Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1851-08-07
Two Men Hung.

On Friday morning, July 20th, EdWard
F. Douglass and Thomas Benson, convicted
of the murder of Asa IIavens, mate of the
bark Glenn" were executed in the city of
New York, in furtherance of the sentence OF
death which had been passed upon them
The execution took place IN the Tombs, and
was conducted by the U. S. Marshal and his
deputies. Although there were some five
hundred persons admitted to the yard, order
was preserved throughout and the require
ments of the law were fulfilled with decorum
and quietness. James S. Clemens, who was
sentenced to be hung for participation in the
same mutiny and murder, was respited by the
/, President, and the execution of his sentence
deferred until the 23d of August, The Tri-
bune gives the following account of the exc
cution of Douglass and Benson, both young
men of little more than u years
The morning of the last day of the con-
demned was spent by them in company with
Rev. Mr.. Hodge and other clergymen, who
gave them such consolation as could be drawn
! from the promises of God and hoped for in
the mercies of Him that judgeth not as man
/ judgeth. Having been apprized that all hopes
of pardon or reprieve from the President
who alone could nterfere-were in vaiR, they
resigned themselves to their fate, and await
ed the fatal hour with much composure.-
Benson (the colored man) appeared to be con-
| fident of mercy in future life, and expressed
| his willingness to leave a world which had
sad memories for him. Both the men, have
been for many days engaged with spiritual
teachers and in contrite devotions and re-
! hections
A little past 10 o'clock, Marshal Tall
madge, accompanied by District Attorney J.
Prescott Hall, Collector Maxwell and several
Deputies, proceeded to the cell and read to
the prisoners the death Warrant, which was
heard by them without exhibition ofmuch feel
ing. They were then prepared for their last
trial, and shortly before il o'clock, they came
forth in procession to the gallows.
The procession was headed by the Marshal
and his Deputies, who were dressed in sort
/ of uniform of black with cooked hats and
swords next came the prisoners, each dress
ed in the customary black, with black cap,
and having the rope around his neck; side by
side with them were Rev. Mr.. Lockwood !;
the officiating physicians, Drs. Metcalf and
Geer, Sheriff Carnley and few city func-
tionaries closed the line Around the GAL
. lows file of u s. Marines were stationed,
under command of Lieut. Morrel, and on all
sides proper force of Policemen kept order.
The prisoners were not equally affected at
the sight of the gallows Benson seemed
quite firm and composed, but Douglass was
extremely agitated. Both were of course
handcufed. When they came to the gal
lows and had been placed in the proper po-
sition, Marshal Tallmadge informed them
that they were at liberty to make such re-
marks in regard to their fate as they might
desire, whereupon Douglass replied that he
was now receiving the wages of sin, which is
death; that he stood there an example of the
effects of small indulgences in evil, and he
hoped that all would be warned by his fate !:
he also stated that Clemens, the man now
under respite, was in no manner guilty of the
murder for which he and Benson were about
to die Benson declared that he was inno-
cent of any positive violence TO the murdered
man, and that Clemens was innocent so far
as he knew; he (Benson) advised the spec
tators to prepare for the death Of Christian.
He then sung the hymn commencing "A And
must this feeble body fall" after which Rev.
Hodge offered a brief prayer. Having taken
their leave of the Clergyman and the Marshal,
the marines came in line and knelt before
the gallows, the caps were drawn over their
faces, the ropes around their necks were at
tached to the hooks that hung from the pull
leys above them, and, on a signal from the
Marshal, single blow severed the cord that
held the weights; and the prisoners were con-
signed to the mercies of the God of mercy and
| justice.
1t was few minutes past Ii the strug-
giles of Benson were violent for considerable
time, while Douglass gave very little sign OF
pain They were allowed to hang for three
quarters of an hour, when they were pro-
nounced dead by the Coroner, and the bodies
were cut down and delivered to their friends
that of Benson to be taken to Long Island,
and that ofDouglass to 90 westward to the care
of his afflicted mother.
0F The Juniata Sentinel alludes with
great good humor to Mr.. Bglers' silence on
certain questions, his taking both sides Of
others, and says the Iocofocos should hoist
his name as follows: