The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1856-01-24
Execution OF Rice. DrfskiII and
Stocking mt Lafayette.

SsOCAtus ut btAAAyc cttcs
In the Lafayette Journal, of Saturday, We
find an account Of the execution of these
three marderers whose names are at the
; head of this article. The Journal saws:
Abram Rice, Timothy Driskill and David
5 M. Stocking, yesterday underwent the ex-
treme penalty of the law, by suffering death
on the gal.ows; Rice and Driskill for the
murder Of Cephas Fnrenbaugh, on the Gath
of May, 1855, and Stocking for the murder
r of John Ross, on the Sth of January, 1856,
Previous to the execution Stocking &C.
knowledged himself to be a wicked man,
that he could not boast of the consultations
of religion, and would die sinner. He
: declared, however, that he was innocent Of
the crime for which he was to suffer, and be
regarded that as a sufficient Offset in the sight
of God against the sins of which he was
actually guilty. He subsequently admitted
that he had no hope of Heaven, and on men,
ton being made of his mother and wife,
said that they were good women, and that
he never expected to meet them hereafter.
Both Rice and Driskil manifested the
greatest indifference to their fate. Stocking
declared himself innocent of the crime for
| which he was to suffer, and declared that he
was the victim of u conspiracy on the part
of the friends of Clark and Longley, who
in this manner obtained for them commn-
tuton from hanging Imprisonment for life.
George and Charles Rose. sons of John
; Rose deceased, came in about one O'Clock,
and vainly endeavored to induce him to d.
vulge what he knew in regard to the death
5 of their father. He solemnly asseverated
! his own innocence of the murder, but ad-
mitted that he knew who did it; beyond that
he would say nothing.
At twelve O'Clock they were asked if they
D were ready for dinner. Rice replied, "Yes;
e am hungry Driskill said that he want
, ed "good old dinner. as it was the last"
he didn't want to die hungry. He remarked
to Rice, "Well get supper some where
g else Abe" The dinners were brought in
8 and dispatched with great heartness.
= After dinner each one of them in turn
:, washed and dressed himself for the final mo.
ment. They could rot have made their
i tcilet with more deliberation and GOODNESS
!. if they had been going to frolic. Drs-
q kill, when washing, remarked through the
window, near which he was standing, to
T. some one outside, that he was "getting Q
II good ready" In putting on his shirt, Rice
" biSSONSiNu tHtIC "de uultOu
il Drskill told him to sew one on; Rice re.
piled that he hadn't time. Driskill non
chalently reioined that there was "un houl
It yet" He conplimented Rice with looking
= "d-d starchy." Rice, as he finished, OBJ.
i. served: "WelI, gentleman, ! reckon there
- never was willInger soul TO die than ain .
" Stocking said nothing, but conducted him
&c self Gas he did throughoaO with dignity ant
r, firmness. He was dressed in a blue clOtf
a Grock coat, black cloth pants, black satin
vest, boots and hat, presenting a respectfu
appearance. When he was done, and his
/ arms had been piuioned, he sat down on {
Is bench and picked up a newspaper, which he
,r composedly read until the preparations o
# the others were completed.
At 2 O'Clock they were brought to the
scafold. In answer to the usual demand o
the Sheriff, Rice said
,fI was at Farenbaugh's on the night of the
>. murder. ri tell you all about il. Long
- ley and Clark came to me the day before
3 and asked me to buy taem some powder
G and shot. They said they were going tc
l. the ice house. and as some other feler:
!. might be there they wanted to be prepared
Clark went with me and we bought five
y cents worth of powder and ball. after
l. wards met Longley and Clark at Hagger
a ty's; asked them where they were going
They said to the ice house, and asked me It
go along. We met Drskll at the swing
" bridge. 1t was raining, and he had an um
brella. We all went to the ice house.
The rest went in but was too drunk Il
: climb the ladder. | laid down at the cor
ner of the house and went to sleep. They
walked me when they came down, and salt
I there were women there. Driskll wanted
TO take me back home, but insisted on 60
ing along. When we got to the other side
OF the wide water, Longley proposed tt
change coats, and said if would act the
g. cripple that we would have no difficulty il
'e getting in.
of Iagreed. We went up to the house ant
;e knocked. Farenbaugh, suppose it was
e, got up and opened it. The boys forced m
n, in. There was low fire. | sat down in
IN chair by it. Had no sooner done so, than
l6 heard a pistol 1t appeared to be behin
Is my back, next to the door. 1t was all owe
is in less than minute. We started to run
h, asked the boys what it all meant, but go
"a no answer. We parted this side of Allen
n whole truth. am going to die. am NJ
COWaTu3 out ule lHHOCcHI vi eltlleI HiuIuel v
robbery. forgive my enemies and hop
e that God Almighty will alSo forgive them.-
is leave my love to all.
re He then knet down, inclined his hea'
re forward, renarking that he had "seen mel
1s hung" by which we understood that he re
lie garded that as the proper position. Driskil
on observing it, said: "Abe, are you goin!
k, to kneel!'' Rice answered "Yes.' H
I'd then turned to Stocking and said, "Stock
8 which way is the easiest to die--kneel o
n stand! want to die the easiest way
he Stocking replied that he should stand un
nd less he thought there was danger OF tn
nd rope breaking. The sheriff assured hir
d, there was no danger. He therefore stoo
w up, but Driskill kneeled.
Ill The caps were then drawn over thei
i, faces, andfat twenty two and halt min
ct utes after2 o'clock the bolt was with
ut drawn aud the culprits launched into ete1
'g nifty! None of them gave evidence of prt
to tracted suffering. A slight spasmodic az
e; ton was observed in Rice for u minute {
in two, but, as far as we could see, neitht
ay Stocking or Driskill moved. After hang
ca ing about twenty minutes, the physician
D. present examined them, and pronounce
up them dead.
ed -
ho A FAST MaE.-Speaking of fast men, "
y. are reminded of Thomas Holmes, one of Il
90 pioneers in laying out the city Of Chicag,
" Of Milwaukee, Janesville, and other plac
n L l.