The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1844-02-02
From the Baltimore Sun.
Execution of Horn,

Execution of Horn.
This event, which has been looked L
for weeks past, as the contamination o
the penalty due TO the commission of ont
Of the most atrocious murders that eve
blurred the character Of humanity, trans
pired in accordance with the law, at ex
actly % minutes before IL o'clock, mcr
dian, this day Jan. y, and was witnessed
by not less t',an thirty thousand people
one eighth of whom were females. The
excitement from an early hour in the
morning until the execution took place
continued to grow more and more intense
and was only relieved a, length by the
awful scene which was required to be
enacted, for the satisfaction Of the fearful.
~ violated laws. By 10! O'Clock, the
various street leading toward to Jail, be-
gan to present very uniform appearance
of the tendency of passengers that way,
and even before that hour hundreds of per.
sons occupied various positions, or stood
grouped IN conversation within the i'm
mense circle commanding a view of the
Jail. The gaIlOws was erected in the
northwest angle Of the yard, the upper
beam being not less than fourteen feet
above the level Of the top Of the wall. Ii
could be distinctly seen from many points
IN the central part of the city, and the
whole execution was witnessed from sew
: eral windows Of the court house.
The view from the top of the jail was
of the most interesting kind, presenting a
dloramlc Picture Of the most diversified
character it is possible to conceive. In
mediately below, the gaunt object which
lifted its skeleton form into the cold air,
stood peerlng over the wall upon the vast
concourse beyond itself, the centre for a
myriad eyes. Around and about it. con
versing in subdued tones, were those who
had obtained by privilege or solicitation
admission within the walls, the busy
forms of those Immediately engaged and
interested in the approaching catastrophe
occasionally passing to and fro.
But we revert to the more immediate
details connected with the criminal and
the closing scenes Of his life. We visited
the Jail a, about 0 o'clock in the morning,
and found our friend Sellers, the warden,
with anxiety and fatigue expressed in his
coun,enance. he having been up the great.
er part of the night with his prisoner.
Horns Cell, 10 O'clock We have
= just been admitted 10 the cell Of the doom.
ed malefactor. The officers have this
moment knocked off the iron shackles
from his legs. having been engaged at il
some twenty minutes. Horn then turn
ed 10 the fire, stirred i, up, sat down and
warmed his boots, which stood at the
hearth, putting them upon his feet.
llaf-past 10 O'Clock. The Rev. S.
Tusiip, chaplain of the U. S. Senate, has
entered the cell by consent Of the crimi-
nal and the reverend gentleman attending,
of course with no purpose of taking any
part in the religious exercises. At about
20 minutes before ~ o'clock Mr.. Bersch
and young Henry lIellman came into the
cell. The prisoner directly took the hand
of his son and said "Well Henry" and
the youth replied, swell Fathers" it
seemed as much as either could say for
the moment. They then retired to cor
ner of the cell, and had some converse.
ton together, which we subsequently un.
derstood was in relation to the disposition
of the body, IIorn expressing desire
that his son, as next Of kin, would make
formal demand for it of the Sheriff.
At the close Of this conversation Mr..
Laws, Shcrif's clerk Mr.. Wilson, Depu.
ty Sheriff, and Mr.. Cook, Deputy High
Constable, appeared, for the purpose of
arraying the criminll. His shroud was
produced and he put it on as composedly
as if it had been his daily garb, assisted
by the officers, after which his arms were
pinioncd by a small cord passing from
each elbow JOINT, behind him, having his
hands free.
AT half past II, Mr.. Tracey and Mr..
Sellers came to the cell and minated 10
the prisoner that the time had arrived. !
lie instantly rose, and preceded by the
two gentlemen above named, accompan. !
ed by the priests and followed by Mr.. |
Bersch, Henry Hellman, his son, young
Mr.. Bersch, and those in The cell present
at the time, walked out through the long
line of spectators extending 10 the gal.
lows. Having arrived a, its foot, Messrs.
Tracey and Sellers, the two cergymen
and the prisoner assembled the steps with.
out pause. On the sea fold, short
prayer was said, farewels were inter-
changed, Horn thanked each for their
kinlness anl than .u 1871