New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1845-11-15
-. CHICAGO Daily News.
From the Chicago Daily News
F,ecution of the Murdcrers Of Col. Davenport,
atRock Island, Illinois Confession oil one OF
rho Culprit.-Horriblc Catastrophe.

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Mr. EDITOR: hasten TO lay before your Fsd Ger
an account of The horrible tragedy Just enacted
Iohn I opy Aaron Long and Granville Young nave 'n's
afternoon been hung according to law Tor me fue VI
Col George Davenport Although me morning was a
rainy one. immense concourse OF psoP't We
assembling from every part of the country ana NJ u
,irs of the execution made estimate and snouIu
nudge there were thousand present. pfouse-ou'
asssrnbase OF men women and children
4, II O'Clock the guard formed IN hollow square Oe
tors rho is and marched 10 the soiows, wheTe tneY
were dismissed until alter dinner MUSIC py lhe ue'
Mountain Bows composed expressly ior tHe occ's.o'
A, Iocock The guards again formed IN front OF the AL
when the prisoners brought out and conducted u
solemn procession with music, 10 the 9si!ows Tue
rr,ard armed in Il hollow square about the sa!!o"s'
Sb the prisoners assembled the scao!d and TOOK tne!
seats with the Sheriff. Several other gentlemen Hiso
ascended tic scaHold say otHS eenI.stien. '' r.
prisoners appeared very much Ike gentlemen 4He!
! WE'RE well dressed AMI up 20 this TINE scarcely sHS
emotion wss visible in their countenances but ailel
sitting awhile slight paeness seemed 10 oveFsHS'o"
their faces as they looked upon the crowd anu upon the
annaro.ns hefor, Them Strange would Il be Il their
hearts did not sink in tina, hour The Shera advanced
and read the order for their execution after "hich &c
remarked the prisoners wished 20 say any thS
opportunity was given. John Long then arose, (tnc
Sheriff having unbound the cords from his arins and
advancing forward, made very pollIe bow, and al
dressed the audience as follows give the substance
OF what he said avoiding his frequent repctnons ana
correcting his language. which was sometimes unsfsi
,ustica ard otherwise incorrect:
Ladies and Gentlemen OF his respectable audience
appear before you dying about 10 be launched
into eternity. and request that you VIII listen 10 whS
have 70 say before leave this world forever MyseIi
my brother Aaron and my friend. Granville Young. you
see brought before You about be hung Tor the murder
OF Col George Davenport now say 20 YOU Eentculcn
and wish Won 10 receive it the declaration OF dying
man that myself plead guilty ou; these TWO men
(pointug the prsoners) are innocent % 'ne ci'ic
Wish Won IN receive this as the dying declaration Of
my (IIr-e he became much aiectct) now ten you,
gentlemen that Robert Birch. William Fox lneodofe
Brown and myself committed mat murGerItHouSH We
| killed Mr. Davenport unintcntoGa!Iy-a ana wish tae
peonlc of Rock Island distinctly 10 understand ;lc &C.
pend upon il that other person is guilty otha; eflhc
;,bar ~ accessory before or after the affair and every
other man who is hung for that crime Is hung innocent
As for me- gentlemen 90 not fear to die the lear OF
death was never beors my eyes; but cannot pear 10
| see two innocent men hung. Look at the eviuehcc
against these who was Il Inc evidence asaitS'
Aaron amounts &c nothing a.! ! There was no! t!S
slightest evidence excepting what was gwen oy
do not believe there is within the SOUND OF my
voice who does not believe that Birch perurcd himself
The groccryan testified that Aaron bought bread there
but when he look AT him. ne said that he thought
the man who bought the bread was two or three inches
taller So you see what that amounts to. As 10 Gran.
vile Young upon whose cvdtn was he convicted Is
Mr. Bonny here -tlerc he looked for some time among
the crowd) Ii Mr. Benny ia here 1t Is my request that
he step forward. lie told Mr.. Benny was absent)
Well then if Mr. Bonny is not here, it knocks 600 pages
from my speech. That man Donny mas been heid up De-
fore you gentlemen OF the best iucI tnat ever
! lived But now tell you that he is the chief among
thieves and robbers and accessory both before and
after the fact the murder Of Miller You may apply 10
Dr. Williams and Mr. Looms as witnesses 10 'Hal iac'
leave you for the present gentlemen and let my friends
speak for themselves will be before you again will
! then tell you why made this confession. (Here be
thanked the audience for their attention and retred
Aaron Long then came forward and SAID
am about to be hung for crime OF which am inro'
cent always lived at home with my parents and al
ways worked hard Last Summer went down 70 Nau
VOC with Ion and there suppose ne saw FOX and the
rest and thew wanted him up and help rob Daver
port and the only difficulty 10 get John separated
from me- so Fox said he wanted TO DO some business
uu the river and he take John along witness
So they went up and left me at Nauvoo. am as lno
OF this crime as the fathest man in England When
John left Nauyoo, gave him 81! The notes mad
against men in Indiana. and he gave all his against
men about here am entirely innocent OF the murder
| | haze nothing 10 say.
Granville Young next came forward:
Lddis. and GeHiiemeR-You behold me about to be
launched into eternity. Crhe prisoner was much affect
ed and was with difficulty he spoSe) am about TO
| be hung for the murder OF Col Davenport | am nno-
cent that crime am to be hung on the testimony OF
! Mr. Bonny He says that he saw me on the War Eagle
and that perfect stranger approached hlin and tod
him that knew who the nurderers OF Davenport
for saw them they were coming up the river and
offered Join them Does it look likely that stranger
would approach MIN in that way No! |, Is said that
Bonny name ought be written in letters OF gold on
the corners of the streets but think snoud Dc writ
with the blood OF innocent men became acquaint
ed with Ed Bouny about twelve months ago. and pre-
yious TO that had led innocent life. He the
man first induced me commit crime. leave this
matter with you. am Wiling tnat Goa enouid oe my
judge.
Having taken his seat, John Long again advanced and
addressed the audience
short speeches will state why came on; as
did. with confession OF this affair. While | lay in
my dungeon. chained down with my fellow prisoners,
could hear on the one side the awful curses, and
| on the other could hear these who on the
scatfold calling God to have mercy on them and
sorting their innocence. Could | endure that No
gentlemen knew that they innocent and was
guilty and determined tell the truth about the
ter did go. ! wrote confession showing the limo
of these men. but 1t was not permitted TO be pub
lished Why this The people here did not want
those abroad 10 know that they going to hang inno
cent men. wish you all! and especially The young men
who within the sound OF my voice to lock at me and
take warning, for have been tor the past i've years
very bad man. Up to the year 1910 never wronged
OF dollar But since that time have NOT been
taxed.
The way first came to commit crime was this In
the year 1910 became acquainted with Alanson Hodge.
He prevailed circulate counterfeit money.
continued this business years In 1912, there
general breaking of the business. could not think
of returning work for living. so went TO robbing
Since that time have robbed many have made bust
of it. am robbcr by profession, gentlemen but
am true to the cause. You have heard 1t said most OF
you that John Long avery cruel fellow. But solemn
II declare that the murder of Davenport was the only
time when any person hurt in any of my robberics
And when have stood before with my pistol cooked
to prevent them from making opposition they have
been safe my hands though had been appointed
guard protect their lives So far from being cruel
as you may think my accomplices will say that have
always been the side mercy and in the robbery of
Davenport, (attcr he accidentally shoD myself
down and got pitcher OF water and gave him drink and
placed il by his side.
consider that my friends here, Aaron and Young
have been peculiarly unfortunate. They have been per
secuted and have had justice done them. | also
have not had the rights which the law allows me We
have all been tried and convicted without having the
rights which the Constitution guarantees to U.s. In the
hrs place we were brought here and tried without
ing US time 10 get witnesses any thing else. Thu
counsel who were assigned By the Judge, and who,
must say, forward and did their duty most
noby asked for continuance in order procure wit
which denied BY that !nquisitoria Judge for
I what else can call him u.
Z.