Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-07-24
LATEST NEWS.

HE TRAGEDY IN MORGAN County, Mo.-A
PoIsoNER llUNG.-'fhe following is full account
OF an affair in Missouri, which was briefly men.
TONED yesterday. We copy it from the ST Lou.
is Daily News,
MoRGAN Co. Mo-. July &.
About the Sd OF this mouth the spring belong.
ing to the Prairie District Of Morgan county was
found to be poisoned, or at least the people ina
gined 40, with just cause, | suspect.
There were at this time thirteen or fourteen
children aud the teaoher, who after partakng of
the water were taken very sick. The spring was
analyzed and found to contain arsenic ut lenst
the doctors III that neghborhood thought So. A
man by the name of James Ray. who had about
week before perjused himself in n court of Nor
gan and his word was proved 10 pass for naueht
by thirteen or fourteen neighborsand who swore
that he would be revenged on the whole neigh
horhood. and who to make the evidence moro
strong against him, had taken his children away
from school Il day or two before, was taken up
upon suspicion; hut there not being sufficient ev-
idenoe against HIM he was told that il he would
leave the county IN five daysasoortel Ivy guard
10 the limits ofthe county, and the State us soon
rs possible he might go. He was taken 10
house and n guard put over him. but owing to
trcaohery or negligence he was allowed to escape
lie then went to Hickory county, and several
persons pursued him and took him up on tho 9th
OF July IN that county, when they brought him
back aud determined to hang him.
This morning, runners were started before day
break TO announce the intelligence. | went up
TO the school house which was his prison; when
arrived, found the crowd assembled around u
rock, on the summit of which was Il Minister Of
the Gospel, named Green, addressing the mob.
after "A few remarks he called the Immediate
neighbors around him, 10 the number of seven
teen or eighteen, who Ind children al the school,
to decide upon the persons's fate; they consult.
ed together for few moments when he (Mr.
Green) announced that they had decided that
the prisoner should die in one hour; brief time
to be summoned before an offended God and 10
eternity.
There was no excitement no noise-all was qui-
ct and orderly; the prisoner, who was very calm,
spent the most of the hour given him in prayer,
and looked at the clock only twice to SEQ how
rapidly the time flew by, and gave no other signs
Of uneasiness and was as cool rs possible; at the
end of the hour he taken out and got upon
horseback himself, when he was escorted to the
gaows which was limb thai had been fixed but
few minutes before. He then desired that Il
paper, headed james Rays Comic sion." should
be read aloud before aud after his death. Mr..
Green. who took u prominent part in it, n he had
two children who were expected To die every mo
ment from the cifecss of the poisoned water, read
it aloud, but il only IA reileraon of his vows
ofinnooensc. The prisoner was ,hen given talr-
ty minutes to speak and commenced.
"Geaiiemen and hoaordbfe citizens Of Morgan
county and State Of Missouri: | come not to
plead for mercy; am an innocent man; | don't
come before You with darkened forehead or n
downcast eye; come determined to die brave,
and | shall die without tear in myeye. Gen
tlemen take ofmy poor wife aud children,
and SEQ that they have plenty to eat aud 10 wear.
He looked up at the limb, aud not muscle Of
his face quivered; he only spoke twenty minutes
and had ten minutes more; he asked 10 pray dn-
ring that time and sad; Il will MT keep you
long, gentlemen md il nm n'nut" or two ov-
err my time hope you will excuse me-"
He then got upon the bench and remarked that
no thought the rope was too short rs ne wanted
to fall further that he might die easy, as he had
seen persons before die hard when they did not
have fall enough. The rope was fixed round his
neck, and he tied the handkerchief over his face
himself and called all ofhi- friends to tell them
good by; he kissed one or two of them and said,
Il am innocent " when the bench was pulled
from under him, but the rope not being fixed right
he had 70 be lfted up again until the rope was
properly adjusted, when he died in about five
minutes. There were about $50 or 300 persons
present. and no one said n word in his favor.