Squatter sovereign., 1856-05-06
From the Auburn American, March 90.
A SCENE UNDER THE aALLOWs

Execution of John Fitzgerald at sfu5urr
II Hardened Criminal.
| In accordance with the sentence of death
passed upon John Fitzgerald, he was this
afternoon, at 8 o'clock, hung by the neck
: until he was dead.
Fitzgerald viii be remembered through
all time to come as the most audacious
murderer whose name stains the annals OF
crime in this country. At the dead OF
night, deliberately, and therefore with full
| knowledge of the monstrous atrocity OF
. the act, he seized an axe, and butchered
in cold blood, his father, his mother, and
his brother. There is no parallel to this
, work of heartless, fiendish murder.
We learn that the unfortunate man pass
ed his last night on earth in profound
slumber. This morning, he bathed, Dress
ed himself with scrupulous care. and par
took of very hearty breakfast, which he
seemed to relish with keen appetite.
When one of his attendants entered his
cell soon after, he made no allusion what
ever to the dreadful trial that was SO near
at hand, but playfully offered to wrestle
with him!
| Every necessary preparation for the ex-
ecution was completed by the sheriff and
his deputies, yesterday. The gallows is
the same that was used in the execution
of Wyatt and Haman. There has been
no execution in this county, until Fitz-
gerald's, since that of Haman, which oc-
Cured about four years since.
Though the snow was falling fast, and
the air was wintry, yet hundreds of peo-
pie, among whom were number Of wo-
men, congregated about the Jail. The
Willard Guard preserved perfect order.
About 9 o'clock, we were admitted,
with number of others, into the cell oc-
cupied by the murderer. When we en-
tered, he was standing upon the window
sill. shouting through the window to the
crowd outside. He jumped down, and
entered into conversation with Hon. C. |
Morgan, DIR. Hyde, and others present,
"AOAA aiS Ai1CUs 41C WdS Q1CSoSG III
boots, dark pants, and shirt. He had on |
neither coat nor vest. His hair was comb |
ed 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 |
pittiless peltings of the storm.
He said, in reply to question, that he
would like to take little chloroform, if |
would be of any use, but as for bleeding,
he regarded it as only torture, and if al |
lowed to do so, would not submit to it. |
He said he wished to submit to no torture
srhale he kred.
One said to him, " John, if the Cover
nor should come in now and commute Your
sentence TO Imprisonment for life, would
you like it e.
" No, sir - he replied {" I would step
right out and pull hemp in preference. l
had 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 few moments, seemed
much disturbed and nervous.
A doctor present, asked him if he had
any objection to giving up his body to be
dissected We were shocked at the in
quiry, but he replied with Loud laugh
No, sir! You would look pretty, cut
ting up my bodyr'
1t was announced to him that clergy
man wished to see him. He replied:
eff he comes in here, he'll get my fist >
that's all! What good can he do me
no,c! I don't want him. L
An earnest appeal was made to him to
forgive his brother. He replied:
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.
Sad he-'' Go ahead! You can kill
all you can do! Can't YOU
arrange the hanging so that can touch
it off myselfs ] want to dle-I'm tired ,
oi JAN Tie any way.
Happening TO see us using small note il
book and pencil, he became much incensed F
and wishing to know whether we were v
u taking down every thing he said" c
The gallows was arranged so that the q
moose hung about three feet from the floor, o
directly at the entrance into the apartment.
1t was examined with much curiosity by I
those present. A weight of about three
hundred pounds was attached to the fall.
The sheriff entered the hall, and said
that the prisoner requested that not a word +
should be uttered after he was brought in. b
and that the execution shor,lS n-..a