Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1855-12-27
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, THURsDA
Execution of Hubbard.

DHAN rs In - ha1A14
Execution of Hubbard.
, I'm the Wabash Gazette of the 18th, w
+. find very long account of the execution o
John Hubbard, in that place, on the pfeVlou
Thursday, for the murder of Aaron French
his wife, aud five children, in March last
> The most we can do is to give IA brief synop
sis of the occurrences. At an early hour o
the day the town and its approaches wer'
crowded by dense throng OF men, women
and children, who had come 10 witness The
dreadful scene The law requires that al
executions shall bc private, but in conse-
quence of the fence around the enclosure be.
ing very low the execution was to all mtenti
and purposes public one. 1t rained hard a
day, but this did not disperse the crowd d
cool their ardor Before the hour appointed
for the execution, the crowd became ver1
bOisterous aud began to call out in LOUD
voice, "Bring him out" "Put the roFx
around his neck l'' String him up % 'Has
I the id old scoundrcl,' - &c, &c.
At about hslf past two-tte pssscne
mounted upon the scaffOld and looked very
pale and haggard. The prisoner was attend-
cd by two Baptist ministers-Rev. Messn.
Skinner aud Townsend. Mr. S. addresses:
the crowd in behalf of Hubbard and at his
request. He said that he (H) had been a
very wicked mana Sabbath breaker, pro-
fame swearer. a drunkard, gambler, &c,
but that he not guilty of the murder of
French and his family. During the time Mr.
Skinner was speaking the prisoner would fire.
quently bow In token of assent to what the
preacher was saying. He made frequent
ejaculations-such as Lord Jesus, have
mercy upon me-" 81 trust in thee. dea.
Jesus;'' 81 hope L shall soon be with thee
jesus
After Mr.. Skinner had done speaking the
Sheriff proceeded to adjust tae rope aroand
the prisoners neck All things being made
ready, the Sheriff took hold of the lever at
tached to the bolt under the trap-doOr, and
told him that he had two minutes to live At
this moment the stiffness became intense lnd
every eye was riveted upon the prisoner who
stood alone i'm full view of almost every part
of town. Every muscle of his body seemed
to quiver, and several times it appeared that
he would sink down. He told the Sheriff
that his knees were growing weak aud that
he could not stand. His CALCULATIONS were
about the same as before! At the expiration
of one minute, Mr.. Skinner took him by the
hand and babe him good bye lie charged
Mr.. S. to have a over his poor widow
when he was gone. Mr. s. assured him that
he would, and that he would also fulfil all
the promises that he had made him. Then
the Sheriff. Elder Townsend, and one or two
others took leave of him. Last Of all came
the Deputy Sheriff, Mr. Thomas, and took
the prisoner by the hand and said "good bye,
Hubbard ;" the prisoner said "sood bye
Thomas. | forgive you." As their hands
parted the trap-door fell instantly, and the
wretched murderer was suspended between
the heavens and earth, dying man. He fell
about four feet, but his ncel<-Nas no. bresSen.
nor did the moose draw very tight around his
neck. His pulse continued to beat for six
teen minutes. Some one counted forty mo-
tions of the breast, like breathing. There
was, however, but little motion of the body
after the twist of the rope came ont. There
Ill Of n
times, which gave tremulOus motion TO the
suspended body. After about twenty-five
minutes he was pronounced dead, and the
Sheriff then admitted all but minors 10 90
into the enclosure and see him. After being
suspended three quarters of an hour the body
was cut down and carried into the Jail, and
the people dispersed.
About FIVE hundred persons are said TO
have gone into the enclosure and touched
the body of Hubbard as he hung from the
scafiold. A minister asked one person why
he wished to touch the body aud was an
swered that he did so as charm against
witdhcraft. After the body was cut down the
rope by which he had been suspended was
cut up into many pieces and divided among
the simple Some of these were carried
away as mementos. Others as preventises Of
"ague" and other diseases. a
The separation of Hubbard from bis wife
was very affecting and several of the bJstan-
ders shed tears. While getting ready TO go
upon the scaffold, he said he was prepared to
meet his God-that when a child his mother
had had him baptsed and she was good
woman In walking down stairs he sal that
in his death tho Know Nothings woul lose
friend, and the Pope of Rome an ensay.
Hubbard was almost to the last very Bitter
in his expressions towards the Witnesses who
testified against him. His age was almost
flty-eight years, and he said he was born in
England. There can he no doubt but that
he was a hardened villain, and had been en-
gagged in a long career of crime His wife
remains to be tried for participation in the
same horrible murder