The Express.
London, England, 1852-09-07 00:00:00

AN AMERICAN EXECUTION.

PHILADILPHIA, AI:FOUST 4.

This morning the execution of !Matthias Situ-
pieski. for the murder of the lad Lehman, in January last,
took piece in Moyantensing prison. The number of per-
sons present to witness the condemned man expiate his
crimes on the gallows aa prescribed by the Act of Ash m.
lily, was limited. ibis arrangement having been art-
' nouneed in the Ledger of Wednesday, had the desired effect
in preventing an immense crowd within and without the
prison walls. Those admitted besides the officiating officer,
was Deputy Sheriff John Miller, the Esecutiuu Clerk,
Stephen Kingston, nine other depuths connected with the
sheriff's office, the Deputy District APorney, William B.
Mann; Recorder Lee, the three interpreters. Henry
Shawinski end Towsig, who had then with the condemned
upon several occasions; Drs. Wall, Burden and A. C. Hellen-
onvill, the inspectors of the prison, one reporter fur the press,
and the jury uf ,twelve men, composed of ?ileum. Daniel
Deal, Fred Gaul Smith, Banneri Thomas, Martin Van
Dawn, jun., Henry Delany, George K. Childs, Charles
Wartmaa, Peter Fisher, Albert Coffin, Alexander 'lexica,
and A. G. Duhensmel. These persons entered the pr.son
at 9 o'clock, and soon after tho Sheriff visited Skupinski,
with a view to prepare him for the doom which awaited
him. Matthias was with the two Roman catholic clergy-
' men, Rev. Messrs. Etthuffer and William, with whom he
had spent Thursday night in religious exercises. He ex-
pressed himself willing to die, and as the Sheriff was shout
to leave him he handed him a paper, of which the following
is a copy:
" I, Matthias Sknpinski, in the name of God, beg and
implore, as a last request, that when William Deal, Esq.,
High filiteriff, shall have executed the law upon my body,
end when I shall be so long hung by the neck that my body
shall be dead, then my body shall be cumulated to the tare
of Rudolph Etthoffer and Celestin William, the Roman
ca-
tholic clergymen who have been my cont.:awn when living,
that they may see my body interred.
SKUPINBII MATAISZ.
Friday morning, eight o'clock, August 6, tBs2."

The place of execution was then duly examined by the
proper authorities, and the rope placed round the beam,
which was ten feet from the ground.
Everything being in readiness there, some time was
a:lowed the condemned man before he was executed. At
10 minutes before 11 o'clock, Sher,ff Deal and his deputy,
Mr. Miller, went to the cell, and adjusted the cord about
his arms, and at 11 o'clock he was conducted from that
place of confinement, dressed in a blue frock coat, black
pants and black silk vest. He walked down to the gallows
with a degree of firmness that surprised all who noticed
him, with nothing to disturb his apparent determination to
boldly suffer the penalty of the law, except when he met
the gam of Mr. Skawinslti, the l'ole who seine weeks ago
made an affidavit before Mayor Gilpin. 1 hen he seemed
agitated, but for an instant, and, passing Mr. Skawiaski,
proceeded calmly to the place of execution, followed by the
officers and jury. Upon arriving at the stairway leading
to the platform he ascended in the same firm manner, ac-
companied by the sheriff and catholic clergy.
Rev. Mr. Etthoffer asked Matthias repeatedly in the
Polish language if he hail anything to say, to which he re-
plied " Nothing ;" but, turning to the Rev. Mr. William,
gave a nod of his head, and that gentleman read from a
paper as follows:
" The criminal who stands before you desires me to
state, before he undergoes the extreme penalty of the law,
that he begs pardon of all whom he may have injured or
wronged by his crimes. Front his heart he forgives all
mankind the injuries they have done. Ile is ready to
submit to the severe sentence to which eff,nded justice
dooms him. He bears no resentment or illdechng
to those who were instrumental in his arrest and
bringing him before the tribunal that passed sentence upon
I him. Already he has made his peace with God, and like the
penitent Prophet, he has wept over his crimes in the bitter-
ness of his soul. And before he is launched into eternity
—before he appears befure his God, and your God—has
Judge and your Judge—he wishes to he reconciled openly
to has fellow mortals. lie begs me to request your prayers
' for him, that when his soul leaves this prison of clay, the
Almighty God may be merciful unto him, and may admit
him into the company of the blessed."
The noose was then adjusted around the neck of the cri-
minal by Sheriff Deal. After the clergy and officers had
taken leave of him, and the two outside props having been
taken from under the drop the cord attached to centre prop,
which was all that supported the drop, was pulled by
the Sheriff at precisely nineteen minutes pant 11 o'clock,
and Matthias Saupinski was launched into eternity. Thus
he suffered the requirements of the law, and after the lapse
of two minutes and a half life was extinct. There was not
la single motion of the body far several seconds alter it fell,
and the only evidence of life was severe twitches of the legs
and arms. Nothing besides this was recognised. The body
was suspended 37 minutes, and was then cut down by De.
puty Sheriff William S. Mann, and delivered over to the
clergy' in accordance with the request of the executed
criminal. The back part of the head was quite warm, and
the body was alas warm. The milieue ut the neck was
broken, but the vertibrm was neither Woken nor dis-
located.

A cut of the face was subsequently taken by Dr. A. C.
Cournonville and Mr. Vannucci, an Italian, of this city.—
New York Tribuu.

EVENING CLASSES FOR YOUNG MEN.—The annual
meeting of the society by whom these classes are conducted
was held last evening at Crosby Hall, Dishopsgate•street.
There was s crowded attendance. The Lord Mayor pre-
sided. In introducing the business he c ngratulated the
meeting on the success of this institution, whose objects he
regarded as of the utmost importance. Itesolutions were
adopted for carrying out the objects of the society.

- -
CAPTURE OF A SEA HORSE.—The romantic and
beautiful little town of Bundoran on the se. coast of
Donegal (one of the finest bathing places in the north of
Ireland), was, it is said, within the last fortnight, raised
from its ordinary tittle-tattle by the appearance of a huge
sea monster which had visited ita shores. Early in the
morning a gentleman living in Enniskillen, on going out,
discovered that the water was disturbed by a sea-horse of
enormous size. Having his double-barrelled gun with him
at the time, sad it being ready (the piece was loaded to do
its duty), be discharged the contents, which lodged in the
body of the monster, which immediately sank, and rose
again in time to receive a shot from the other barrel. Ile
fired, and the result was mortal, as the leviathan did not
again appear. Rumour, I learn, is rife in your town that
the monster was washed ashore after five days, and that the
fishermen here had made a fortune out of the oil which its
carcase produced; but I assure you they have skimmed
nothing but froth, for the shooting of the sea-horse must
have been imaginary, as the morning was stormy. The ra-
tional conjecture is, that the gentleman in question shot at
a wave and not a living inane.—Correspondent of Ferma-
nagh Reporter.

MURDEROUS ATTACK OX A LAROCRER.—EarIy
on Sunday morning last, the quiet village of Middridge,
about four miles distant from Bnhop Auckland, became the
scene of a moat disgraceful attack on a poor unoffending
Irishman, named Junes Boyle. The facts are these:—
A party of four or five English labourers from Chapel Row,
' with two or three others, were drinking at Davison's public-
house, in that village, on the Saturday night. In the
course of the night, • fight took place in the house between
Mark Mooney mad some others. The party were soon after
put out of the house. It appears that much angry feeling
had previously been shown towards tho Irish, who, as well
u Boyle, are in the employment of Mr. Newby, an eaten-
sive farmer there. On the Chapel Row men leaving the
house they proceeded at once to Boyles cottage, and
knocked loudly at the door for admittance. Boyle unfortu-
nately came out to see what they wanted, when one of the
fellows inetantly stepped forward and stabbed the poor man
in the abdomen with a knife, the party running off in time
to escape detection. An alarm was immediately given, and
medial assistance, es well as • police officer, was speedily
obtained. The wound was found to be a serious one, but
it is hoped, from present appearances, that it will not prove
fatal. Mooney was soon afterwards found concealed (it is
now thought from fear) in Davison's house, and was appre-
hended. Ile was, however, liberated from custody on
Tuesday, on his own recognisance, to appear again on the
9th of September, as it does not seem, from inquiry,
that he was even present at the time, but was coming
up the village at the moment when the attack was made.
Boyle was regarded as a very quiet, industrious, and steady
man. The police of the district arc making every exertion
to discover the perpetrator of this outrage, in which it is
earnestly hoped that they will be successful.--Veireasfle
Guardian.

THE mysrealors DEATH OP A WOMAN AT Sr.
Apure.—During Friday a variety of rumours were in
circulation respecting the circumstances attending the death
of the unfortunate deceased. These rumours all tended to
show that the public generally, and those acquainted with
the deceased, and her connexions and associates, were of
opinion that her death was not her own act. Enquiries
were, of enure, made with a view of procuring evidence to
throw any additional light upon the subject ; but they failed
to clear up the rovatery by which the circumatances under
which the deceased met with her untimely end were sur-
rounded. In the course of the day • post-mortal's exami-
nation of the body was made, and towards the evening
the deceased's miring shawl was found in the water,
about sixty yards from the spot where the body was
discovered. It appears that the deceased was • woman of
dissipated habits, and that she and her husband have for
some time lived very inharmoniously together—quarrels
which usually ended in blows being of frequent occurrence.
The adjourned inqutst was held on Friday evening, when
the jury held a lung consultation. We understand that
some of the jury wished for • further adjournment, but the
majority were of opinion that if an adjournment did take
place, they would probably be in no better position when
they met again, and that should any ether facts be brought
to light, the case could he brought before the magistrates.
They ultimately agreed to return a vtrdiet of " Found
drowned."

EXIORATION.—A number of offimrs belonging to
the ships of the Royal West India Mail Steam racket Com-
pany have resigned in order to emigrate to Australia.
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