The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1850-09-07
f,oo N, Ha'.n .ms ef Aap %.
EXECUTION or JOHN W WEBSTER

The cNtTemo scnphre of tie law was YES
lerday carried inln effect upon nr John w,
Webster, who waNGnund guilty NJ The muir
drr of Dr. George rarkman.s Tho paPor'
lar. m relation lotllc execution, some Of
which we give The minuur Of q hanging
srcnc, however interesting, We have tiulc
tasro for Dr. Webster had an interview with
hia family an Thuiala} afternoon, ia bic cell
The time was chiefly occupied Ia reading the
Scripture. They were ignorant Of the day
sot apart foe his execution, and loh him with
the exbe6tatiOu Of seeing him again Rev,
De- Putnam was with the prisoner on Thurs
day, from o'clock I'M .. The prisoner aP-
reared calm aud composed, Two officers re-
1naucd IN the ccll with him during the
/, night lIc lay down on hi bed about ! o.
clock, and slept until sis, lIc ate u hearty
breakfast in the morning. and smoked a cigar
~ quarter before eight, DIR, Putnam and Mr.
Audwwa, thc taller, visited the prisoner IN
hs ccll, The arrangements for the execution
had all been explained the previous eve,
Dr. Putnam continued In the cell until the
prisoner was taken 10 the gallow4 Mr. An
drowa camo ont q few minutes before nine,
aud shortly afterwards returned with the shcr-
IN aud Jail officers, who then took formal and
alIcctonatc leave OF the prisoner.
Tho following we copy from the Trans
crpr
Ata quarter past nine the religious scryi-
ccs commenced in the cell, IN the presence
of Sheriff Eyclcth, the Jail officers the legal
witncyscg summoned tor thr nSwsiou, and
the reporters of the press
The. i,t.-otrer- kurit- rrturv " rltuir- thu
centre of the cell; Dr. rumnm standing in
mo doorway, and addressing the throne Of
grace. The prayer occupied seven minutes.
Ancr a brief but touching allu.ion 10 the sol
cmn aud melancholy character rthc occA-
sion, he PRAYED f,ncntly FOR the prisoner,
commanding. him to the mSrcy ofan All-wisc
rnNNFnr'fisdhfNr Prcr0psa,-sd &jras"'iRf.
ccrc contriton for his offence and pro,tration
Of soul ia humble supplications for iorg,nc-.,
and reliance upon the Saviours promises,
could qualify him Tor his departure,
Mr. Putnam then prayed fcrycntly for the
family that the same grace and merry might
sustain them in their great affection. and on.
able them to support it with resignation and
humble hope. lie prayed that this terrible
example might have -nIuWfy- crtgyr III tirr-
whole community, in Teaching them the dan
ger Of unrcstraiuC'r->-su aud inspiring
humility and self di.trust
Tho officers Of the hand whose duty il
would hc 90 carry the sentence of the law in.
a. effect. woru also remembered IN hi- pray.
or aud he asked, that while they might per.
iarm their painful functions with frmncss. il
w"'ld al-" hr ina yprtof Tenderness anil
compassion for their Grllow-bcina. who wos
about Ia pass before a higher tribunal whose
justice would be- sure 10 be tempered with
mercy and he hoped that some of the spirit.
which would preside in that higher court
might shed IL benign influence to aid them
ON this trying occasion.
Ailcr again faryenuy commanding the
prisoner to divine mercy, the services were
concluded without further ceremonies, and
the company retired from the building.
Tnr SPECTATORS. The gallows was sur
rounded 10y some 100 persons, including sew
cral sheriiis and deputies from abroad and a
large police force, But few members of the
bar or of the medical profession were present
he "ihi"ws ut the surrounding houses with
The 'lNaafttett ''rtrrri, vrrT'- PROVIDED by per
sons OF both sexes and all ayes The tons OF
the udjuruut tuttIrings, the sheds. -ho,,scs
and every available point of view were occu-
lnrd. The rear windows ofhouscs on Lowell
st the houses on Levcrctt and Wall street,,
all had their eager throngs of spectators
PROBABLY they numbered about n thousand
There was .somc slight disturbance in the
crowd ut one time, and the reading of the
death warrant was interrupted 10y shouts aud
the crowdingS Of those solictous to see the an.
palling spectacle.
.tAsr ScENE or Ali At % minutes
past q sheriff Eyclcth. and his tepu,ics
MeSsrs' Coburn, Freeman and Rugs noun
ted the steps of the scailold, in the iail ward
followed 10y the prisoner, supported low DIR
lntnam, and 10y iailcr Andrews and Mr.
Holiness turnkey.
The prisoner took his stand upon tho tran.
door ordrop,and Immediately under the rome
which depended from the top of the gallows
ii'me lie was dressed in black trook coat
pnuoncd up in front black pants aud shoes
WITHOUT any ncckcluth, aud only a portion of
V' Shirt-bosom visible. lie nnmediat4l. .,,-l
'rrrd INTO conversation with his spiritual nd
NN'r"mrh he continued rs long az prachca
olr' and with apparent camucss aud coo,po.
sure.
Deputy Sheriff Cohmn called the atten.
tod Of the witngaaAa. s.a. r., r,,g,ti,,4
tr Executive death warrant which No. n,,,
d"'e''n an audible manner by tho sheriff
"hn' with his officers and tho assembly. qcn.
1''piF WITH uncovered heads daring the read