The north Iowa times. [volume] (M'Gregor [i.e. McGregor], Iowa) 1856-1857, 1857-04-17

making him look like the portrait of Ger
rcgio. Winterbottom has his ambrotype
exposed now in Broadway.
Doubtless all can recall many such
paltry fellows, whom we could know at
once were they not so villainously con-
cealed now we have to study them out
This objection will probably be consider
ed a strong recommendation of the beard
with many, and serve the cause instead
of weakening it. So let it be.
B.
Correspondence of the Chicago Tribune.
Execution of Alfred Countryman.
ROCKFORD, March eth, 1857.
On the nth day of November last H.
fred Countryman and younger brother,
came to Rockford with some cattle in
their possession, which they sold at a
price 80 low as to create suspicion that
the cattle were stolen. Sheriff JOHN F.
TAYLOR consequently had Countryman
and his brother arrested and brought be-
fore an examining magistrate, and they
were ordered to find bail to answer for
the alleged offence at the next term of the
Circuit Court The bail not being forth
coming, Mr.. Taylor, proceeded to convey
Alfred Countryman to Jail. After they
had reached the front door of the prison,
Countryman broke away from the Sheriff,
jumped over the fence, and started to run
the officer in close pursuit. They had
gone only some two or three hundred
feet, when the fugitive drew pistol and
shot the Sheriff through the heart, killing
him almost instantly. Countryman es-
capped to the woods, and was shortly af-
terwards arrested by crowd who went
in his pursuit, and lodged him in Jail.
On the 95rd of February last, the trial of
the murderer, was commenced in the
Circuit Court, which resulted in his con-
viclion, and he was sentenced to be hung
on this day.
TIL place selected for the scene of ex::
ecution is some two miles north invest from
the city. The ground rises rapidly from
three sides Of flat or ''swale" in the
prairie, forming an amphitheatre. The
gallows was placed on the fiat, at the foot
of the ridges, so that fifty thousand per-
sons might have viewed the solemn
scene.
About ! o'clock, the cortege started
from the Jail to the gallows. 1t consisted
of five carriages containing the prisoner
and the sheriff and his deputies. members
of the bar, the spiritual adviser of the
criminal, physician, members of the press,
and the prisoners father, brother and
sister. Upon each side of the carriages
marched guard Of some three hundred
firemen and citizens, armed with sabers
and carbines. After reaching the ground,
those in the carriages took their places On
the scaffold. Af.er a short pause, Rev.
Mr.. Crews offered prayer in behalf of
the doomed man, in which the prisoner
seemed to join with great earnestness.
The criminal then addressed the crowd
as follows: -r. ...s.., :
GENTLEMEN AND LADIES II do not
feel able to address you very much. l
am not gifted with great speech. Thank
the Lord there is and above that trust
that may have world of peace. La
dies and Gentlemen, l warn you all to
love God My time here is short, and 1t
is time l should disappear. l have had
great trouble to make my peace; but thank
God l had friend on earth. Blessed
be to God yes, Ladies and Gentlemen, l
can 90 to God with terrible murder to my
charge and when we all meet there we
will find out who is right and who is
wrong. have but a few minutes more to
live. Lord have mercy upon my wife and
little ones, on my old father and my dear
mother, on my brothers and my sisters
and on each one Of you here that we may
meet in world of peace where sorrows
be no more? Praise be to God that l
pray to die that heavenly land where
sorrow is no more-God pardon me p
Up to the utterance of the last four or
five sentences of this address, the prisoner
had exhibited wonderful self-possession.
and although very pale, betrayed but very
little agitation; but at the close his firm
ness seemed to partially give way, and
his language was incoherent and broken.
He sat down upon chair, in the center
of the scatfold and, after parting with
Rev. Mr.. Crews and his counsel, the
Sheriff and his deputies proceeded to
pinion the criminal and adjust the rope
During this, the prisoner exclaimed,
Farewell both friend and foe! Glory
be to God! Glory be to God! Glory be
to God Pm going home GLORY be to
God !" Everything being ready, the
sheriff bade him good bye, and moment
after the fatal bolt was Withdrawn, and at
seventeen minutes past two o'clock, the
soul Of Alfred Couutryman went to the
judgment bar of God! The prisoner
struggled for nearly five minutes, although
his neck was broken, and after hanging
thirty-two minutes, was cut down, and
his body given to his friends. During
the scene upon the scaffold, the father,
brother and sister Of the condemned man
stood upon the ground, within few feet
of the gibbet, and their lamentations were
truly heart-rending.
| A smile is ever the most bright and
beautiful with tear upon it. What is
the dawn without its dew? The tear is