The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1824-04-16
Ereeufion ofJohnson

| bt ssffh9slt ffft VnuToff-
er at Murray, took place yesterday, agreea
4 bly, tn has sentence. From the hour Of
eight O'Clock till half pasi twely-. when
the prot rss,ou moved towards ih' galln~s,
every situation in the rIcinity of The Bride
we'll, whence view might be obiain.d al
the prisoner a. llr eincfg.d IA h.. Wagon,
from the yard of the PRISM, Vas taken
pd,s.ssion or; while thousands throuo, d
the Park, crow d.d around the Eriderrll
doors, aud lued Broadway rs far rs eyr
could reach, to catch u glimpse of the
arrteh.d homicide 80 he passed Such
was the obstruction in Broadway To the
movements of the procession, occaslnned
by the great assemblage of persons. car
riaee-, carls, wagons, and hOrse-, that the
cavalry VAS Compelled every few minutes
IL halt aud open passage for the We
hces in which The prisoner, his coffin, and
the clergynen rode, escorted by deiach-
nirnl- of nlantr, ffom the third and ele-
yrnih Regiments. The infantry formed
thee hollow squares, in the first of Which
were the sheriff and attendants in the Sc
rond WAS ihe wagon with the collin, fol
lowed by another 10 which was the convict,
with white zap and white dress, trimmed
with black, his arms pinioned, aud the
halter abound his neck. In the third hOi
low square Was n number of gentlemen Il
police officers. Johnson WAS executed n
| little before two O'Clock. in Stuyvesanps
meadows, this .side Of the Peni'enIiary.
| We have not heard IF any accidents that
occurred during The day land, with the rx-
| cepron Of an occasional rush TO gain ele
waited positions, or temporary view of The
murderer, we witnessed nothipg that ten
ded tn interrupt the peace. As was 10
have been expected, there were among
the Crowd many whose vicious propens
ties could not for moment be awed by
The solemn scene of death, and who during
tile most ,iolent pressure, when johnson
FIRST appeared from the prison, SCRUBBED
not TO indulge in the failing that induced
the murder Of Murray by that wretch--the
banefd vice of rosriousnrss. Several
persons were robbed of handkerchiefs and
other articles, but among the multitude II
WAS next 10 AN imposslblllty 10 discover
lhp thief
The number of women, tevcn with chill |
dren On their breasts, and small boys and
gii Is that mingled with the thrUng, was
really astonishing, many of the women
tainted aud but for their unceasing cites
many a child might have been sui ,eatrd.
In the Commercial Advertiser Of yester-
day many particulars relative Ia Johnson
are furnished ; from which We seleci the
following. Nv Y. Nat. .3du.
After getting out from the wagon, john
son sat down at the steps of the gallows,
| when the appropriate service was read by
The Rev. Mr. Ondrrdonk, aud an ext IN
poraneous prayer offered by the Rev. Mr..
4 In I,i. Ia. a
companied by the Sheriff and Mr. Lovn
des, with whom he spoke some minutes.
After the adjustment nf the rope, he his ed
both their hands Through his cap when
the drop fell, and at n quarter before two
O'Clock, he was launched into eteruit
and dlrd with scarcely a struggle. When
asked by clergy man II he WAS the mnr-
| 'le 81 Of Murray. ne declared that he was
not but that " he WAS accessory to III"
muId der, having stood at the door while
I he deed was done, to see that the watch.
| men were not near" lie did not name
the person who struck the blow. After thu
| prayers, johnson was" immediately asked.
whether he had deceived us in what he
had told us. lie said he had told the truth
hat his Minister knew his whole life" On
being further inierrogatrd Al the gallows,
ne declared that he never committed any
other murder.
Johnson was perfectly stceed against
every Zee ling of penlicnoe or contillon To
| The Last. He MAS a very ignorant, and W.
should think rather a stupid man. Ills Ian
g"hse has been strangely unfeeing and
contradictory. TO some he has confessed
the murder over and over again (; 10 others
! Tor the last few weeks, aud even up Ia tn
time 0fhis death he hits maintained that
| he Was only an accessory to the crime, and
! that the deed WAS pcrpetratcd by Jerry,
While Ia others still, he has grasped the
Bible and soIrmnIy atlested TINT he was
not guilty of the murder. But there are
many, many circumstances, 10 show that
he was not alone in guilt--and that it was
not Jerry, hut another, who assisted him,
,nd whom he was determined To screen.
| When Dr. Stanford went In To see h..
last evening .-Johns0n looked up with
total uncouctrn, and said" Well, Old Dad
| --don't Won think ] stand il very well :"
To the Sheriff he said this morning" Mr..
Wcnd"ver, hope you won't have this
| oh To do over agaln--yon are too feeling
man !" We note these expressions as
specimens OF his geuer d pertinent, and
MS cyincing thu. callousncss of his feelings.
Indeed, his family seem to be much like
BIN. We saw a letter from his wife and
daughter, received from Newburgh on
3. Tuesday, which was OLA piece with his
whole conduct. In this letter, they both
talked with business like unconcern, Il
bout their farming operations.
The following is the substance of the let
ter, as nearly as we can recoilsct from II
single prrnsal, but il is not materially ncor
rect, excepting that we have mendcd the
orthosrahy
al have written you one or more letters,
but haXe not rerriNrl any from You. II