Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1857-08-26
's'ra.f From the Altoona ,frfpuno-Etra.
X { C U T | ON
DAVID STRINGER MKIM.
%[&\ FOR THE MURDER or 81
SAMUEL TOWNSEND NORfROSS,
The ExEcUTIoN.

! demned man made an effort to commit SUI
eide By attempting toopcn vein in bis left
arm, Immediately above the wrist, with steel
pen. He was baked in this attempt, howcv-
I,er, by the watchfulness Of his guard. Preyi-
GUS to making the attempt, he destroyed the
manuscript of the speech which he had pre-
pared, and which was said to cover some 40
or SO pages Of foolscap
AT an early hour the town began to fill up
with people, drawn thithcr by morbid de-
sire to see or hear what they could of the hor-
riblc drama. AT 104 o'clock, train OF 10
cars, all crowded. arrived from Altoona, con-
tanning between 500 and 1000 persons, to-
getaer with the Logan Rife Rangers and the
Altoona Guards, accompanied y the Altoona
Brass Band
At 10 o'clock the prisoners irons were ta-
ken of. Hymn $50, Watts collection, was
sung by him in conjunction with his spiritual
advisers, Rev. Dr. Junkin, Of Hollidaysburg
and Rev, 0. 0. M'Lean, of Huntingdon, af-
ter which prayer was offered up by Rev o.
o. NJ Lean. The coffin was then carried in
20 the yard by the undertaken.
AT l5 minutes to IL o'clock the pisoner,
accompanied by Rev. Dr. Junkin ami Rev.
y. o. MLean, ascendcd the scaffold The
| rope was adjusted by Sheriff Port At 10
minutes to II o'clock the sheriff proceeded to
read the death warrant Of the unfortunate
criminal, after which he called over thtnames
of the jurors, as follows:
/ Joseph Robson, j r. M'Farlane, J. W
Sellers, NJ. Runyan, c. r MCrea, Id NJ
Graw. Jr., Stephen Hammond. Go. W.
| Reed, DR.. D. s. Hays, A S. M'Grtney,
John A. Lemon and Joseph Jones'
At 10 So DIR. Junkin proceeded toaddress
, those in attendance on the solemnity of the
occasion. His address occupied abon 5 min
utes, after which the criminal was sked if
| he had anything to say. He Immediately
commenced in moderate tone of vice. as
follows: jog s 80 Ri',nt
Friends and Fellow Citizens Il havesteppcd
on the scaffod as murderer, but am N limo
| cent man. have teen wronged out of my life
I by my fellow men who sworc my life away. As
a dying man whose soul will be in etcruty In a
few, minutes, they swore falsely. First # all was
| ,Atticks- As dying man / would atheIbe hung
on TINS scaffold. than that my countr1's laws
should be trampled upon. He (Atticks came to
Blair county and swore falsely. He TOD everv-
thing but the truth. l never went toAtticks'
with Norcross. l never there when money
was paid to Norcross. Atticks is murderer
lie has sworn my life away, and injured ny low
ing wife, my loving son, my aged mothr nv
sisters and my brother. Yet he LOOKED in nv
face and sneered while lying. He told everything
else but truth. Little did he think, whc, he tes
tilted. he would have to stand before the Judge,
God Almighty. fhe don't repent beforehe dies
he'll be damned eternay for the injury h, inflic-
ted on me and my family. But I forgive him.
MIR. Eaton, of Dunleth, Is another Hetold q
! long story. He said that few days befor, star
ting shaved Norcross with the razor withwhich
| cut mis- throat. 1t is untrue. I never shaved
him. 1t was not my razor. I never pnr razor
on my own face nor or any one else's since I
left home. He told what was not true. NY ra-
zor is black handled one and is at IongPond.
DR.. Rumbold was another. He said before
Noreross left that he was a dying nan-s man
present here knows t. Yet he came here and
said he was getting well and that there wat moth
ing the matter with him. At starting Nsrcross
rode mp in wagon with trunks while Eaton
swore he walked up with him. 1t was lie.
Jas. Warfel was another. / never saw War
iel, and never role on sled with any one till |
got on the other side of Williamsport. AS dy-
ing man hope may never see Heaven if rode
on sled with him or any other man till was Is
miles on the other side Of Williamsport. He Is
one OF those who put this rope on my necS He
swore so falsehoods in Won Court House But I
forgive him. and may God have mercy uIon him.
But he never will unless he repents.
These are all no men. They haven't the hearts
of men. May God Almighty bless them am
an innocent man. l care not what the world
may say about me, tell YOU before God am an
innocent man, before God tell you as an Amer
lean citizen. 1 must so either to Heaven or He'll
this minute. but never murdered Norcross This
Is solemn talk and | know you will not believe
me innocent. but God knows it, i care not what
the world thinks. God and myself know it. If
all the blood OF the innocent men who have been
hung was collected in one pool, IL would drown
all the false men who swear their lives sway
These men came to see the trial of M'Kim. They
came expecting to pay expenses by getting lit
tic money from Blair county. They wers false
men and swore link by link my life away They
were not right men. but God Almighty bless
them. They are my murderers. They got this
moose on my neck. They stand charged before
God with my murder. IlIa -.s'l,n s so
a man named Fleck said took breakfast with
him at his house. This was proved false to his
teeth l never took meal in his house in my
lie. m got meal at gentleman's house. not
fleck's house He scorned the idea of coming IN
70 Court and falsely swearing 'Kim's life away.
II ne had come into court and sworn took break
last at his house, it would have been all right. /
don't know his name. He was an Irishman.-
Ills house was near the railroad had a porch in
'front.', which was white think; when you went
IN the bar was in front, the dining-room to the
lett hand and the entry to right Is that Fleck's
nouse! Is Fieck an Irishman2 May God save
rieck he will not, however, unless he repent. |
ne KNOWS he is one OF my murderers. If he is
mere want him to hear it. / would rather die
on o the gallows than be in F1eck's place. In a |
iew minutes must be launched into eternity. ei-
ther Heaven or He'll. Pm going home to sweet
Jesus. Pm no murderer, and yet am to die a
dishonorrbie death, when know Pm not the
I've been United States Dragon Pvc fought
and bled for my country. / boast not Of that.
but tell You of the dishonorable death that I |
must die. Send to Washington for record of |
my conduct. was promoted to Drill master. I |
served under Scott, Harvey and Jenkins They |
all know me. They know Pm man that would |
not cut Norcross' throat or beat his brains cut |
With club. am innocent. / never Gid it. 1 /
am dying man, and if die with lie on NV
ips viii go to He'll must die and lie in that /