The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1846-04-25
IT. WEBB, EDITOR AND PROPRIETOR


brides and saddle they Immediately lel
and retired 10 their old haunIs.
This new outrage filled the inhabian'
with resentment, and reached the ears {
ihe executive Gov. Clinton, on the 3lsl {
October, who Pursuant TO a motion Of tn
Assembly, issued proclamation oflerln
a re award of $1,000 for The apprehension o
Claudius, and 5000 for his sons Rchar'
and James Smith This had the effect de
sired number OF persons barded Iogeh
er, headed by one Titus, a powerful man
Of much daring, and SCI out for the place o
Smiths rendezvous; but tho latter had gont
10 " Y. and Titus and his party followed
rhey learned Iha, Smith was ala certain
place on Long Island and repairing thiheI
IN the evening found Smith ala Tory dance
Smith being spPrlssd of their approach es-
raped before The house could be surround.
ed. He fled 10 anolher place on the Island
and Titus and his associates, nothing dauni
ed, again sought him out. They cautious
iy surrounded The house, and Titus with
others repaired instantly, but silently. 10
the chamber where Caudius was sleeping
with brace Of pistols by his side Titus
grasped him, and with one eforI jerksd him
rom the bed before he could seize his arnv
He was Immediately overpowersd, firmly
bound. g. conveyed TO a boat, from whence
he was conducted 10 PoughkeepsiC, and
lodged in the jail al thai place on Thursday
November l0lh. He had his trial before
The Supreme Court, sting at Goshen,
Orange county, on three indlctmenIs-one
of Which was the murder Of Major Strong,
and en- all he was found guilty. He ceuCuc.
ed himself with frmness during the .ria'
and when asked il he had any thing 10 say
IN his defence, he replied, No; if GOD
Almighty can! change your hearts can
not
He was confined in the Goshen jail
aud chained 10 ring in t.e foo
while the jail was closely guarded by par
lies of the inhabltanls-for they were ap,
prehensive that an aIemot would be mad
10 rescue him. The order WAS given to
shoot Smith il an attack upon the prison
was likely 10 succeed in his Liberalism. At
length the day appointed for bis execution
January %. 1879, arrived, and crowd,
hocked to see the exit ola man whose nam
had long spread terror throughout The coun
try. Smith with two other CrlmnaIs-
Gordon, convicted Of horse stealing, and
DE La MAJ of burgIary--were led forth to
Ihe galIows.
CIaudius was dressed in q sui! Of broad
cloth, with silver buttons, with his large
form and manly air presented noble ap-
pearance. While walking 10 The place o'
Execution, he was observed 10 gaze inlent>
" towards the hills, east OF the town, 10 see
las was thought if his comrades "ere no
coming TO bis rescue, for he had harooTee
throughout, the idea that he should be pre-
served by some such lnlerPosl'Ion. Non'
Iap2eared, however, and he ascended tht
gaIIows with firm step Casting hl'
ewes about, he bowed to several whom he
knew in The crowd. At this moment !
man approached Caudius, and desired hIn
10 tell him where he should lind certain val
liable papers which he had absracIrd from
lis house upon certain oC Caslon. CIsu
iius replied thAi that WAS no place 10 tall
1f such things, and gave him no salisIac
lion. TO show how perfectly hardena
his wre tched man was, il is aulhenlicall,
stated that on the ga!ows he kicked otf hi
shoes, with the observation tha, his moth
r had often told him that he would die Iik
, cooper's horse, with his sho1s on. bu
hal he would make her liar. When th
cart was drawn from under, he swung /
and fro perfectly straight, determined a
WAS supposed 10 evnce no feeling; whe
ne twlched little, and exhibited signs c
ife sf'er he had hung long time.
| Thus died man whose abilities if right
y directed, would have raised him TO EN-
nence and greatness. Notwithstanding hi
fe Of infamy CIaudiu' had some gener
GUS qualities AMI it is said that the p0t
I man found him a friend ready to share bot
d his meal and his purse, and il is beileve
. that much of what he distracted from II
= wealthy he bestowed upon the indigen