Daily American telegraph., 1852-04-06
An Execution.

We have never, since days of childhood,
looked upon the execution OF human being, and
trust our duty may never require it of us; nor
do we at any time take pleasure in the descrip-
ton of such scenes. But the following simple
narrative, which we find in the Richmond Dis
patch, appears to us to possess a singular inter
est. 1t is dated at Madison Courthouse, Vir-
GINA, March 25th
"On Friday morning, at an early hour, the
people commenced assembling at the courthouse
from all parts of the county to witness the execu-
ton of Edward Clore, sentenced to be hung for
the murder of Edward Carpenter, in Madison
county, in the fall of 1850 Men, women, chill
dren and negroes continued to arrive in large
numbers up to liz o'clock, when the prisoner
was brought out of Jail, supported by an officer
on each side, who conducted him to q small wa
gon that had been prepared to convey him to the
gallows.
"With the aid of the officers he got into the
wagon, sat down by the side of his coffin, and,
closing his eyes, did not appear to notice any
thing around him. The sad procession then
formed-the county cavalry on the front and
rear, and the infantry to the right and left of the
wagon-and moved off to the place of execution,
followed by large crowd of spectators, esti-
mated at from four to six thousand, among whom,
| am sorry to say, were many females The pris-
oner looked very pale and weak, but perfectly
calm and resigned as he moved onward to his
final awful doom.
son arriving at the gallows the prisoner was,
by the aid of the sheriff and his assistants, con-
Quoted up the steps and seated on the platform.
Two clergymen, Rev. Mr.. Ernest and. Rev. Jesse
Powers, attended to administer the consultations
of religion to the criminal in these his last mo-
ments. To the first, he declared that he died
without animosity towards any person; and to
the latter, that the brandy-bottle had brought
him to his disgraceful end. The sheriff then tied
the rope around his neck, and put on the shroud.
Clore then rose, aided by the officers, who had
to had to hold him up-he not being able to stand
without help-while the sheriff tied the rope over
the gallows. This was at II m. He was then
asked by the sheriff if he had anything to say,
and replied, Nothing. The rope was then cut,
the trap fell, and, with slight struggle, Clore
was ushered into the unfathomed realities of eter-
nifty.
"Durng the period of the execution, the most
profound silence prevailed, and not murmured
word of exultation was heard throughout the vast
multitude in attendance. Clore hung 45 minutes.
He was then cut down, and given up by the
sheriff to his friends to be taken home for burial
Soon after the wagon containing the body started
for Clore's home, tremendous thunderstorm
arose, and the sky was yelled in such dense dark
ness that candles had to be lit in the various
hotels and dwellings for the purpose of distin-
gushing objects The procession arrived at
home with the corpse between two and three
o'clock p. m. This closes my account of the
scenes of this eventfu day, except to mention that
few fights took place at the Washington Hotel,
which resulted in some damaged noses and black
eyes. ,..
yesterday, Clore was buried, between two and
three o'clock. When his grave was about half
filled, another heavy storm arose, creating such
intense darkness as to prevent the entire filing
up of the grave. until the storm had broken. In
the whole course of my life have never seen 80
dark period of day; at the courthouse | could
not distinguish one man from another across the
small room that was in at the time the storm
sprang up"