Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1857-08-27

szzzasszs--sszzssz
would ask no man to do wrong, if it cost me
nay life.
" have been hero three months chained,
and part of the time handcuffed Don't
blame anybody but myself, and you all knew
the reason why: for trying to cut ray hob
bles."
Here he spoke of handouts on his hands
being SO tight as to make his arms bleed.
He then spoke in kind terms of those who
visited him in his cell and prayed for him.
He spoke of DIR. Junkins and Rev, Mr.
McGlain discharging their duty, saying:
"They came here and prayed for me like
Christian men, and have been the mitigation
of saving my soul from hell"
lie next spoke of the Methodists, and
the kindness shown him by the people of
Hoilidaysburg, and called upon God to
bless them all.
want you to think am pleading the
TRUTH | am not like the witnesses they had
no ropes around their necks, ready TO be
launched into heaven or hell, or they never
would have sworn my life away.
81 have boon charged with more crimes.
have seen it in the papers. | am supposed
to bo the murderer of two more men. They
never said anything about that until was in
chains, but God Almighty will have something
TO say about it. He knows that never killed
man. hope never to see the Kingdom of
Heaven if ever / killed a man. l am also
charged with stealing horses. Fellow-citi-
zens, | never stole horse, or any thing, ex-
cept fruit, and there are few who have not
done that. Never, as / am dying man. d.
| steal an, thing but fruit. Amt it hare for
a man to be accused when he is chained in
prison and can't defend himself? Let me say
God has something to say. love nay fellow
men, but | care not for what they say when
false | am not the man am represented to
be. | can die without a tear, for have moth
ing to fear, bless God | have made my
election sure. In Christ / have placed my
trust, and when leave this scaffold | shall 60
homo to Heaven, and hope to meet my God,
my aged father, who has gone before me, my
mother, wife, child, sisters and brothers.
What care for this death? My friends care,
for they have not stain upen their character.
1t is not my fault, God Almighty knows it. !"
He then made some allusion to his at
tempt to commit suicide, and said he was
instigated to do it by the devil, but was
glad he did not accomplish it, for then he
should have been Z murderer indeed and
gone to hell.
He then concluded by singing
"McKim will soon be launched into eter-
nifty, and his soul will go to Heaven"
A portion of scriptures was then read by
DR.. Junkin, and the Hymn beginning with
prepare me gracious God
Who now stands before thy face
was sung, in which the prisoner joined A
prayer was then made by DIR. Junkin, after
which the clergy, his counsel, the officers
and others took leave of him. The rope
was re-adjusted by the Sheriff and the cap
placed over his face
In a few words he again reiterated his
innocence of the crime for which he was
to suffer, ending with g | iell you as dy-
ing man | am innocent. Tell the Sheriff
| am now ready"
At twenty minutes of one o'clock the
Sheriff drew the rope attached to the prop
of the trap, and the body fell. a few up
heavings of the chest and all was over,
After hanging twenty minutes the physi-
clans pronounced him dead, and he was
lowered into his coffin His neck was not
dislocated-he strangled to death His
neck was little discolored, but his tongue
did not protrude His face was livid but
looked natural
There were some three thousand persons
in town, and there was some drunkenness
and fighting, but not so much as one might
have expected. A party has just passed
my house, singing in chorus
''ro see McKim the crowd came in,
Some drunk whiskey and some drunk gin''
So that Captain Whiskey has evidently
been about
The Sheriff tells me that he had $500
applications for admission to the Jail yard
by persons anxious to witness the execu-
tion, and it was with great difficulty the
crowd could be kept from the jail door.
1t is due to the witnesses to state that
no person present believed a single word
Of McKim's statement in regard to them.