One whom is married and twobrothers, my family has done
very little to help me since Igot into this trouble.
(27:56):
They are poor and were unable togive me any assistance in
furnishing money.
Mother is heartbroken over thetrouble.
The effect of the execution uponher is what I fear more than the
execution itself.
Mm.
I feel it will eventually causeher death.
(28:16):
And that's real talk and listen,everything that he said, of
course it's not an excuse.
I can see it's interesting tosee that attitude.
'cause people are always like,we were always taught to pull
ourselves up by the bootstraps.
And this, you know, he isn'tmaking excuses, but this is a
kid that's worked in jobs,probably unpaid a lot of it
(28:39):
since he was a a child.
Mm-hmm.
And so he's trying to say.
Yeah, I've done all this.
It's, this is gonna kill my poormom.
So far he hasn't blamed thevictim, which is very
surprising.
No, and I just find that thesekind of, you know, he's writing
his story.
Mm-hmm.
Like this is his, he's writinghis legacy.
(29:01):
I want you to know me.
This is his legacy.
This is me.
And I'm gonna tell you fromstart to finish, I'm a person
where this is at and at thispoint.
I don't think that he, he knowsthat he is gonna get hung.
Mm-hmm.
Like he knows that.
So it's very factual.
A lot of it.
(29:21):
He knows the paper's gonna pickit up.
At least you have something onrecord.
Yes.
But the mother thing washeartbreaking.
That is tough.
Yeah.
I thought that was very sad thathe was thinking of his mother.
Not of himself.
Mm-hmm.
And that's probably the reasonshe was fighting it as well,
(29:42):
because like we said, he's like,it's gonna kill, kill my mom.
It's gonna kill.
He's like, I already tried tooff myself unsuccessfully, but
like, my mom kill, my motherwatching me hang is not gonna be
good.
Which a hundred percent.
He continues and, and now he'sgonna start talking about Clara.
(30:03):
I first met Clara O'Neill, thewoman whom I killed on March,
1908.
She told me that she wasmarried, but at that time was
living the life of a sportingwoman.
I lived with her for about sixor eight months before the
tragedy occurred.
I had expected her to marry me,and she had promised to get a
(30:26):
divorce and leave the business.
In which she engaged and marryme and greatly desired.
She live a decent life as mywife.
Morals are very, and that'sagain, we don't look for women
in sporting houses, but he wasreally trying.
(30:46):
Yeah.
And, but I mean.
I, I wish I knew more about likethe industry back then.
I feel like she was probablymaking a good to live as a, this
was probably one of the onlyways to live as a single woman
back then.
And have your own money and, andhave control of your own self.
(31:09):
Yes.
Not have a dad.
Not have a husband.
This isn't promoting it.
No, it's just the laws areespecially action.
You could own shit.
Yeah.
Even if you're married, no, youare literally like property of
your husband.
And so this was a different way.
So just interesting that thiswas his choice of where to look
(31:30):
for a woman.
I mean, I kind of think it mighthave happened that just, he was
working there.
I think he was smitten with her.
Mm-hmm.
And I, and he's like the ideaof, yeah, I'm gonna just, we can
get outta all this.
I'm gonna take care of you.
We'll run away from here.
You and me.
Johnny used to work on the dogs.
(31:51):
Mm-hmm.
Exactly.
Exactly.
Sorry.
So it's like, I can kind of see,and I mean, he was young and it
was a very different time, butif you don't, and he thought he
was, I bet you he thought he wassaving her.
And, and she's like, but where'sthe money gonna come from?
But I don't think she wanted tobe saved.
(32:12):
I don't think she wanted to besaved.
And I think she's like, becauseshe would've went back home to
her.
Family easily.
She was doing her shit.
Go get it, girl.
So I think that he, I think hewas a convenience for her and he
thought that he was doing her afavor.
Yep.
I think, oh.
(32:33):
W Well, I'm, she's like, you'resweet.
Yeah.
Okay.
We can live together, but look,this is my job.
And then he's like, I don't wantthis to be your job.
We to be a proper marriedcouple.
And she's, and she's like, oh,that's not, did you see what you
signed up for?
Did you see how much you make?
Yeah.
Did this is not, no, I'm cool,dad, but I don't, no, I'm not
(32:56):
changing my ways.
Mm.
Such a.
I like imagining what it mighthave been because who knows,
this is all just con conjectureand us literally from 1908
reading newspapers, but 1909wild stuff.
Yeah.
Scandal.
(33:16):
This, uh, let me continue on hisstatement.
When I met Clara O'Neill, shewas in the House of Grace
Fleming, a landlady, and peus.
I.
Running a house of Ill fame inPalouse City where I was
working.
Grace fl.
(33:37):
Grace Flemings subsequentlymoved to Moscow and kept a house
of the same character.
Mm-hmm.
Claire did not go there atfirst.
The Fleming woman, however, hada strong influence over her and
a few days before the tragedy,she left Palouse City and came
down to Moscow for the purposeof engaging in the old life
(33:59):
against my desire.
Again, women in stem.
I know it's not, but I just likethis was, she's like, you're
being fucking annoying.
I am doing my thing.
Me and Grace make a ton ofmoney, dude, and I have
independence, and you're not thefucking boss of me.
(34:22):
I know I'm not gonna settle downand be your little house.
That's not what I want.
And especially for her having akid and didn't feel the need to.
Because it was so shameful beinga single mother back then.
Mm-hmm.
And so when he's offering like,I can basically make you a
respectable woman, and she'sstill like, eh, not that
(34:44):
respectable motherfucker.
Her failure and refusal to giveup the business worried me, and
I felt her associates wereprejudicing her against me.
Oh, meaning Ms.
Fleming said, you're gonna gomarry the fucking guy that's
cleaning the bar.
What are we thinking here?
(35:06):
I kind of feel like that's it.
Like Grace is a business woman.
Yeah.
And also running, running ahouse.
If Claire's gonna leave that themaking of the money, why
wouldn't she hook up with a guy,a rich client?
Right.
I feel like she knew that mostrich clients probably have wives
(35:30):
or they just know they couldnever marry a woman of.
Quote unquote, ill repute myface.
They, they can't, the, but shesurely is not gonna marry the,
the guy that's cleaning the bar.
Whatever he did.
No.
Like, no.
Oh.
I feel like it was infatuation.
(35:50):
I, I do feel that too.
Uh, he continues a number ofdays before the crime was
committed.
I left Palouse City, giving upmy job temporarily, and went
down to Moscow to see ClaraO'Neill, to induce her to go and
be with her aunt in Spokaneuntil she could procure a
(36:12):
divorce and marry me.
She wanna do that.
It doesn't sound like she wantedanything to do with that.
I had no intention of harmingher.
She was the last person in theworld to whom I wanted harm to
come.
I do believe that.
I always thought that she was avery beautiful and attractive
(36:35):
girl, and I expected somedaythat she would be my wife in my
right sense.
I would've rather killed myselfthan to have killed her.
And I still regret that I wasunsuccessful in taking my own
life.
Mm-hmm.
When I attempted to do sofollowing the shooting, I can
(36:56):
see that.
'cause he was trying, I.
That's not a standard method ofsuicide.
It's not like these lame fuckingpeople that shoot themselves in
the leg after they kill theirpartner and claim it on.
Oh, there was a gunfight.
Oh, there was the Rob and theycame in and they were, they
shot?
No, two.
Two.
They shot my husband five timesin the head and then shot me
(37:18):
once in the thigh.
He barely escaped.
So it's like a grazed thigh.
You're like, wow.
They were a markman with her.
Yeah.
But no, to try to, he shothimself physically and then cut
your throat.
Yeah.
That is extreme and rare with abullet in your head.
(37:42):
Yeah, I think he was just so,this is a crime of passion.
I think he was just lovesick.
He did not understand.
Why she wouldn't quit hersporting business.
I think he thought that hedeserved her too.
Yeah.
He's like, yeah, I know I'mpoor, but you're also a
prostitute.
(38:02):
So I am, and I feel like this isthe original nice guy.
I'm kind to you.
Why I don't, I don't try to beatyou in our scheduled paid
appointments.
Mm-hmm.
If there were any, I don't know.
Right.
But.
I didn't ever try to hit you.
I wasn't mean to you, so I tookcare of you.
You're not wanting to be mywife.
(38:23):
This is the deal of a century.
Yeah.
And because societally it kindof is.
Yeah.
But not to clear her.
She's like, she's like, anyway,I'm not.
No, I like you, but I don't likeyou that much.
And she had other avenues.
Yeah.
Well, she was apparentlybeautiful and working her thing
(38:45):
mm-hmm.
And doing her shit.
So, uh, he continues here.
I solemnly state, I committedthe deed, which robbed Clara
O'Neill of her life without anypremeditation.
It was an act done in aninstant, and when it was done, I
had at the time no desire tolive for myself.
(39:08):
I.
Or hope any further happiness inlife.
That's rough.
And he, he did it.
So, I mean, it's not right, butI do appre, you know, this is
something I'm appreciatingabout.
He's being honest that some oftoday's murder, no, you're
never, I did not do it.
Oh, it's this person's fault.
(39:29):
That person's fault.
They made me.
Oh yeah.
No, he's, no, he's like, he's astandup.
He's like, I, I did it.
This is how I did it.
I wish I would've off myself.
I hate myself for doing it.
Now my mom has to watch me hang.
Yeah.
Later report state that, uh,seaward was divorced and had a
(39:50):
son that was five years oldliving in Montana.
Oh.
On the eve of his execution, heate a hardy supper and slept
soundly according to the paidguards.
Whoever, whoever was watchingthat night didn't understand how
much people want the deets ofthe last meal.
Hardy, great.
(40:11):
Thanks.
What exactly was it?
Was it Stew?
Was it steak?
TTMZ wants to know.
I know he would.
That was an amateur working thatnight.
Yeah.
Hardy, did he have potatoes,steak, right.
It's ham steak.
I bet the jail food wassometimes even better than what
(40:33):
they have now.
Because they weren't using anylike mixes or any No, like it's
actual vegetables.
They're like, okay.
It's like us opening thefreezer, but like, fuck What's
for dinner?
Yeah, they're using, I gottafeed 20 people.
Real rice, real bread.
Like got potatoes.
We got that ham and listen up,Joanne.
(40:55):
A potato Beth.
Get that ham out.
Let's cut it up into some steaksteaks.
How are we making the taters?
We do a mash.
We do em fried.
We do in sliced.
We do, I think with a hamssteak, if I'm going with a hams
steak, I'm gonna have to saysome mashed taters because I, I
think that there was probablymashed potatoes for sure.
Well, we are in Idaho and listenup, I'm sorry.
(41:19):
Potato products are superior.
I kind of feel the same way.
Mashed potatoes, french fries,potatoes, all groton hash
browns.
Vodka, potato, vodka.
Hello.
Name a more versatile vegetable.
I dare you.
(41:39):
Y'all wanna make fun of Idaho.
Y'all wanna make fun of Idaho?
No for potatoes.
It will never hurt my feelings.
I'm so proud of potatoes.
We could.
Forest Gump.
I'm about, I'm about to cry.
I am so proud of potatoes.
If we could first gump thosepotatoes.
I love fried potatoes.
Yes.
Mashed potatoes.
(42:00):
Baked potatoes twice.
Baked potatoes, hash browns.
Roasted potatoes.
Okay.
Stewed potatoes.
There's just, you will never,y'all can slander Idaho in so
many ways, and you'll probablybe right.
You will never get me fucked upabout a potato.
(42:21):
Ever.
I literally, it should be ourflag.
Why isn't it just a potato?
We don't need anything else.
We don't need just a fuckingpotato gym state.
We should be named the potatostate.
By the way, we are not named thepotato state.
We are the gym state.
Um, because why is that?
We have lots of gems here.
(42:42):
We have one of the most raregems.
In the world.
It's only found one other placeon earth.
Oh, do tell, I think it's calledthe Star Garnet.
Oh, yes.
That is our, that is our gym.
That's our gig.
But it's only found like, Ithink somewhere in India or
somewhere very far away that youcannot find it anywhere else.
We have mines here.
(43:02):
We have, as a kid, I wentRockhounding here.
Yes, you go GOs.
Yeah, you can go find stuff.
Anyways, we're fucking awesome.
I hope you enjoyed the break.
Do we have more in the case?
Just a, just a smidge.
Just a, just a little more toclose it out.
Um, we're talking about hisfood.
(43:24):
Okay.
Yeah.
Hardy, Hardy food and he sleptsoundly.
There was a potato in there.
I know it.
He was free of all drugs, oftengiven under the circumstances.
Ooh, so what drugs?
Cocaine.
Morphine.
I don't know.
They're like, again, this coughsyrup with the cocaine in it.
(43:46):
We didn't even fucking drug him.
It's, it's very healthy for you.
He's, he's handling this, he'shandling it.
He didn't even need any of thecocaine, cough syrup.
But you know what?
You don't have to worry abouthis last, I'm gonna tell you
about his last male stuff.
Mm.
His breakfast.
And I don't know a person whocould eat breakfast if they knew
(44:06):
they were gonna be dying in justa little bit.
I would be passing, but he atea, according to this little
snitch guy, his breakfastconsisted of mash and milk.
What is that like grits orsomething?
What is, I don't know.
(44:30):
Probably oatmeal, because Ican't imagine it's mashed
potatoes.
No.
In breakfast it's probably anoatmeal or grit type thing.
Yeah.
Okay.
We should, I should have Googledthat.
I didn't, no yogurt parfait?
No.
Uh, they said no blueberryallberry and pancakes with
natural maple syrup.
Well, you'll get your mash andyou'll be, you'll be good with
(44:50):
it.
Uh, he had told his pastorquote, I have nothing to say on
the scaffold.
But you may say for me thatwhile I've made a failure in
life, I have hope for the lifeto come.
God has forgiven me and I havepeace.
Honestly, I do.
I do just have to say thatknowing all of the murderers
(45:15):
that we've talked about, andlisten, you're never gonna get a
pass.
You're, you're a fuckingmurderer.
But especially in this time, tobe so honest and be like.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Um, yeah, I mean, and not blamewomen or there's no victim
blaming here at all.
He's saying like, I loved her.
(45:36):
She didn't wanna do what Iwanted her to do.
I lost my shit and I fuck I shother and immediately wish I to
which I was dead to violentlykill myself.
Thanks, doc.
I, he tried to use two methods,like, yeah, thanks Doc.
I didn't really wanna live afterthat.
He's like, could you stop sewingup my esophagus?
(45:58):
Please stop.
But what a wild story.
And this was, I can't believehow much info there was on you
were able to find.
It was so fine.
But let me just, let me, there'sjust a few more.
Oh, tell me.
Yeah.
On May 7th, 1909.
(46:18):
Seward walked calmly to thegallows as he passed other, the
prisoners of the penitentiary.
He bit them a cheerful farewell.
Aw.
The last words of Seward wasquote, rich, make a good job of
it.
Rich was his executioner.
Yeah.
He's like, get or done?
Yep.
Reporter stated, stated that hestepped firmly onto the trap and
(46:41):
no weakness manifested untilthey placed the black cap over
his head.
The trap was sprung by thewarden at 8 0 9.
The body dropped seven feet anddeath was instantaneous.
Thank goodness.
The neck hadn't been broken.
The body was placed in a coffinand taken to the prison yard
(47:01):
where the grave was ready, andthat's where he's at.
And some of these like hangingmethods don't always go to plan.
So I can totally appreciatebeing like.
Please.
Let's do it.
Do a good job.
I've already tried and failedtwice myself.
Just do a good job of it.
Let's just do it, please.
(47:22):
And because it's traumatic if itdoesn't go well.
So I totally get that sad storyall around.
I feel terrible for Clara, likeshe was just trying to do his
thing.
Oh my gosh.
Guys, Google the picture of him.
You can see where he shothimself.
He like doesn't, he must've losthis eye.
Or the functioning of it.
Yeah.
Or something.
(47:43):
It appears to be that way.
Google him.
Um, he What a crazy picture tohave.
That's a very clear picture.
Yeah.
Um, I just, this kind of justcame up in an article that I was
reading.
I'm like, I'm gonna go checkthat out.
So it was fun, it was different.
A lot of different verbiage wasused.
(48:05):
Um, and I really was surprised.
I.
By his response to the wholething, because that's not what
you get.
Now, women were not allowed manyof the rights.
They were truly viewed asproperty as a wife.
(48:26):
Yeah, absolutely.
And he wasn't taking those typesof narratives, which is, again,
this isn't an excuse, but it wassurprising for me and surprising
that he was like, yep, I did itand I wish I was dead already
about it.
Um, I only feel bad that my momis gonna Yep.
This, this is gonna kill my mom.
So it was, and then he wrotethat whole narrative and was
(48:49):
honest.
Mm-hmm.
No spin.
Didn't try to protect himself.
No.
There's no spin.
Which he's like, no, I got, Isnapped and I killed her.
Yeah.
He's like, I wish I was deadabout it.
He tried to be dead about it andthen he was dead about it.
But anyway.
Yeah.
I hope you enjoyed our little.
(49:09):
Let us know if you like thiskind of'cause.
I have a couple other ones on mylist that are like these old
timey ones.
They're a hella fun for me toresearch.
They're very interesting.
I will say this is one that wasvery captivating for sure, in my
opinion.
So thank you again.
Thank you, Danny, for youramazing research finding these
1908 newspapers.
(49:31):
I know it, it was a lot of this.
I, I was rocking this one.
Yeah.
I loved it.
I just love that there'sarchives that have this shit.
Anyway, follow us again.
New TikTok out.
We are trying to be a TikTokstar.
Not really, but um, I will justsay, when you guys comment on
our tiktoks, we literally willbe.
(49:52):
Talking about it for days, like,yes.
Oh my God, that comment was sofunny.
Did you say that?
Oh my God.
Stop.
Like, you guys are just cool andwe love you, so follow us.
Questions, comments, concerns.
If you're connected to a case,reach out to us at the Lethal
library@gmail.com.
If you've emailed us before,we've emailed you back, check
(50:13):
your spam and junk.
If you've reached out and you'reconnected to a case.
We've emailed you back, so checkthat.
We would love to chat with youor answer any questions.
Other than that ten four rubberducky.
Fuck yeah.
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