Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1845-11-15
EXECUTION OF THE LONGS AND
YOJJNG

Aaron Long, and Granville Dung convict
ed of the murder Of Mr.. Geo. Davenport.
At about one o'clock the guard formed a
hollow square in front Of the Jail, and hav.
ing received the prisoners and their atten-
dants, marched to the place of execution,
where some five thousand people assembled.
After the observance of the usual forms,
an opportunity was given to the prisoners,
at their request, 10 address the multitude.
John Long stepped forward, and after con.
Tossing his own guilt, bitterly accused Mr..
Bonney, who arrested him, and made reit-
Grated complaints of persecution. He al
the same time asserted the innocence of his
brother and Granville Young, and after ma
king labored defence of them, sat down.
Aaron Long succeeded him, and repea-
ted nearly the plea in his own behalf that
his brother made for him. Granville Young
followed in similar train.
John Long then requested TO speak again
which having been granted him he COM
menced harangue which it would be I'M
profitable to read in detail as it was disa-
grecabe to hear. 1t was singular medley
of protested warnings TO the young, min
gled with disgusting and egotstical exul-
taton over his own bad eminence in crime,
accompanied by insidous efforts to create
tumut, and the utterance Of most vim
dictvc feelings towards those who had
been instrumental in bringing him TO JUS
tice. 1t soon became evident that he was
speaking to gain Time with the hope that an
effort might be made on the part Of some
miscreants to rescue his brother and Young
and that he might escape in the tumult.
Ii is evident that he had deliberately pre-
pared for this. He had while in prison
under the pretence Of making frank con-
fession prepared piece Of special plead
ing in behalf of his two fellow convicts.
This he desired to have made public, ev.
identity, as the sequel and especially his al
lusions to that confession showed, with a
view to exciting in advance some sympa-
thy in their favor Of which he might avail
himself in his speech. But he miscalcula-
ted the character of our citizens Find
ing his appeals TO them fruitless he turned
TO any strangers who might be present and
exhorted them 10 extend their sympathy to
the innocent men, as he termed them, at his
side. 1t was all in vain. The great mass
Of the citizens were unmoved by his ap.
peals. The guards too were headed by
trusty men.
The sheriff informed him that his hour
had come. The caps we're placed. The
cords, which the sheriff sent expressly TO
ST. Louis to obtain from an establishment
accustomed TO manufacture them for this
purpose, were fixed. The drop fell-and
with it Aaron Long, the heaviest of the
three, to the earth with the broken cord
around his neck. He was brought back
And while preparations were making to
execute the sentence, that he should be
hanged until he died, a stranger by the
name Of Stevens raised the cry of rescue
and attempted to break through the guard.
Some disorder ensued, which was soon sup
pressed by the resolution of the officers
with the help of the guard. The sheriff
then having promptly prepared Temporal
ny drop and ad justed two of the cords
about the surviving criminals neck, Aaron
Long followed his brother into eternity.
1t was altogether painful and humila-
ting spectacle and some of the circum-
stances attending were truly awful. A
more miserable sight than that of John
Long standing on the edge of eternity, and
the scaffold, and there, in the spirit of a
fiend deliberately uttering falsehoods, and
desires for vengeance, we have never seen,
we expect never 10 see. The unlocked for
occurrence, in regard to the fate of his
brother--an occurrence which the sheriff
supposed he had taken every precauton to
prevent-was awful beyond language
Could John Long have seen to what fate
he had brought his brother, we cannot but
think he would have felt some pangs But
death had fast bound him and put out his
senses, and there he swung HELPLESS in
deaths arms Rock Island Ull.) Adv.
Last year, it will be recollected, Mr..
CYRUs TURNER of this neighborhood, and
the Watsons and Bennett of Grand River,
went with drove of cattle TO the upper
Mississippi country, where the cattle were
to be delivered TO the government Agents
at Fort Smelling. BY some fatality, they
lost their way, and wandered up into the
Sioux territory, q hundred miles or so,
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