Executed
McGirk
McGirk, a bricklayer, was held in the old Washington jail and then taken to a gallows at the foot of Capitol Hill to be hanged. According to The Washington Times in May 1895, he jumped from the platform before the black cap could be drawn, and after the rope was cut he died following convulsive struggles. The paper reported that his body was buried outside a graveyard, later dug up more than once, and finally buried in a quagmire. The account describes a botched execution carried out by the District of Columbia.
Cause of death, as reported: Executed by the state
Reported by: 1895 newspaper account (reporters).