New-York daily tribune., 1858-07-31
EXECUTION OF JAMES KELLY.


aud every mail at iefi The metropolis of Ansr;c,
this mor1irg viz bear them abroad, flying Is il rsre
ot the wigs Of tho wind 10 every other city ald into
every vlsge ard post-cfce ard twsDtysour hours
have eepsed from the one L which James Kelly ceased
10 breathe mlcrs Of rceu, women and children VII,
have iesd that Jenes Kelly was hanged yesterday.
"Wbat for, mother viii be the exclamation OF
little lps lite drink in TIE words, printed, With
al tie detail Of hoirid ccurns.ancss. 10 every daily
psper printed this mornrg in .ts city and not only
here but the telegraph hss already sent the message
to ether cities and tie types will epes. tha, J.nss
Kelly was hung yesterday.
"WL6t fer mother" VINO shall answer that
cbid's mometucus question VIII it be answered if
it is replied that few moths ago. being brutaizei by
Indulgence in rum, which is permitted TO be soid
coumon ss bread, beirg bruts.ized by such inill-
serce and maddensj by fsnced wrongs, in f. OF in
iaDe ies,ousy hs stabbed ard killed lis wfs, the
mother of iust such little children as tho,e who ask
while hearing that James Kelly WAS hung yesterday,
"whst for, motherl" They may be told tina. such is
the law; but Il will not arswer the "What for" did
they hspg him. They may be told that ne guilty
Of murder-thEt twelve nen "a. in solemn concave Is
Coror er's jury, and heard Witnesses swear TO TIE
fact that lie nor no one else disputed. and then
soiennly prorounced him guilty; and then
twelve other uen eat in secret concave es Grand
JuIois, and heard tie same Witnesses swear again
10 u1d.puted fao.s ard they "found true
biz" that lie did kill his wfs; ana then
other twelve men sat ss petit Jurors, snd
heard the witressss testify sga.n, and law
yers plead that lie wss AID that he was not
erd the Judge charge them 10 give a verdict ac
co6ipg TO evidence and they aso said he was guilty
Of murder, and tie Judge said that the law said he
nust DC hung Il great deal Of saying and doing
over poor feroworeaure who had, It IL true, done
dstd that urtted him to associate any longer with his
kind for which lie shoud at orce have been SHUT up
and compelled to spend the remainder OF bis life IN IA
boz for the support of bis poor lite Children, whom he
had deprived Of their mother. But tue law said hang
him the Jury said hsrg him," the Judge said
"lsrg him, and so James Kelly was hung yesterday
Stn the little child ssked, What for, mother
The child might still further ask "wh.t for" Wa, all
the dsplsy snd parade AID attendance at the jail in
Brooklyn Yesterday TO witress the extinction OF lte IN
a fellow creature. True, curiosity night have
prompted some Of them "to see man hung But
what fer were two companies Of men IN military array
with guns ard bayouets and for sught we know, bal
cartridges, brought into the prison yard and KEEP. un
der arms for hours awaiting the hour for man to be
burg. If they were needed al all they were nesded
on Il outside, 10 the rabble Of nen, women aud
cdildren-msny of TIE women with infants in their
af,ustiat hung around the prison door, crowdng tas
seps the sidewalk the pavement aid over across the
street watching every tins TIE door opened to catch
glimpse Of something that should tel them that
man had been hung within those towering wa'ls, ha-
yond those grated windows, and tha. bolted, barred
ard guarded door. Is it possible that curiosity can De
SO strorg in mother that che will come TO see hefso
ard bring her children with her, to see q man hung
What for, were there two companies OF .hs Metro
pot.n Police psraded and kept standing s~elter-
ing row in the sun in their wooden uniform
costs. and then bearing the petpg Of the
rsin and for houIs enduring the most tireso'ne
POSITION of ",tanding at ease. Ii the police were
needed here at al, it wss not to guard that poor
subdued creature who walked mp to the gallows with
tie rote around his neck, meeky as lamb to the
shsmb,e,. lie needed 10 coerc;on--he walked with
bis two priests by bis side and knst when they b,de
him. ard locked upon the cross and the image Of
Christ thereon while they said prayer, and then got
up and walked with the Sheriff and stood under the
daryl rg rope while the oficer hooked it into the loop
around his reck. lie neeisd 20 urging or force to
bring him TO the fatal spot Before the black cap was
drawn down over his eyes, his last of them was to
look Up at the rope and the beam over his head, snd
hand gently waived az signal for On unseen msn sta
TONED inside TIE prison wall, to sever the rope that
held the opweghts, and down they fell aud the man
vert up, suspended by tie neck where ne struggled
tes,ully for few minutes and then he was dead-the
law was lsatisied-justice sppeased-cunosity graf
s} at least On tie part Of those inside, for they had
seen nan hurg.
But outside-yhat a scene! Has a den Of wild
that
ell this police force s needed There hundreds OF
BOYS and young mer-the seed that viii surely grow
more urdersrs to make occasions for such scenes
as this ike ravepous wolves in pur-
suit Of prey climbing up the high fence that bounds
the yard The east to peep through the cracks and
see man hurg. Tearing off boards and tearing one
snother, and scaling high roofs and cliubiDg trees
vsinly entesyoiiDg to get sight inside tie yard
where six hundred men are standing and have been
satdir hour after hour Of painful waiting, to see
nan burg lis outside, among this wild mob OF
screaming young wolves that the police we're wanted
They were not wanted inside fer there we're hurdreds
Of men to whom this motif ,stion had been Issued:
SIR You ne hereby summoned TO attend a; he County jail
Friday July 80 1885, II oe!oet As p.Pay sh..if 20
assist preserving 'e peace on I5e o9e',s q toe sAs0a d
Sheriff Of Krs, Couniy.
Dated Brooklyn, July y, iS5a
To preserve the pesce. Heaven Selp Us thst We
could, a. 60 well preserve it az to dispense With a.
such occasions as this for breaking it. Ii we could not
find sty better use for murderer than numbering him
in turn, we would DO it in more peaceabie way than
by public hH ging-for public ii is IN all respects eI'
oept that it is Witnessed BY smaller number within
than j. would be without tie prison walls bit the ce-
uoralzirg fl, cts about the Nne out OF tea
of these temporary deputy sherhs seek for such sf
poItueLs solely to get tickets of adinissioH as 20
circus or wild. beast show; ard they 60 and eoue,
- ~ Ia gf