Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Wayne County, Ind.) 1831-1837, 1836-08-27
THE WHlTAHERs.

It1arrlSOn, q maJOnty OF ~.
THE wHlTAHERs.
The tragedy which happened last sprin.
lin New Orleans, is probably fresh in ths
minds of our readers, but the particulars at
|tendant on it, which we give below, have
never been published, probably for the sub
Istantial reason, that the lives Of the editors
Of that city, had they published them, might
have been the forfeit.
The Whitaker family, noted desper:does
reside at a considerable distance from New
Orleans, on the Mississippi, and are the ter
ror of that part of the country. Young
Whitaker, the convict and suicide is said to
have been obnoxious to the censnrc Of his
brothers, on account of his timidity, although
he had committed at least one murder prev,-
Gus to that of which he had been convicted.
The latter was perpetrated in a barrOom, on
the person of the keeper, because he did not
wait on him quick enough. Whitaker drew
his knife and stabbed him to the heart.
He was arrested, tried, convicted and sem
the father, mother, two brothers and sister,
repaired to New Orleans with the determin-
alton Of effecting his rescue, or putting him
to death with their own hands. Our infor-
mant States that the eldest brother told him
that he had paid the keeper of the prison
$4,000 to be instrumental in his liberation.
1t is true that he sawed off the bars Of his
prison window, and was in the act of running
of, when he was retaken and carried back to
Jail, where he was more closely confined
than before. The day Of execution drawing
near, and little chance being left that he
would gain his freedom, his family determin-
ed that the gibbet should lose its victim.
They therefore furnished him with laudanum,
which was either not taken by him, or failed
IN It's intended effect. He was afterwards
visited by one Of the family, who put into his
hands knife of peculiar construction, "a pat
tern OF which We have seen.) such as are car
ried by the assassins Of that portion Of the !
country, with an injunction to use it on him.
self; and the whole family have been seen on
their knees at prayers, invoking God that he
might not die a coward.
a short time previous to the day on which
he was ordered to be hanged, he made two
attempts on his left breast, with the instru- /
nent given him, but his courage failed. He
was goaded on to the fatal deed by his broth
n, and he plunged it between his ribs seven
inches in depth, perfora,ing his heart. This
lnife, covered with his blood, is now held bv
lis father as trophy Of honor. The body
vas delivered up to the family, taken home,
nd buried with military honors. Il
L SHOW the utter IeCktcSSneSS OF this nor. s
IDLE crew, they have sworn, that the govern 7
#, who refused to pardon him, the jaiIor who t
ontined, and the judge who sentenced him, G
hall die by their hands; and even the sister e
eclares that if these deeds are delayed, she G
rill train her little boys up for the purpose of
utsing them to death. This fiendish woman r
ad armed herself for the purpose Of assas- IA
mating her brother on the way to execution, v
ad he failed himself to perform the deed. il,
But the whole Of the story is not told. a
ne family Immediately on hearing the death
the young man, employed gentleman Of
his city to take a cast Of his face in cement, Il
nd procure bust to be made from it. The il
asst was taken while the body was yet warm, S
nd young man who accompanied him, ex- O
cuted the bust. which was considered an ad- &
'irable likeness, for which they agreed to Il
~ him hundred and ten dollars. Afierlt I,
speated applications for the money, which +
'as not paid, the family having returned, b
ONE. he left the city, repaired to their resi- "
ence, and demanded the amount promised a
i'm. The elder brother babe him be of, ori $,
e would kill him. and drew his knife, bat his d.