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

Pearson in 1919, and CIough in May last ht
was placed upon the drop AS far as outward
emotion was concerned, he appeared to be a.
calm the most Indifferent spectator of tn,
scene; and except fov sire siekIy palor which
Whitencd his face, and which might have beer
attributed to his long confinement in prison
| nothing but the coolest Indifference mark cd
! his deineanor. In fact, he a man of iroI
nerve, and no shade or shadow was seen to fit
/ over his face until the rope adjusted by
! Mr. Mahew, when quick red flash oversprcad
! his countenance for a moment. -l
While the prisoners knees ami ankles were
being pinioned by leather straps, the clergy
| man, clothed in his surplus, read PRAYER from
a book. The sheriff then read the death war
rant whereby he was commanded to do cxec1r-
tion upon the bedy of Thomas Casey After
] the reading of the document. the black cap
was drawn over the head of the prisoner Sher-
| if keyes then said, S.by virtue of this warrant
now proceed TO execute the sentence of the
law apon the body Of Thomas Casey i''-y He
then advanced one step, and placing his fioet
upon the spring, the heavy drop fell with a
loud noise, sending Thomas Casey with arrow
Ike s7vifrness' to- the extreme length Of the
rope, where he hung dangling and osciliating
Tor three-quarters of an hour. The length
of the fall was six feet.
AT the end Of quarter of an hour, Sheriff
Reyes requested Drs. Taylor and Hooker of
Cambridge to examine the body and they in
formed him that they discovered a slight pull
satlon OF the heart. 1t the end OF forty-four
minutes he was pronounced dead. His coffin
which all the time had been plainly visible
was then taken to the body, which was lower
ed until the feet rested upon the pavement
His body was then divested of his coat. vest.
and shoes, and it then was placed ss,yithin his
narrow eell,'' and tle coffin and contents were
immediately removed BY the order of the sher-
if, TO receive the final examination of the phy-
sIcians. We had almost forgot TO mention
that ne was dressed in a neat suit of black,
with n fine linen shirt of spotiesS white
There were present, beside the legal wit-
nesses, scarcely hundred, including the saer-
Ills from the surrounding counties and detach-
mefits of constables and police from Cbarles-
town, Cambridge and Lowell. G. X Sonerlsy.
Esq, OF Walthaln, counsel for the pisoIcr at
the time OF his trial was also present
Before The execution took place, Father o..
Brien hastily left the platform, and retired to
the entrE- way of the cells where he told us
that Casey for several days had looked earn
esfly forward to the seeking after divine
truths, and he thought that he expressed as
great 4 desire as the low state of his intellect
md his education would allow. No word was
uttered by him on the platform and no confes-
sion, or eXplanation,, OF apology was m lde to
any OF the officers, though a prisoner in a
neighboring cell says that in conversation
with him he admitted the deed told how he
Killed Mr. Taylor, and said Mrs. Taylor looked
into the shop While he was despatching her
husband, when he followed her into the bed |
room, and there struck her the fatal blow. and |
added that, under the circumstances, he would !
90 IL all again But such statements should |
be received with great caution.
lie was twenty-five years Of age. well built |
with finely developed chest. Persons famiI-
lar with such sights Informed Us that they ne
yer saw criminal die so hard and it was ow-
ing to the excessive vitality of his system |
that he quivered, and waved backwards and
forwards for SO long a time.