Weekly hawk-eye and telegraph. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1855-1857, 1856-04-16
From the Auburn American, March 20. /.
A Scene under the Gallovvs.

EXECUTION OF JOHN FITZGERALD, AT AUBURN-A
HARDENED CRIMINAL. =
In accordance with the sentence of death
passed upon John Fitzgerald, he was this after.
noon, at three o'clock. hung by the neck until he
was dead.
Fitzgerald will be remembered through all
time to come as the most atrocious murderer
whose name stains the annals of crime in our
country. At the dead of night, deliberately, and
therefore with full knowledge of the monstrous
atrocity of the act, he seized an axe and butch
cred, in cold blood, his father, his mother, and
his brother. There is no paralelto this heartless
| fendish murder. s,
We learn that the unfortunate man passed his
last night on earth in profound slumber. This
| morning he bathed, dressed himself with scru-
pulous care, and partook Of avery hearty break
fast, which he seemed to relish with a keen ap-
| petite When one of the attendants entered his
cell soon after, he made no allusion whatever to
the dreadful trial that was SO near at hand, but
playfully offered to wrestle with him! 8
Every necessary preparation for the execution
Yesterday. The gallows is the same that was
used in the execution of Wyatt and Baham.
There has been no execution in this county until
Ftzgerald's, since that Of Baham, which occur
red about four years since. !.
| Though the snow was falling fast, and the air
Twas wintry, yet hundreds of people, among
whom were number of women, congregrated
about the jail. The Willard Guard preserved
perfect order. sses (.
| About o'clock we we're admitted, with a
number Of others, into the cell occupied by the
murderer When we entered he was standing
upon the window sill, shouting through the win
dow to the crowd outside. He jumped down,
and entered into conversation with Hon. G..
Morgan, DR.. Hyde, and others present whom he
knew. He was dressed in CATER boots, dark
panst and shirt. His hair was coined and oiled
with scrupulous care. When he leaped down
from the window sill, he turned with a gay and
reckless air to the company present, and laughed
heartily at the crowd gathered outside, receiving
the pitiless peltings Of the storm.
He said in reply to question that he would
like to take little chloroform, if it would be of
| any use; but as Tor bleeding he regarded it only
as torture, and if allowed to do so would not
| submit to it. He said he wished to submit to no
torture schile he lived. ts,s s,ss,. u.
| One said to him, sJohn, if the Governor
should come in now and commute your SEN
tence to imprisonment for life, would you like
it?n
''No, sir" he replied; 81 Would step right out
and pull hemp in preference. Ihad rather be
hung than go to prison for life!"
he stated that he had been treated kindly by
the Sheriff and his attendants, and then, for a
few moments, seemed much disturbed and nerv-
Gus.
A doctor present asked him if he had any OBJ
jections to giving up his body to be dissected.
We were shocked at the inquiry, but he replied
with loud laugh, ssS Is 81
No, sir. You would look pretty cutting upmy
bodyl" s53..
1t was announced to him that clergyman
wished I'm coo him "a. He ron1iod -ssEE
eff he comes in here he'll get my fist, that's
all! What good can he do me no'og don't
want him."
An earnest appeal was made to him to forgive
his brother. He replied, 8
.That he had kind words only for those who
had been kind to him since he had been IN
prison."
He utterly refused to forgive his brother!
Said he, sGo ahead. You can kill mc-thats
all you can do! Can't you arrange the hanging
SO that can touch it off myself / want to
die-Im tired of this Jail life, any way.
Happening to see US use small note book
and pencil, he became much incensed, and wish
ing to know whether we were taking down ev-
erything he said. sY
The gallows was arranged SO that the moose
hung about three feet from the floor, directly at
the entrance into the apartment. It was exam
ined with much curiosity by those present A
weight OF ABOUT tuEee uuuuIeu pOuuuS N0S ~
tached to the fall sos rs
The Sheriff entered the hall, and said that the
prisoner requested that not word should be
uttered after he was brought in, and that the
execution should proceed in silence. Prior to
this he had knelt down in prayer with the Rev.
Mr.. Ives, manifested much emotion, and shed
tears. Sill he could not forgive his brother, or
acknowledge the horrible atrocity Of his chine.
The prisoner entered the corridor, arrayed in
Z gown Of white, which covered him from head
to foot. He had on q pair Of dark pantaloons,
and CATER boots. He was placed under the
moose amid profound silence. He was appar-
emily cool, firm, and bore himself bravely At
that dreadful moment. While deputy was
adjusting the rope about his neck he took UNI
bragg at something that Was done, and exclain-
ed, sGentlemen! don't torture me-hang me. il
you want tot" And then added to some one
near him, epm pretty hard boy!"
BE turned to Mr.. Morgan, and asked if chloro-
form could be administered TO him. The reply,
Of course, was in the negative. He never spoke
again. The white cap wss drawn over his head
the rope was put around his neck The vic
tim was ready for the execution. The specta-
tors stood breathIesa. His arms were pinioned,
and his wrists tied together. He stood firm and
unmoved BE did not quail even a that awful
moment. We noticed that his fingers twitched
little, and that he twirled his thumbs some
but there was no exclamation, no prayer, no rob,
no sigh, no repentance. "A
At precisely six minutes after three o'clock.
the rope was cut, and fitzgerald vas switched.
with violent jerk, about three feet from the |
floor. The hoist must have broken his neck -
he struggled very little. A few conyulsiyc
ncsemenis about The chest we're alone visible.
In less than SIX minutes the physicians declared /
him dead, and alter hanging Tie required tiu,e.