Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1857-08-29
EXECUTION OF d. s. McKIM.

sAltOnl IN This Stute, S8VtTut tuOutuS Sl0C
was executed at 20 minutes before | o'cloc
This afternoon. He made long speech o.
the scaffold, occupying nearly two hours, il
which he gave sketch Of his career througl
life, and alluded to the murder, and attempte,
10 show that it was not probable that he di'
il. For some time past he lost the usua
cheerfulness that nc manifested in conversa
tion and became rather melancholy.
The prisoner slept during the greater por
tion of the night. In the morning he opened
a vein in his wrist, but was timely discovered
He then ate hearty breakfast. 10 fit O
passion he destroyed the manuscript speecl
he intended making on the scaffold.
At o'clock he commenced devotional ser
vices. which where continued until he was
brought out of the jail.
Rev. Messrs. Junkn and Mclean and the
officers, accompanied him to the scafiold
ON the scaiIold he spoke for an hour and
seven minutes, the prisoner protesting his in
nocence to the last. His closing words were,
IL leave my poor mother, wife and child to
the care of heavenr' And then turned to the
Sheriff, directed him to so ahead as soon as
be pleased. He spoke very loud and distinct
and classed many Of the witnesses at the trial
as liars. But ho said he furgave oil and be-
lieyed he was going to heaven and to Jesus.
The drop relf Mt thrty-6ve minutes past
twelve o'clock, the unfortunate man dying
without a struggle.
In addition to the above, the Bulletin has
n despatch giving the following particulars /:
last night people from distance came
snto The town and SO great was the rush that
beds could not be procured at the hotels and
many were compelled to lie upon floors, tables
and chairs.
This morning stream Of humanity COM
ynenced pouring irto the town at very early
: tatt, t,ol oI,nn tor tlntth thtrt
of but the condemned and his approaching
end.
The sheriff was beset yesterday and this
morning, BY persons who were anxious to get
within the prison walls to witness the last
dread scene: but very few out OF the i'm
meuse throng were gratfed in their wish TO
he allowed to enter the enclosure and the dis
annotated multitude had to rest contented
with gazing at the prison walls or in picking
nm such scraps of information from within
doors as were retailed outside.
All sorts of rumors were in circulation dur.
ing the morring, and those who went out OF
the prison doors during the forenoon we're
eagerly questioned by the crowd, what the
condemned was saying and doing and above
all TO ascertain whether he Lad made any con-
tcssion.
McKm slept soundly during the greater
pnrt of last night. At six o'clock THIS NOR
ning he attempted to commit suicide by open
ing vein in his wrist with peice OF glass.
Tho blood flowed freely for awhile, but it was
3iscoyered in time to prevent serious results,
md the wound was Immediately bouEd up
close watch was then set over the con.
:emned wretch to prevent second attempt
i the same kind. Neither the awful position
Z The condemned, his attempted suicide, nor
z;E being roiled in the attempt to destroy him.
self. effected bis appetite, for he ute hearty
breakfast,
Ereai calculations were made Gu the man.
lsc~ipt statement which the condemned had
,repared fnr the purpose Of reading under The
,sHows. aud many thought that in it would
,e found an admission OF his guilt, out THIS ex-
,eetation was disappointed this morning when
I was announced that Mex i'm had destroyed
the paper he had prepared. 1t seems that,
RE lit Of rage he tore The statement 10
pieces. 80
The rcport Of the attempted suicide Of the
mnr,lerer aud of his having torn the much
talked of paprr TO pieces, created an immense
spnsatatiun out Of doors, and the excitement
welt up TO fever heat.
Atfrlceu minutes past ten o'clock the con-
demned man was led out Of prison to the gal
lows After mounting the scaiiold Mcklm
proceeded to address the assembled crowd,
and he.spuke for one hour and five minutes.
he denied his guilt most >ehement!y, and said
that he declared before God aud with his last
breath that be died al innocent man.
McKim said that no had never either COM
mitted murder nor stole money, or anything
else. He also said that Attioks Flerk and
another witupss had sworn away his life on his
trial.
At twenty fyo minutes before one
o'clock Sheriff Fort pulled the drop aud the
wretched criminal was launchedin TO eternity
declaring his Innocence uutii The last
mpnt.
There were three military companies on
duty around the jail, and notwithstanding The
immense crowds in the town, everything pas
sed off quietly.
After The body is cut down it will be handed
OVER to the relatives Of the malefactor who
have had prepared handsome coffin for its
reception.
1t will be remembered that the crime for
which Nick i'm has suffered the extreme penal
ty of the law was the murder, in January last
of a young man named Samuel T. Norcross
formerly Of East Lexington Mass. Norcross
had gone from his home to the West in the
capacity of music teacher. After residing
there for some time he returned to Massachu
SPltS allu DOTTOWcu SlUuu IIoiu mo SIelelS'-
This money he returned with TO the West and
invested it in lands in Dubuqc, Iowa and Dun.
leith, Illinois. The property rose so rapidly
in value, that he commenced the study o
medicine with DIR. Burnhold, relying upon tht
interest of his money to support him, In the
meantime an abcess formed Oh his left side
which became painful and he determined t.
return home. Mckim who made his &C
auaintauce accompanied him. Norcros
obtained his money in Mckims presence
Abe two started in company on the journe
-Mckim treated Norcross with great kind
ness until he had won his friendship and es
teen and finally killed and robbed him on th
I.norning of the 9Th of January last, on th
Pennsylvania Railroad track, three miles wes
of Altoona. where the victim was found in
dying condition, by some laborers on the sam
morning probably two hours after the con
dnission of the deed.
The murderer managed to evade the officer
of the law for several weeks afterthe commi
sion of the crime, and he was iually capture
in mountainous spot in Columbia county /
n Mr. WOlfe