When a Mrs. Keller, of St. Paul, Minnesota, discovered that her 16-year-old son was having sex with Englishman William Williams, 27, and that they planned to live together, she threatened Williams with the police. His response was to shoot dead mother and son.
He was sentenced to death a month later and his hanging at Ramsey County Prison, Minnesota, on Tuesday, February 13th, 1906, was horrific. As a result of the rope being too short, Williams slowly choked to death. The doctor in attendance counted almost 15 minutes before his heart stopped beating.