South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1835-08-01

TEEN AND A HALF HOURS from NorfotE
the shortest passage ever made--the ds
lance being 200 miles.
Dr.. Lardner has discovered plan fl,
propelling Railroad carriages by SIN,
stead of steam. The invention is to bs
tested in England.
The Bar of Boston have designated
the Hon. DANIEL WEBSTER to pro.
nounce the Eulogy of the late Chief Jus,
tice Marshall.
1t is said that the North Carolina Con,
yention contained majority of 40 or 50
Wings!
o. We are indebted to an acquain,
lance for the following account Of the ex
ecution of ROBERT D. HOY, (fos muir.
dering Mrs. sMooT,) at Harrisonburg,
Rockingham CO. Va. on yesterday week,
From TEN to TWELVE THOUSAND PERI
SONS were present to witness the exit
ofthis wretched being.
Mr.. EDITOR Permit me to give
you detail of the circumstances at.
tending scene, to me, the most tragi' \
cal ever Witnessed. mean the ex.
ecution Of Robert D. Hoy, which took
place on Friday the Gath ofthis month,
in the vicinity Of Harrisonburg. III
had never seen the criminal until 1 be- p
held him on the fatal spot, surrounded /
by strong guard, and an almost innu-
merable multitude, who had come from
four or Eve different counties, to see
poor fellow mortal suffer death. Hell
was a man Of ordinary size, and some-|
what advanced in life. cannot say,
that l could discover any thing like
guilt, in his countenance. But whate.
yer may have been the expression of
his coun.enance, which, we are gener-
ally disposed to think, answers to the
heart his character was Of that kind,
in which all conscience was gcnc-
shame lost-moral sense obliterated,
| and all regard to the consequence Of
I crime in this life, and that which is to
come, entirely unfelt.
The elaboration with which he
perpetrated the crime, for which he
was executed !; the circumstances at-
tending the deed the trifling nature
| of the provocation his avowed deter
mination to take away the lives Of 9th.
ers, and his own history, which he
gave Of himself when in prison, will &C,
count for that otherwise mysterious)
Indifference with which he met his
fate. He was attended by six clergy.
men, who implored him, with tears, to
confess, and prepare for the hour be.
fore him the gallows was immediate
ly before him, and his grave and coffin
were continually in his eye; yet he
manifested, or seemed to manifest the
utmost composure Of mind. He fire.
quently took a chew of tobacco, and
looked around, and contemplated the
thousands upon thousands, without the
least emotion. After the religious ser.
vices, which were short, closed; the
cuIprit rose, and addressed the people
a. considerable length, perhaps an
hour and half. 1t was evident from
his manner that he wished TO put off
the awful hour, as long as he could,and
think, he expected to be reprieved
under the gallows. He denied his
guilt, of which there could be no possi-
BILE doubt, and affirmed his innocence;
contradicted the history he had previ.
ously given of himself as pirate and
a man accustomed to deeds of blood.
Said that some ofthe jury had "trihed
with his blood,'' and spoke in disres-
pectful terms of the Judge. He be-
came exhausted from speaking and sat
down for few moments, when he adj
dressed the people again, but it was
nothing but repetition, and the sheriff
suggested to him the propriety Of con-
GLIDING, in which he seemed to acqui4
esce without much reluctance. A lads
der was fixed TO the Platform, and he
was asked if he could ascend that lad.
der. He made no answer, that could
hear, but assembled it With elasticity and
firmness. The sheriffs mounted the
platform with him, and an awful mo
ment ensued, more awful than When
he was dying. The most profound ST.
lence prevailed. Ten thousand faces,
pale and CHASTITY from feelings of hors
ror were gazing upon the Victim.
Great as the multitude was, nothing
could be heard, but the rafting of the
cord on the platform, and whisper,
now and then, from the officers as they
hastily prepared him for dying. The
Ia. -,a v>nf Quar- hio honJ on1