New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-07-18
EXECUTION OF JOHN DORSAY

penalty of the law.
During Friday right Dorsay appeared qui'e calm ana
resigned to his fate He retired to rest at O'Clock,
and was awake and dressed at in the morning Pre-
vous retiring he conversed freely with the Keepers
and walked up and down the - ser corridor He gave
words of consolation to John Smith, sentenced 10 be
executed on the 18th proxlmo for tue murder of the
cook Of q vessel the high seas lie told Smith that
he felt for him. and thought that he had been bpiy
treaeo for he believed that he had done the deed In
self defense
Smith seemed very jolly, and remarked 10 Dorsay
that while be Dorsay) would be swinging in the yard
of the prison ON Friday, he Smith you'd be swinging
down the Bay next notwithstanding that lie would be
executed ON Gibbet Island.
Father Du Banquet a Catholic priest was with the
doomed man all night, and gave him spiritual consoa
ton, praying with him in bis cell The pres; sat np
while Dorsay sept, and, upon til. accused awak'ng
and dressing himself the ceremony of Mass Was per-
formed and Dorsay partoob of the Sacrament
Messrs Finley and Smith, wa,chmen of the p'i-on
with Deputy -Sherfs Bensel Stewart aud Stern, re-
NAMED On watch during the night in order 70 see that
the accused did not commit suicide.
The knowledge that al execution to take place
ia the prison drew large concOurse of idle people,
men and womeD about the Tombs, but none were ad-
mitted within the walls excepting those delegated as
Deputy Sherfs by Sheriff WlIett.
The scaffold was erected between the rear of the
main prison and tue outer wall.
Shortly after O'Clock procession, headed by the
Sheriff and bis Deputies, was formed and marched
from the prison hall TO the execution ground. Toe
doomed man supported by his spiritual adviser
Dorsay having been placed beneath the scaiiod the
Sheriff informed him that he could then make auy
ma ks that he desired. He made lengthy speech,
but being mixture of Eoglish, French aud Pctu
guese it was difficult TO understand all that lie sali
The substance of his remarks as follows:
&c rod morning, my brothers aud sisters. L AN
thankful to my Jesus for leaving 10Y health ~ pay
to Him and prepare myself for my God; and | am
content and prepared to meet my Judgment, ani |
hope to see You al in Heaven. My dear friends, |
have been thinking while was prsn hatit wa very
hard to be hung such Sigh evidence a. this lo
the first place, III this Case ! would like 10 know If
anybody on this EARTH standing before this gal
lows OF before God cay to lie that AN the mar
deIer Of this girl, to say that they speaking
~ this girl aby tim, in my e. wish To LET You al
XII ow how my trouble came about this g'rl or this
murder. gave a statement of 1t 10 tue Governor
first, and then to the reporter OF The N T. TRIBUNE
and he gave a state nent vi 1t AZ 1 Told hlIn hnd IL
was correct. l resigned IL my fate and my
death with Christian forude aud die in the grdc; Of
God. 1 am happy in religion, and am content and
/ fol give every in this world gong to meet
my Judge. He is above all ealthly judges, aud nope
He will forgive ue for all the sln have doue;
and hope to meet you all in Heaven. Farewell, all
We brothers an" sisters.
At 10 minutes before 10 o'clock, Dorsay having
taken leave of his spiritual advisers the Sheriff and
other officers, the rope was adjusted about his ueck
and the black cap placed over his eyes. The Sheriff
then drew his sword signal, the fatal rope was
severed by the executiOner, and in u moment. the
murderer was jerked up to the night of the beam,
falling upon the slack of the rope with great violence
e I.I.,r g..
time after being suspended quiveriDg of the frame
was perceptble. After hangng 90 minutes the sur
geons present pronounced the man dead when the
body was lowered and placed 10 neat coffin.
The execution was conducted IA tue most orderly
manner and witnessed by about $50 persons, in
Guiding the Sheriff and his immediate officers.
The following paper is kind OF prayer Dorsay
sent on Thursday night to Miss Foster Matrou of s
City Prison:
Con mence your prayer by blessing yoursef in the
name of the Holy Trinity which makes tile sign OF the
Cross which is the true mark Of Christian, 10 The
following words in the name Of tn, Father and OF the
Son and Holy Ghost, ending with the sign Of the Gross:
thou Heavenly Father, who hast made the heavens
and the earth and all things therein out Of nothing sum-
moon and stars. Thou hast created man To thy own
glory and likeness and thou had placed hun 10 the
Garden OF Paradise 10 par axe the fruits thereof, say
ing to him thou shall If ali the fruit thou behodeet,
but Of the tree of Knowledge with the colnnandment
the moment you eat of thou shalt surely die they no
eat Of the forbidden fruit and that moment they dd
die and true their disobedience will all have to
die. Our blessed Lord promised 10 Adam and Eve
that the seed Of the woman would come, one VINO
would crush the serpents head who had deceived
them in four hundred years. After their was born this
Christ Jesus Of Virgin most holy am pure Luke let
chapter and 48 verse; the Angel Of the Lord said with
sautation Hail Mary full Q. grace, the Lord Is with
thee, and blessed is the fiGit of thy womb jesus
This is the Holy Virgin which has been prophesied by
the Holy Prophets from the beginning Of time, and
whom the Prophet Isaiah said, Rejoice greatly U
daughter of Jeru aem for this day born unto You III
Bethlehem Of Judea new Hing; this tue hiag OF
Kirgs, when in the womb OF our Immaculate Mother,
that the mother of John the Baptist said ., how
great am l that the mother Of my Lord should come
and Welt me-
The following prayer he gave to ID. G. E. FrleI,
messenger in the Prison, accompanied ny Bible:
80, my God, I love Thee above ali things, because
Thou art infnty, amable and deserving ii all iov'
and love also my peighbor myself. For the love
of Thee forgive all who have injVred mic, and ask
pardon Of all have injured.
Good bye, dear friend God bles. you.
DOrsay sent the following letter Ia Mr.. Gray:
"NEw-YoRK. City Prison, July To- 1857.
JOHN GRAY, esq, Wsrden CITY Ptison-iIar Ssr;
am very much obliged a. you for your Kindness t.
since frst placed in your charge, snd alsr O.
all the officers connected with the City Prison Tor the
kindness to me- and to james c. Wilett, the Slcnti
to me since war laced III bis chargr ,,s no,s,v,
DYING STATEMENT.
We publish the following statement OF Dorsay, IN
which be protests his innocence;
"CITY PRIsoS July Il, 1877
Having but few hours to live, wish To maxi
this NY dying statement in relation 10 the crime St
which am charge
81 am innocent of the murder of Annie Neon. NJ
letter TO Gov. King contains sccouut of 81 k1)w
about the murder; the night when was arrested |
had been playing checkers ia the grocsy on the cor
ner of Worth street, and hal drank two glasses OF
GIN left the grocery late To go home and Is weut
up the alley leading from The streetto the rear house