Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1854-10-11

| led at once to the belief that he had endeayo or
ed to wash ont the evidence Of his deed. A
| vest and crayat hung upon the bed post, whicl
| he Acknowledged were hrs, and when request
| cd to put them on he declined to do so. Afte
| Mrs Taylor had been placed upon the bed bl
DIR. John Hoyt, 1t was plainly evident that SHE
| was in the possession of her mental faculties
| although unable to articulate one syllable
| The expression of her eyes was natural, an6
| she recognized her relatives by shaking hands
| with them. On her infant being brought into
| the room, it exclaimed, sSMamal'' whereupol
! she gave utterance to an agoHizifg groan.
When the doctor held her hand in his own, he
asked her if it was Casey who, had done the
| deed, he received an affirmative answer by a
! squeeze Of the hand.
Dir. Whitney afterwards approached her bed
side, and taking her hand, asked, ssif it was
| the Irishman who lived with your husband who
killed your husband. and injured you, press
my hand" She at once pressed his hand On
learning the prisoners name, Ire again asked.
'sWas it Thomas Casey 2 and heard the mon
osyllable s:Yes!'' uttered by her.
Mr.. Samuel Taylor, brother of the murdered
man, took Mrs. Taylor's band and asked AN
gelina, if it was Ouvrr's pegger that struck you
with the axe, then squeeze my hand''-and
she looked at him and squeezed his hand.
When accused OF tire crime he did not deny
it, but asked, s.Can they bring two men who
saw me murder them ~ His shoes, when ta-
ken from his feet, fitted into the tracks lead
ing from the house, and along the road lie was
seen TO go. After his incarceration in Lowell
jail he was visited by and conversed with Ann
Green and Mary Jane Eastman, and freely adj
mitted that he had perpetrated tire murders.
and with an axe. To Mr. Charles Heatt0n he
also confessed the crime.
All this well connected chain of circumst stan
ces and facts faSten the double deed upon
Thomas Casey, and no person Of sound reason
will for moment doubt his guilt. the only
question, then, that arises. is to the motive.
There had been no quarrel between Taylorand
Casey, bat in answer to Mr.. Heatton when
asked why he committed the murder, he said
that Mr.. Taylor's brother and two Ladies had
been IN, the shop the afternoon before the muir.
der, and were conyer&fng with Taylor, and that
he believed they were talking about him. hf-
ter Samuel Taylor and the ladies' were gone he
said Mr. Taylor ordered him to leave the shop,
whereupon he sc:Zed the axe an struck him
1t may be proper to state that it was not
deemed necessary to try ;sey for the tYo
murders, as circumstances tended to show that
The guilt could BE- fixed as firmly as fate upon
the prisoner. The trial was commenced on I'll {
18th of May, 1873, at East Cainb bridge, before
Chief Justice Shaw aad Associate Judges Dfer-
rick and Metcaf, and ended on the morning of
the 20th, with his conviction and sentence
The following is the form Of the sentence =
s'The sentence Of the law is that YOU, Thorn
as Casey, be taken thence to the State Prison
at Charlestown. there to remain at hard labor
until such time, after the expiration of Que
year, as the executive shall appoint for Your
execution, then TO be hung by the neck until
You are dead.''
We will pass over any further details in the
shocking tragedy, and come to the closing
scene-the retribution of the murderer Let
the reader accompany us to the Jail yard at
East Cambridge, and there we will witness
t-sF THE
For long time Casey had entertained hopes
OF either pardon or communications, but within |
few days he had come to q fun realization of
his doom, and became anxious for spiritual
consolation. He then looked his fate bokly in
the face, and upto the Last moment he main
tanned the most mistaken nerve.
To Mr.. Knights, who was keeper, Casey
some days since expressed his desire rather to |
be executed than to be confined in the State
Prison for life. He told his brother that he
had endeavored to prepare himself as well as
he was able to meet his God. i4'a i
passed the night fThursday quite calmly,
and he slept until about four O'Clock, when the
noise made by bringing the timbers and erect
lug the Scaffold aroused him. After this time
he slept no more until he slept the sleep that
knows no waking. At five O'Clock the Rev.
I tathcr OsBrien, pastor of the Fraklin street
Cathedral, his spiritual adviser, entered his
cell and conversed and prayed with him until
The hour of execution. - ifa -igtt
The scaffold was erected at the farther end
Of a narrow passage way eight or nine feet
Yide and about forty feet in length, which is,
N reality, the only space that can be called
he Jail yard, as all the other lands are attach
ed to the House of Correction and the Insane
Hospital. This paved walk enclosed on the
vest side by the jail and on the east by a buil-
ling used for bathing and washing purposes
4 dead wall rises at the extremity OF the yard,
which. for the occasion, was increased in
height by canvas. w thin this narrow enclo-
lre, the light of day shene but for a few mo-
nents upon Thomas Casey, before he was sent
nto deeper and eternal gloom. AT about ten
o'clock, the Sheriff of Middlesex, John S. Ke-
'es, attended by two of his deputies entered
he cell and informed the unfortunate wretch
hat the tenure of his life was breif, and babe
lin make his final arrangements and to leave
my farewell messages that he might wish to 2
teilver.s The communication was received by ],
llin with, stold composure. His arms and
lands We're then pinioned and after taking
cave of his Keepers, he requested OF Faith
II O'Brien to dispose of three books as he
lirected. One of them, ssThe Treasury of
'rayer,7 he wished presented TO Sheriff ke-
.es; another, a testament, TO the turnkey, Mr..
Iayhew, and the third, small prayer book, to
ir. knights, the Keeper. stua etGaI
AT a quarter past ten O'Clock he was led to
he platform by the two deputies, who held !,
i'm by each arm. After mounting the scaf-
anle which was used in executing {,