The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-31 00:00:00

THE ;::SUN,7 "Orli DON, SATURDAY EVENING, D

utmost in at once restoring order. They might per-
haps feel, as many did, that the rule which in-
trusted soldiers with so many rounds of ammuni-
tion was scarcely a prudent one, or one might
not be done away with without detriment to the
efficiency of the service. - With these few remarks
he would leave the case in their hands.

The jury then retired, and after about half an
hour's absence returned with the following special
'veidict

" We find that the deceased James King, was fe-
loniously killed by some person of the 2d Batta-
lion of the 24th Regiment, but by whom we have
not sufficient evidence to enable us to determine.
At the same time, the jury wish to state that they
are of opinion that no shot was fired by the King's
Own or Ist Tower Hamlets Militia."

The inquiry into this case then terminated, and
the same jury were immediately re-sworn to in-
quire as to the death of a private of the Royal En-
gineers, who was missed after leaving his canteen
on Christmas night last, and whose body was found
on Thursday afternoon in the Basitgstoke Canal,
which separates the North from the South Camps.

TEE EXECUTION OF TFIE HAMPER'S

FERRY RIOTERS.

The following account of the execution of the
remaining Harper's Ferry rioters is dated Charles-
town, Dec. 16 :

Throughout yesterday and to-day there was a
great influx of strangers and citizens of the country
to witness the last act of the Harper's Ferry tra-
gedy. There was very little difficulty in getting
into the town, the vigilance not being so great as
on the occasion of Brown's execution. Theprisoners
were visited yesterday by the Rev. Messrs. Dutton,
Nassau, North, and Waugh. The services were par-
ticipated in by all the condemned met. All gave un-
qualified assent to convictions of religious truth, and
each expressed a hope of salvation. They freely
acknowledged their guilt, and admitted that their
doom was just, and that in the main they have been
treated with the utmost kindness, though they.
thought some of the witnesses were rather harsh in
their testimony. Cook and Coppie were equally
earnest in their protestations of religious convic-
tions and hopes of forgiveness. Mr. Butler, a Quaker
of Ohio, and an uncle of Coppie's from Ohio, visited
him yesterday, the interview lasting over an hour.
All was quiet until S o'clock last evening, when the
town was thrown into commotion by the report of
a rifle under the gaol wall, followed by several other
shots from the vicinity of the guard-house, in close
proximity to the gaol. The military were called
to arms, and the excitement was intense beyond
anything that has yet occurred. In a few minutes
the streets were in possession of armed men.
Rumours of every description were afloat, and it
was dangerous for a citizen to go out to ascertain
the cause of the excitement. This morning the
community was early astir. At 9 o'clock the entire
military force were formed in Main-street. The
companies detailed for the gallows, at half-past 9
were in position. The companies detailed for escort
duty took up their position in front of the gaol. At
half-past 10, Green and Copeland were prepared to
go to the place of execution. The crowd was very
great, at least five times as numerous as on the oc-
casion of Brown's execution. The religious cere-
monies in the cell were very impressive, and were
conducted by the Rev. Messrs. North and Waugh.
At.a quarter before 11 the prisoners appeared at
the gaol door, accompanied by the Rev. Mr. North,
and, with their arms pinioned, moved slowly for-
ward toward the vehicle in waiting. They seemed
downcast, and wore none of that calm and col-
lected spirit evieiced by Brown, They were
helped into the waggon, and took their seats on
their coffins, scarcely looking to the right or the
left. The escort moved on, and the waggon was
closely flanked on either side by a company of
riflemen, marching in double file. At seven
minutes before 11 the procession entered the field.
The prisoners mounted the gallows with a firm step
and were immediately joined by Sheriff Campbell.
After a brief prayer by tie :clergyman, the caps
were drawn over their heads and the ropes affixed
around their necks. During the few moments they
thus stood, Copeland remained quiet, but Green
was engaged in earnest prayer up to the moment
the:trap was drawn away and they were launched
into eternity. Green died very easy, his neck being
broken by the fall, and the motion of his body was
very slight. Copeland seemed to suffer very much
and his body writhed in violent contortions for
several minutes. They were accompanied on the
gallows by the Rev. Messrs. Waugh, North, and
Leach, to whom they bade an affectionate farewell,
and expressed a hope of meeting them in Heaven.
The bodies were placed in poplar coffins, and car-
ried back to the gaol. They will be interred to-
morrow, on the spot where the gallows stands,
though there is a party of medical students here
from Virginia, who will doubtless not allow.them
to remain there long. At a quarter to twelve
notic was given to Cook- and Coppie that one hour
more was allowed them. Religious ceremonies
were held in the cell. Since the failure of their
attempt to escape last night their assumed compo-
sure and apparent resignation had given way.
They were reserved and rather quiet, but joined
with fervour in the ceremonies. When called by
the sheriff they stood quietly whilst their arms
were pinioned, and after bidding farewell to the
guards of the gaol, they were helped into the wag-
gon and took seats on their coffins. They seemed
to take but little notice as the procession moved
slowly. They ascended the gallows with deter-
mined firmness scarcely surpassed by Captain
Brown. A brief prayer was offered, the rope ad-
justed, the cap drawn, and both " launched into
eternity" in seven minutes afterlthey ascended the
gallows. After the rope was adjusted Cook ex-
claimed, "Be quick—as quick as possible !" which
was repeated by Coppie. After hanging about
30 minutes both bodies were taken down • and
placed in black walnut coffins. That of
Cook was put in a poplar box and directed to
Ashbell P. Willard, and- Robert Crowley, 104,
William-street, New York, care of Adams's ex-
press. Coppie's body was placed in . a similar box,
to. be forwarded to his mother in lowa.
ATTEMPTED ESCAPE OF COOK AND
COPPIE.

Cook and Coppie attempted to escape last even-
ing. They had cut through the wall of the gaol,
and partially succeeded, when they were fired on
by the sentinels. The sentinel near the gaol re-
ported that a quarter past eight o'clock he ob-
served a man len the gaol wall. He challenged
him, and receiving no answer fired at him. Another
head was seen above the wall, but he retreated as
soon as the first had been fired at. The man on the
wall seemed at first determined to jump down, but
the sentinel declared his intention of impaling him
on his bayonet, and he retreated into the gaol-yard
with Coppie, and both gave themselves up without
resistance. Cook afterwards remarked that if ho
could have got over and throttled the guard he
would have made his escape. The Shenandoah
mountains are within ten minutes' run of the gaol
wall, and had he reached them, with his thorough
knowledge of the mountains, his arrest would have
been difficult, especially as but few of the military
could have followed him during the night. They
had succeeded, after two weeks' labour, whenever
alone, and at night, ivhen the bed-clothing muffled
the sound of the saw which they had made of an
old Barlow knife, in cutting through, their iron
shackles, so that they could Pry them off at any
moment. They had also made a chisel of a bed-
screw, -with which they succeeded in removing the
plaster' from the wall, and brick after brick, until a
space sufficient to pass through was opened, all to
the removal of the outer brick. The part of the
cell in which they slept, and the bed being pushed
against the wall, completely hid their work from
view. The bricks they took out were concealed in the
drum of a stove, and the dirt and plaster removed in
the course of their work was placed between the
bed-clothing. They had been at work for a whole
week in making the aperture in the wall. The cell
being on the first floor, the aperture was not more
than fire feet above the pavement of the yard, and
when freed from their shackles their access to the
yard was quite easy. Here, however, was a smooth
brick wall, about 15 feet high, to scale. This diffi-
culty was soon overcome with the aid of the timbers
of the scaffold on which Captain Brown was
hanged, and which was intended also for their own
execution. They placed 'these against the wall,
andsoon succeeded in reaching the top, from which
they could have easily droved to the other side
had not the sentinel on duty checked their move-
ments. They were arrested in the yard by Gen.
Taliafero and the officers of the day, who rushed to
'the gaol the moment the alarm was given. Gen.
Taliafero immediately telegraphed to Governor
Wise of the attempt of the prisoners. He, in,
his answer, directed that the military should imme-
diately take possession of the interior of the gaol,
and guard the prigoners until they were executed.
Sheriff Campbell- and Captain Avis are much cha-
grined, especially as they had resisted all interfe-
rence of the military with the interior of the gaol.
The prisoners' friends who were still here were
fearful that they might be suspected of knowledge
of their attempt. The general opinion is that if
they had waited till,midnight or later, they might
have reached /he mountains, but it is presumed they
were fearful of being watched during the night, or
desired to have as much ;as Possible of the darkness
to gain a
good distance before daylight would allow
a general pnreuit.

LAST HOURS OF THE PRISONERS.
HARPER'S PERRY, VA., DEC. IG.—Cook and
Coppie were visited by the Rev. Messrs. North,
\Yung'', and Leach, previous to their departure for
the scaffold. Capt. Ay* hhid that if they had any-

thing to say, they could do it then, in the presence '
of fifteen or twenty persons: • Cook replied that he
was grateful indeed for the kindness shown him
by Sheriff Campbell, the gaoler, and the guards, to
the Rev. Messrs. Waugh, North, Littell, Leach,
and the other ministers who had manifested such
interest in his welfare, and Joseph P. Blessing and
John J. Cocke, as well as the citizens generally,
for their kindness to him, and he was very grateful.
At, this point Coppie looked up and said, " Them's
my sentiments, too, gentlemen." Cook then gave
directions in regard to one or two articles. One, a
breastpin, which he did not want taken off then, nor at
the scaffold, he wished given to his wife, or his boy,
if he lived. Within his shirt bosom, on the left
side, was a daguerreotype and lock of his son's hair,
which he wished given to his wife. Both requested
that their arms should not be pinioned tight enough
to stop the circulation of the blood, which was com-
plied with. A blue cloth Tahna was thrown over
Coppie, and a dark one over Cook. During these
proceedings Coppie was struggling to keep down
his emotion, and Cook was striving to be calm.
The Quaker gentleman remarked that " It was
hard to die," to which Coppie responded, "It is the
parting from friends, not the dread of death, that
moves me." On the way down stairs they were,
allowed to advance to the cell of Stevens and Haz-
lett, and bid them farewell. They shook hands
cordially, and Cook said to Stevens, "My friend,
good bye." Stevens replied, " Good bye : cheer up
—give my love to my friends in the other, world."
Coppie also made a remark to Stevens, which was
unheard by the crowd, but Stevens replied, "Never
mind." Both then shook hands with Hazlett, and
bade him good bye, but did 'not call him by name.
On emerging from gaol Cook recognised several
gentlemen, and bowed politely. After the caps had
been placed on their heads, Coppie turned towards
Cook, and stretched forth his hand as far as possi-
ble. At the same time Cook said, " Stop a minute
—where is Edwin's lannd P" They then shook hands
cordially, and said, "God bless you !" The calm and
collected manner of both was very marked. On
approaching the scaffold Cook shook hands with a
large number of persons, and bowed politely to
Major Green. Much indignation was expressed by
some in reference to the officials of the gaol, but a
large • majority express confidence in them, and
spurn the idea that they were bribed by the friends
of Cook. The hole made in the wall was a
large one, and the room was in the second
story. Cook, after his capture, said to a gen-
tleman that they had done the best they could
—that life was as sweet to them as to any
one else, and that they had planned it for ten
days, They had set down Tuesday night for
the attempt, but it was deferred, on account of
not -wishing to compromise Governor Willard, who
was in town that night. The prisoners conversed
on a variety of subjects this morning. Cook said
to a gentleman that he fully believed slavery to be
a sin, and that it would be abolished in Virginia in
less than ten years, and by the people of Virginia.
He was prepared to die in such a cause, and thought
he had done nothing to regret so far as principle
was concerned. Coppie said he feared the affair was
not ended yet ; that they had friends in the north
who would not rest satisfied, he feared, till they had
been avenged ; he hoped, however, that the affair
would end here for ever.

A New York telegram of the 16th says :—" An
assembly of over 2,000 persons met last evening in
the Cooper Institute, to tender their sympathies to
the families of John Brown and his associates,
Speeches were made by the Rev. Dr. Cheever,
Wendell Philips, Rev. Hiram Mattison, and Rev.
J. R. Sloan, ell of which were highly eulogistic of
John Brown and his unsuccessful insurrection. The
proceedings were very stormy, and at one time a
riot seemed inevitable. Such was the confusion
that Dr. Cheever was obliged to cease speaking be-
fore he had half finished his speech. Eventually,
however, a force of 75 policemen and the eloquence
of Mr. Philips succeeded in restoring a tolerable de-
gree of order. The proceedings then went on
quietly, and soon after half-past 10 o'clock the
meeting adjourned.

,CEMBER 81, 1.859,

examination, on a charge of committing a mur-
derous assault on the person of Mr. Win. Knight,
his landlord.

Mr. Knight, who had been brought from the
Westminster Hospital, and whose head was.bound
up, said—The prisoner had lodged in his house for
about four years, and though his manners were
very eccentric, and his fancies very extraordinary,
yet he had not to the present time exhibited the
slightest • disposition to violence. About three
o'clock, on the evening of the 15th inst., he (wit-
ness) was sitting at his kitchen fire with his child
on his knee, when the prisoner entered the kitchen,
and without uttering a word, struck him a blow on
the left temple with the heavy steel now produced.
Witness instantly put his hand to his forehead,
when his finger fell into a deep wound, from which
blood was flowing freely. The prisoner after strik-
ing the blow drew back a few paces, and pointing
his finger at him said, " These theatricals
have induced you to have a design against me."
Mrs. Knight at this time entered the kitchen, when
the prisoner holding up the same weapon, said "He
had a mind, unless she stepped on one side, to serve
her the same way." Witness then rushed into the
street, and to the Masons' Arms public-house, and
begged of some people there, for God's sake, to go
to his house and prevent his wife and children from
being murdered, and went himself to the Westmin-
ster 'hospital to get his wounds dressed.
Mr. Norton—The prisoner did not attempt to
strike you a second time ?
Witness—No, sir, and it was very lucky he did
• -
not.

Mr. Norton—What was this about the theatricals
annoying the prisoner ?
Witness—l know not, sir. It was a mere delu-
sion. The witness further stated that an allow-:
ance for the prisoner's maintenance was paid by a
professional gentleman then present, and he was
besides allowed 6d. a-day to spend, but this sum
he saved up to purchase what he called implements
of war. He fancied himself Oliver Cromwell, and
used to say that all he wanted was horse and saddle,
and bridle to invade England. The prisoner was
fond of visiting theatres and concerts at one time,
but latterly did not go so often, and kept away
from them. Though a person of eccentric manners,
and evidently labouring under strange delusions, the
prisoner had an excellent memory, and knew Eng-
lish history so well that he could at once answer
any question put to him respecting history. He also
spoke French and Spanish well, and was always on
such friendly terms with him, and professed so
much friendship for him, that he thought he was
the, last person prisoner would attack or harm.
Mrs. Ellen Knight corroborated a portion of the
testimony of her husband, and said that on her re-
turn from leaving her husband at the hospital she
found the prisoner seated in the kitchen. She said
he had murdered her husband, and if he did not go
away the police would be there to take him into
custody. The prisoner told her to mop up the blood
from the floor and hearthstone before the police
came, and.when they came to tell them he did it by
authority. He then walked out of the house, tak-
ing the weapon with him. The prisoner, though
eccentric in his manner, was at the same time gentle
and quiet, and had never before the evening in ques-
tion evinced the slightest disposition to violence,
nor had herself or her husband the slightest fear of
him.
Mr. Norton—l am really astonished you did not
take -alarm at these deadly and formidable weapons
in the possession of such a person.
Mrs. Knight—The instruments seemed to be his
holiday or playthings, and we therefore had no
particular fear of them.
Mr: Clarke, house surgeon at the Westminster
Hospital, described the wound inflicted by the pri-
soner on the prosecutor, which was an inch and a
half in length, and divided the temporal artery.
For some time the injury was of a dangerous cha-
racter, but now the prosecutor was going on in a
fair way. The wound was such a one:as might have
been inflicted by an instrument such as that pro-
duced.
John Spinks, 56 L, one of the summoning officers
of the court, said he took the prisoner into custody
on the 6th, at the house of his sister near Fitzroy-
square, and on telling him the nature of the charge
he said he did it, and was very sorry. He found the
instrument with which the assault had been com-
mitted in the prisoner's parlour, and the other seven
weapons he found at his late lodgings. The instru-
Inents, which were .placed on the solicitors' table,
were of the most curious, as well as the- most for-
midable kind that could be well conceived, and all
manufactured of the best steel, with a great portion
of theni highly plated after the prisoner's design.
This having terminated,
Mr. Norton remarked that he had received a letter
from some relation of the prisoner, requesting that
he would dispose of the case summarily; but the
charge was of much too serious a character to be
dealt with summarily; besides, it would be much
better for the prisoner that the case should go before
a jury, as in that case he would be takeu care of
for the future.
The prisoner was then committed to take his trial
at the. Old Bailey.

RAILWAY INTELLIGEIrcE.

TRAFFIC RETURNS FOR TilE "WEEK.

-- - -
Miles Opened. Receipts.
Railways. /....-----"---____.,
1859. 1858. 1859. 1858.
--- ----
X £
Ballymena and Portrush... 3,. 35 -
--
Bedale and Leyburn ....... 1-y • 10 - -
Belfast and Ballymena...,, 6i 65 1,210 1,156
Belfast and County Down.. 20,s 17 -
Birkd., Lane., & Ches.. J unc. dz. -32 2,610 2,002
Blyth and Tyne............
_24 20 935 1,080
Bristol and Exeter......... 1-'1 119 6,305 501
Caledonian -. , . ... ... 1' ` 1931 14,442 12,904
_
Ches.&Holyhead( -
Cockermouth &Workington b.
wiiigold) 94 911
-
Cork and Bandon .......... 20, 2tl -
211,1 253
Cork, Blackrock, & Passage • .21 61 - -
Debside ...., .. .. .......... .!./ 17 175 208
Dublin &Belfast Junction. • 63 56 1,3'4 1,259
Dublin and Drogheda.,..,. 63 63 1,758 1,510
Dub. & Wicklow (in. Kingst.) 401 406 1,203 1,291
Dundalk and Enniskillen • • 62 ~ 636 518
Dundee and Arbroath...... 174 !:f,, 162 544
Dundee, Perth, & Aber. Jun. 31 4.,4,
91:0 905
East Anglian ......... :.. .. :71
~ ;h 518 791
E.Countles,Nrik.,&E.Luion J 9 180 27,061 27,743
East Kent ...... , ......... 191 325 -
E.Laneashire(in.Biackburn) 111 inv - -
Edinburgh and Glasg-ow •• • 142 I`4" 5,65 5,373
Edinburgh, Perth,& Dundee 78 78 3,110 2,916
Forth & Clyde Junction •• • 291 20,1 211 258
Furness' . ................. 22 224 831 708
Glasgow .... South-Western' 1834 18,3 t 6,896 6,628
Great Northern 283 283 23.228 .25,171
Great North of Scotland
qt.!•iouthn. & Westn.(lvlnd ) 226 2134 7,284 - 6,160
Great Western 466 460 36,213 32,971
null and Holderness
,nverness &., Aberdeen June 55 55 657 864
Irish Soutit-Eastern
Killarney Junction
Lancaster and Carlisle (in
Kendal and Windermere) 100 100
Lane. & Yrks.(in.Blacldnirn) 289 2n 31,122 30,054
Limerick and Foyftes
26 113 98
Llanelly ................. : . 46. 46, 403 882
London & North-Western . 791 ,524 81,556 71,027
London and Blackwall
London & South-Western 330 332 17,818 15,114
Lord. Brighton, &S. COast 224 1901 14,300 13,752
L'derry and Enniskillen., 60 60 810 717
Loud., Tilbury, & Southend 45 45 868 134
mam,sheffieid, & Lincolnsh
91 1731 473,1
948 12,3 10,614
blanch. S.Jun.&Altrineh
am 9/ 49
Maryport ..
and Carlisle
Mi , dland ............... 614 014 614/ 39,860 36,606
lifidland Gt,Westn. of Irina: "7 in 3,70,3 3,383
Monkland ............ , 12 62 1,349 1,527
Monmouthsh. Bail. ,i *anal. 44
44 2,192. 2,921
Newcastle and Carlisle 7B 78 3,195 2,939
riewpott,Aberg.,& Herefor- 60 60 1,165 1,376
North British (In. Dalkeithd
•151 Ho . 5,201 6071
North Devon ..... '35 68 '; 432 983
,
North-Eastern
North London . .......... 3 .0 4 2,106 2189
North Staffordshire
'" -
° 7,173 7,090
North-Western ... 461
N. Yorkshire and Cleveland 461
Oxford, Wore.' ,1,. wolver llllO2l - -
04 5,g10 4,616
Peebles ........ 181 181 160 177
St. Helen's Canal,i ... ...;
Scottish Central -a”way 50 Z 771 2,683
Scottish North.p
& astern s°,
115 115 3•570 3,355
Shrewsbury
Birmingham 29a 26i. ' Z 092 1,828
Shrewsbury and - 48 48 Z8(39 2,011
Shrewsbury & It_Chester
Shropshire Union ereford
nI3I ~- 51 2,000 1,580
185 910
South Devon
721 071 8,427 2,463
South-Eastern
..South Wales l7l 171/ 7,102 O,IIS
S. Yorkshire and River Dun
_lOB 1104 2,288 2'965
Stockton an ,271 ,940
Taff Vale Darlington
51 54 4,960 3,45(3
52 1,730 1,715
Eli:el.FBto..);e• .
t.n.
d..
L..
511 3,9
Vale of Net Lancaster .
214 io
264. 1,177 1,411
tVl7.Bllin„gten and Stockport. 10 ____• -
~ aierforcl and Kilkenny . 31 31 31:3 303
Waterford and Limerick
27477 27778 1,115 NM
West CerB6l 576
West H /Mall
• anteool Harbr &Rail 39 394 3'688 2628
Whlteh Von . - SD 028
wild. ,_ Junction
vv,, ''cuaVen & Furness Jun. 35 35 515 493
ilaVen cleator,&Egrmnt. 7 7 200 233
FOit '
A _ LION AND COLONIAL.
'''utWerp and Rotterdam 52 52 810 SOO
Austrian BB , 673 34,319 34'231
Bel • !-_,,iti 247
13 ,an Eastern Junction , 261 213. i
,ii alo and Lake Huron 1,173 1,210
Netrolt and Milwaukte lB5 185 1,030 JON
Grand Rhenish
rand Trunk of Canada BBO 880 10,546 9,388
great Indtan Peninsula l9ll 1304 3,410 2,629
. Great Luxembourg l2l 122 1,835 1,717
reat Western of Canada 345 294 6,874 7,051.
4-olnbardo-Venetian 285 285 - -
"-lons and Geneva 1111 142 142 4,120 3,481
Madrid, Saragossa &Alicant 310 284 10,900 6,493
Maria Antohia• " 21 21 - -
Norther:l of France 602 674 44,127 16,191
IVol7vegian Trunk..: 44 44 777 600
17aris, Lyons, & 3lediterrn 879 840 81,826 75,959
Paris and Orleans 922 922 45,316 49,043
Pfiris and StrasbUrg, - -
Royal Danish 69 69 433 370
Sambre and,Meuse OB 68 - -
Southern ofl`ranc,e .77 773 17,773 16,108
West Flanders , 75 75 - -
W. and N.W. of France 742 7,1 31,291 31,173