Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1856-06-07
Execution of Henry Wilson.

der at Baton Rouge on Friday, the
3oth inst, we copy from the Gazette o!
that date. We must confess that tears
unvo|untarily rose to our eyes, at read
ing this beau,iful-though melancholy
description Of an exhibition that disgra-
ees the statutes Of every civilized coun>
try, and should be expunged from every
code Of laws belonging to a christian
people:
Yesterday, at IL o'clock NJ, this un>
happy man suffered the extreme penalty
of the law. Before ii O'Clock, large
concourse of people Of all ages. coIors,
sexes and stations had as sembled around
the prison yard to witness the awful
spectacle Of human being, full Of life
and strength, suffering death upon the
gibbet to .xpia,e the crime Of murder.
The fearful preparation Of the repuIsivc
gaIlows had evidently been gone through
with in the morning, the scatfold was
erected, and every minutia performed,
nay, the vcy rope itself was already tied
to the beam whence an immortal soul
was soon to be launched into eternity.
We entered the Sheriff S of1ic. at
about quarter past IL O'Clock, and the
most heart.rending means and sobs we
ever heard from human voice fell upon
oar ear. interrupted every now and then
with heart moving appeals to those pres
cnt not to seperale the mourner from
him whom the grave You'd so soon hiGe
forever from her sight-he' loved though
er'ing and unhappy husband 1t WAS
the voice. they were the cries and sobs,
Of the unfortunate wife of the wretched
man whose race was nearly at an end
0, those cries, those tears, they would
have melted heart Of granite! We
thought then, and we say now, thai not
for the whole Of the place, honor and
profit attached to the Office Of the Cow
ernor of,he State Of Louisiana, would we
again have those heart crushing means
nging in our ears! They would for
ever Danish sleep from our couch. Poor
wife! Poor widow! Poor mother!
The unfortunate Wilson himself, in
that dreadful hour, came forth and at
tempted to- console her, but in vain, and
the officers, with all 1.-the kindness and
sympathy possible, performed the mel
anc',oly duty. We will here bear wit
ness to the praiseworthy manner in which
the Sheriff and his officers tried to tenn
per justice with gentIeness and mercy.)
Having bid his wife last adieu, Vii
son, accompanied by the priest who had
been with him all The morning, marched
out, dressed in long white robe, with
white gloves on his hands, and ascended
the steps which led to the platform with
a firm and unwavering step. Once upon
the scaffold, he devoted some time to
prayer, and then addressed the crowd at
some length. His voice was as clear and
as full, and his words were as we'll cho
sen as though he had been addressing
a meeting of friends upon some common
subjects, instead Of being as he was, with
the loathsome rope already around his
neck, and standing upon the HaiI plank
which alone interveued between him and
the grave.
The substance Of his remarks were,
that lie had been charged by common
report with having killed one man be,
sides the one whose death he was about
to expatia,s by the forfeit of bis own,
but that the report was unfounded-thst
lie had never taken the life Of a human
being before, and that in this case, it WAS
in fit Of passion, and not premed'tated.
He also stated that he had honorably
served FIVE years in the U. S. amy, and
been honorably discharged, when he
married, and, short time after, re-en'
listed Tor the term which was about to
ter~inate so unhappiIy. He said, be-
sides, that he had made his peace with
God, and was perfectly resigned to his
fate; that he, from his heart, forgave al!
who had ever injured him, as he prayed
God would forgive him. He brought
his address to close by impIor'ng Sym
pathy for his poor innocent wife and
:li'd, and hoping tina: all present would
be spared fate as unhappy as his. tie
had previously stated that Wilson was
not his name, but merely an assumed
,ne. McCann is his name.
His speech was listened to with pro
ound silence and produced quite sem
,ation on the crowd assembled; still, 1t
was spoken without the slightest attempt
1t effect or the seeming Of anything ap>
preaching bragadocio. Never in our
ife, have we witnessed man dying on