Kanawha Valley star. [volume] (Charleston, Va. [W. Va.]) 1856-1861, 1858-09-21
Execution 81
lPRESToN 8. TIJRLEY.

Ibiis crime--the murderEof his wife,
/ lie vas the first white man ever ex-S
Iecuted ID Kanawlla county and it was
4 scene that will long berernemb efed.
| Aside from the monrnful sefemnities
usually attendant on sdch 2 scene, it
presented many striking features
which, we presume, have seldom II
leYerbeen before Witnessed.
lat an early honr in the morning.
our streets were crowded with i mnI-
Efitnde Of persons who canlero witness
1.-The dread spectacle, and A. the hour
ELof ten approached 1.-The time get by
Sheriff SLACK for leaving the jail
lIeFery avenue to the Jail was filed
with the expectant crowd. y
\ During the morning, the Prisoner
was perfectly calm and collected,
having spent q portion Of the preyi-..
oas night in company with Rev.
Messrs. Smith, Brown, Clarke and
Dorsey. He shaved himself, dressed
| himself with care, and was much
more cain, than those who were about
him. Up to the.momeht ofhis leav-
Inc, the Jail, his whole conduct was
/ more like one about starting onIa
Tourney Of a few hundred mile, than
that OF one who was about to lie Wis
Hited By the dire penalty Or The law,
and totake tile fatal leapinto y dread
| eternity. Still il did not seem to be
| The conduct of the bfayatlo, who
wished to gain eclaf, although his
yahity-his predominatiilg trait
may have hed something todow with II,
lii said it was the result of his calm
HcohTictfon, that he had made bis
peace with bis Maker WE presume
/ there are many who doubt Ills con !
version who think that one wloahai
lso frequently and So awiully sinned
against the laws Of God and man,
could not 50 readily make bib peace
with the Almighty. It il not our
province to attempt TOT decide the
point. We will only say, that II the
forlitude whichsupp ported him through
/ thetryihg hours Of that day, was the
result Of i delusion, It was happy
Edelhsion for him, and i most perfect
one,
The prisoner was very strenuous in
itheIwish that his aged father and
mother. and his own three little girls,
sIlwhp had come to town the evening
[betpre, should goto the gallows and
4 witness his execution although i
was their intention to@return early il
the morning. This was 50 far over
ruled BY friends, that bis twoHeldest
4 girls, WHIP were old enough to have
i 1.-THE scene impressed upon them
through life, remained al Mr.. Kelly's,
Having bid his fellow prisoners fare
\ well, precisely at 10 o'clock, be was
/ led out ofhis cell, when he kissed bis
4 children, and took an affectionate
farewell ofahem, ezclaiming, \ i il
4 hard 10 bear, that 4 cannot have my
'llastIwish gratified, = alludingItoI his
4 wish to have his children 60 tx tbs
gallows.
At 5 minutes past 10, he entered
1.-the Omnibus, in which were seated
Sheriff SLACK, Tailor KELLY, Mr.
!, Mnts, who hadbsen bis night guard
Dr. WATKINS, the Jail Physician, and
1.-The Rev. Messrs. BRows, SMIrH, PAR
rERseN and CLARKE. The Omnibus
was surrounded BY a volunteer guard,
|. Charleston being without any regu-
fIlarlY organized military company.
The prisoner, in passing from tlds
! Jailto the Ferry, bowed ~ many Q.
2 his former friends, ana appeared 10
: Be tie calmest individual ii the com
|, Epany.
Abs minutes past 10 the pris
nerascended the gallows with q firm
. steps and took his seat, accompanied
Thy the Sheriff and fhe clergy Rev,
I Mr.. Brown then repeated the .Iirsl
line Of tl,e Hymn, 4 When 1 Acar
i readsmy title clear. ! with aIIrequesl
!, that az who conld, woald join in TIL
: singing of Il. The prisoners voice
: Twas one Of the most prominent il Chi
assemblage. The Rev Mi. Smitl
then read d portion Of the 18th chap
ter of Luke the parable ofthe returl
Of ths Prodigal Son. The Ray Mr
Brown then prayed, 70 which th'
prisoner for 3 time responded, bu
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