Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-02-18

Double Execnlfon In PitrsDurs.
Henry Fife and Charlotte Jones, the
McKeesport mmderenxr~ hung in Pitts
burph on Friday, the 18th inst. The wo'
man IS said to be the second executed IN
the State. The sentence OF the law was
ce,r;ed into effect in prisate-officers, cler-
qvmeu. reporters, DC, were the only per
sons admitted to witness the terrible spec
tacle. On the scafold Fife read his state
ment: and the statement of Charlotte
Jones was read by Mr.. Williamson. Both
confessed the murder of old Mr.. Wilson
and bis sister, expressed their penitence,
and Fife attributed his crime to thirst
for gold and the stimulation Of drink
Charlotte gave as the reason, her great
love for Fife, and desire to get money to
90 10 house keeping. The statements as
sert the entire innocence of Stewart, under
sentence of death for the same murder
The statement of Charlotte Jones was read
last, and of the closing scenes the Gazette
says:
During the reading of this statement, the
prisoners manifested the greatest tender
ness for each other, and appeared to real
ize that they stood each upon the verge Of
that eternity from which now few fleet
ing moments separated them.
When Mr.. Williamson had concluded,
Fife came forward and made several other
incoherent statements and exclamations,
mostly being a reiteration of what he
had already said and protesting the inno-
cence, intire and complete of Monroe Stew
art. Mr.. Brown then offered most fer
vent and melting prayer. Then the priso-
ners sat down and Charlotte Jones broke
out into the most uncomfortable tit of weep
ing and groaning; these sobs and groans.
mixed with incoherent beseechings and
prayers to the throne of grace, complaints
and meanings against those who had won
from her as she said in her frantic exclama-
tions an Acknowledgement of l,er crime
with the expectation on her part that she
would be used as witness of the Com
monwealth. The scene became inexpress-
IDLY painful. Strong men broke down be-
fore the awful sight; men who had been
on battle-felds turned their backs or with
drew; those whose gentle ministrations as
ambassadors for God had led the wayward
feet of these poor criminals to Christ as
they had sometimes dared to hope, could
scarcely bear the scene, SO mixed of all
that is awful and all that is painful in life
and on the verge of death. Rev. Brown
to Rev. Bell that it might
soothe the poor creature if he (Mr. Belly
would offer prayer, with which suggestion
the latter complied, and the effect was
such as be had supposed it would be-
When the prayer was over, then remained
the final scene. The elergymen and Mr..
came down from the scaffold.
Fife called Jailor Philips to him, bade him
goodbye, and asked him to forgive what
ever be had against him, if he had any
thing. The jailor shook him by the hand.
assured him he had nothing against him,
and bade him goodbye. Fife shook hands |
with almost every one in the Jail yard
There were perhaps forty persons present.
Then the man whose place it was to
pinion the hands, adjust the rope, etc.,
came forward, wearing mask and dressed
in fantastic sort fgarb, and performed his
duty.
The last words Fife said before the plank
dropped from under his feet, were that "he
died game" This he did not say publicly
but said it to turnkey who stood near by.
1t is said that he assisted in adjusting the
haIte. about his own neck. The other poor
wretch had the fatal moose placed over her
head while she was yet groaning, weeping
and praying for mercy of heaven, to whose
bar she has gone.
At from fhree TO six minutes past two
o'clock, ,the fatal spring was touched, and the
aw was indicated. They both fell at the
same instant OF time They had together
planned and executed murder that has
a parallel in the criminal annals
If this country-mu:dered two inoffensire
md helpless old people, in the dead hour
# the night, for few dollars. They had
,een arrested together, been tried together,
and sentenced together, and at
he same moment of time are to stand before |
hat dread tribunal 10 the eyes of whose
Judge all things are open and cannot be
lid.
The bodies hung some 25 minutes
Fife dropped like lead, and scarcely moved
muscle of his body. In eight minutes
lis heart ceased its beating, and he had
'essed into eternity beyond even the faint
st sensation of present being. Charlotte
Iones was dead in four minutes after she
ell.