Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1845-06-05
A woman Hanged.

The following paragraph has appeared in nearly
all the papers, east and south:
"6TA Mrs. Reed, under sentence of death at
Lawrenceville, Indiana, for the murder of her husband,
after several i~pefectual attempts to hang herself. has
confessed, not only the poisoning of her husband, for
which she was condemned, but two other persons
before, as well as the murder of a nephew for his
money; and, as though these enormities were not
enough, she has also confessed having caused the
death Of two children by starvation !"
There Is at least one error in the statements made
Lawrenceyine is not in Indiana, but is in Illinois.
Whether there are other errors, we do not know.
We see BY the vincennes Sun, that the woman
spoken of has, as they say paid the penalty of the law.
There is so much in it that is gratifying to the
Christian, as well as to all others who reverence the
law, that We copy the Suns account, only r~egretting
that it dispatches the affair so summarily. What a
harvest some Of the adroit editors of the east would
have made of such an event Hanging a Woman +!
"a she devil, if the truth is told and making the
penalty to her the Gate of Heaven! What a "glo-
rious consolation " this idea must be to the pious men
thus engaged in unfolding the majesty Of the Law
A few feet of rope saves her, perhaps, from eternal
perdiion! a cheap redemption, indeed How the
g penny papers y would have improved" upon all
this! Nor would they have passed so lightly over
g the credit due to Sheriff Thorn, for the feeling
manner in which" he strung up the woman The
changes they would have rung upon his exceedingly
amiable performance of such a christian d. ty, would
have added indefinitely to the qualification which, il
he be at all sensitive, he must ever reflect upon with
pleasure, even after the zest of present enjoyment is
blunted by timei They would have Analysed with
great a~cuteness the difference between killing ''feel-
ingly in cold blood, and killing in a passion thus
would they cultivate the kindlier qualities of men,
while they filled their own purses with /" the price Of
blood" as a means of further usefulness.
The next time the Sun has such a chance for doing
good to the public and itself, we hope it will make
more of it than it does in this
EXECUTION OF Mas. REED. The execution OF
Mrs. Reed who was convicted at the last Circuit Court
at Lawrenceville, ILL.,, for poisoning her husband, took
place on Friday the 23d of May, 1915. Alarge con-
course of persons, of both sexes attended to witness
the execution-She was conveyed from the prison &c
the place of execution in a carriage, accompanied by
the Sheriff, Mr. Thorn, and the Rev. MIR. Seeds. and
under a strong guard. She appeared calm, and re-
5 gned TO her fate, and at the gallows joined with the
clergyman and others, in solemn prayer and in singing
At half past three O'Clock, the signal was made, the
rope was cut, and she was launched into eternity
The body remained hanging for near half an hour
The ceremony was truly impressive, and much credit
is due TO Sheriff Thorn, for the feeling manner il
which he executed the painful duties d~evolying on him