Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1846-04-02
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A CONVICT AND HIS DEATH.

The Pihsburg Commercial Journal men
tons the death of Dr. Braddee, the notorious
mail robber. who died in his cell in the Peni-
tertiary Of that city The Journal adds
He was convicted of robbng the mails and
4 imprisoned, il viii be remembered, in 1871
/ pursuant 10 sentence By Iadae Baldwin, Cor
i fen years Shorty after his Incarceration, he
/ conceived the idea Of procuring his liberation,
BIT Stimulating a decline Of health. For this
purpose, be would prick his gums with the
avis. which were supplied to him IN the yoca-
ton he had chosen. that Of shoemaker. and,
having saturated his towel with blood. was al
! ways prepared for the stated visitora physician
or chaplain. with this evidence OF dangerous
/ hemofYltuae fran tie lungs, to which he was al
I ways careful to add, difficult and painful res
piTation. His physician was able, sometimes,
/ to engage the suffering doctor in conversation,
\ in which he would become sufficiently ANNA
ted to forget his painful breathing, but on the
instantthat he would recollect himself, the diff
Guilty would return. These practices, it is be-
lieyed, brought on the disease which termna-
ted his life, and he died at last Of pulmonary
affection.
Until two weeks before his his death his dis
ease had not assumed formidable type, but
then, he began to sink rapidly. Up to this pc
rod he had steadily and vehemnently asserted
his innocence ofthecrim imputed tSaain, but
SO soon as he became convinced that his reco-
very was impossible, he confessed hisguilt and
although we are restrained bv prudential con-
siderations from further allusion to this point,
we may venture to add, that in his confession
are implicated several persons who had not
been suspected Of participating in bis crime
Ii is worthy of remark, Also that the Doctor,
who had gained an astonishing reputation as "a
physician, determining, or pretending TO deter
nine the precise symptoms in any case Of dis
ease BY the examination Of the patients urina-
RI discharges, felt constrained by approaching
death to confess that his sy sem was nothing
but humbug. His success in this humbug
is another evidence Of his remarkable shrewd
ness Of character. The vast income he derived
from his dupes is well known.
It is known that Btaddee's wife, who chung
to him during his trial, aud suggested by her
presence and the signs Of affection, that beau
iful apostrophe to love in anguish, with which
Mr. Biddle in Braddee's defence electrified the
crowded auditory, had been unfaithful TO her
vows, and married another during Braddee's
imprisonment lie was not made acquainted
Of the fact, and for the years he wac in con
hnement, heswas fond OF an opportunity to
talk about 8 his wife and children" He spoke
Of them in terms of warm affection and I'M
doubleday bis desire TO recover his liberty was
stimulated by attachment to them even after
he became aware that he must soon die, be
desired to be at liberty even if it were TO die in
barn al the end, that he might not die priS-
oner. But SO soon as he learned the conduct
Of his wife, he Instantly ceased to wish for
freedom II was the fnal blow to the poor
convict, the unexpected thrust like that which
extorted the memorable ct Ia Brute, command
ing surrender and poor fellow, he gave up at
once. He never after mentioned wife or child,
or desired to move beyond his cell The name
Of his wife was avoided with an iron viii. all
though for the previous years Of his coniine-
ment, it had been pleasant and hopeful theme.
A question was a long time existing wheth-
or Braddee could read or write. In his last
illness, it was satisfactorily ascertained that he
could do neither, although every effort in the
earlier part OF his imprisonment to determine
the question was unsuccessful