Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-07-20
The frlits Of Intempersnos-Execution Of
David Stoddard for the Murder Of his
W,fa

IF rom the Rock Island I'll. Advertiser, July 10 ]
Ever since last evening crowds have been
pouring into our city from all points of the
oOmpass-by railroad, by steamboat, in wagons
and carriages, on horseback aud afoOt, until
up to l o'clock to-day, when the streets in the
vicinity of the court house and JAIL especially,
were tolerably damned with people of all sorts,
shapes, and sizes, anxiously awaiting the hour
Of execution Of the murderer StOddard
At III o'clock, a IN, the Rock Island Guards
appeared, under command of Major Wilson, in
the courthouse square, where they were soon
joined by the Davenport military. After per-
forming various military evOlutioIs, they were
marched to the Jail, and the criminal brought
out and placed in an omnibus, containing the
sheriff and his deputy, and the ministers of
the various churches in the city, which vehi-
Gle was guarded by them to the place of exc.
cutiOn.
Upon arriving at the galOws, which was
erected in a gentle ravine near the Camden
road outside the limits of the city, we found
present crowd of fully ten thousand people
gathered upon "a rising ground in the imme-
date vicinity, and crowding down to the very
foot of the gal.ows in a dense and swaying
mass, so that the military with difficulty
finally succeeded in clearing CIRCLE around
the scafold.
The criminal, dressed In a light suit Of sum
mer clothing, with his arms pinioned, was as
sisted out of the omnibus and up the steps of
the scafold by Sheriff GOrtOn and Deputy
Sheriff Beardsley, also accompanied by Rev.
Mr.. Wilson, of the First Presby terian church,
Rev Mr.. Morse, presiding elder, and Rev W
Tasker minister Of the Methodist Episcopal
church In this city, and one or two other min
listers, and also brother of the prisoner, who
had come from Peoria in order to be with him
In bis last moments.
After a most eloquent and touching appeal
to Heaven in his behalf, by Rev. Mr.. Wilson,
Rev. Mr.. Morse, by request of the prisoner,
proceeded to speak to the multitude for him,
az follows:
He began by saying that fourteen years ago
Stoddsrd and his wife were both professsd
Christians and members of the church, and
lived together happily and in peace with
themselves, God, and the world But he had
been charged by the criminal particularly to
state that the cause of the breaking of this
peace was intempsrance. He began to drink
by little and little, until his home became a
raging hell, and he himself a demon of evil
passions which he found it impossible to con-
troll. Under such circumstances il was that
his family became broken up, and wanderers
and Outcasts with himself, upon the face of
the earth. He said further, that he had been
requested by the prisoner to state that he had
no particular confession to make in regard to
the crime of killing his wife, at that time.
leaving the question of his guilt to be settled
by the public-that the court, the Jury, the
sheriff and his officers were blameless, and
that he had not a word OF accusation to bring
against any Of them. While in Jail he had
been well cared for by the jailor as if he
had been a brother; and he could accuse no
one Of i'll treatment towards him.
The reverend gentleman concluded with an
eloquent exhortation to the dealer in the rum
traffic to quit the dreadful business and to
young men especially to avoid the tempter
whose look was pleasant but whose sting was
death
After he had taken his seat, Stoddard was
assisted to rise. He proclaimed in loud and
emphatic voice, that what Mr. Morse had
stated was true-that he owed all his crimes
and misfortune to the curse of intemperance-
that he fOrgave every one and was ready to
dle-that he feared not the terrible death be-
fore him SO much as the eyes of the people
now fixed upon him. He warned young men
against the beginning of crime, which was
use of the intoxicating glass, if they would
avoid the miserable life he had led for the last
five years, and, perhaps, its dreadful end.
" Remember" said he, remember INV diving
words, and fee, fee the wrath to come''
His emotions OverpOwering him, he was as.
sisted to Scat. A minister then arose and
made most feeling allusiOn to the mslan-
choiy circumstances of the occasion. He
called attention particularly to the heart-bro
ken, weeping brother of the criminal who was
on the scaffold with him, in such a manner az
to leave scarcely dry eye in the vast assem-
bly,. The brother was then permitted to ap.
proaeh for the purpose Of taking leave of him
for the last time.
He sunk upon his knees beside him, weeping
bitterly, Stoddard himself remaining compar.
itiveiy unmoved After he had taken leave,
which occupied several minutes, Stoddard
again arose and said that his time upon earth
was now short-that he was addressing the
world now for the last time. He then confessed
to the crime of killing his wife, adding, 81
did the deed; but many wrong stories have
been told about it. did it in q moment Of
passion. was often 50 tempted that 1 could
really to die,'