Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1858-01-11

The lest Hsurp q IDsupeJIy. zs=aszss
On Thursday, at O'Clock in the afternoon, the
three sisters Of the doomed man visited him for
the last time The intsrvieww was very affecting
on.. Donnelly, chained and confined within the
bars of his cell, could only reach forth his hand
through theg fafes 70 hid them farewell for aver
They cnversed together in tears for ureaf wh he
but the conversatio On was MAJ permitted tobe pr-
vate Constables, armed vita loaded uauskets.
stood by. When, At last, the moment arrived
when Donnelly and his relatives must cart for
ever, and be reached forth his hand to press his
sisters for the last time, the excitement was too
much for him, aud he tainted away. His two
youngest sisters were carried out of the Jail in a
fainting condition. They departed in the after.
nc on train for New York. Their father was too
eufeebled to come. Several Of Donnelly's friends
from Washington Were there to take charge of
hts body. Ii was his desire that he should be
executed inside of the prison, but the ceiling was
too low to hang him without much NEEDLESS suf-
fering. 4e.,tss Z go ---.r.9 .s-
About four O'Clock the workmen put IN the
gallows in the yard adjoining the jail The
windows Of the Jail were blinded with blankets.
to hide the sight from the condemned man But
he could hear the noise Of the hammer and saw
In his cell as the carpenters fitted the frame to-
geth~r. Mingled with these sounds came the
merry voices Of the schoolboys at play, who, Just
freed from their tasks, were laughing and shout
ing with childish glee, under the walls OF tue
psikop. N-.h
During the afternoon Donnelly tainted again,
and he was very low-spirittd the rest of the day
His conf-ssor was with him frequently during
| theday. He did not sleep at all that night; NOR.
Prime was administered to him, and In the early
morning he fell into a doze, which lasted about
an hour
The Courthouse and Jail were guarded by the
military during the night.
His coffin arrived in the afternoon train. and
was conveyed into the courthouse. DonDelly
hoped on Thursday to see the young lady of
Washington to whom he was engaged to be mar
Rcd Heretofore he refused to see her until he
was tree Gas he expected to he pardoned.) but on
that day lie wrote a telegraphic dispatch request
ing her to come and see him before he died
Doanelly's friends, fearing the consequences of
the interview, telegraphed to her relatives not to
allow her to come. This fact, however, was not
communicated to him
In the morning, he met Rev. Drs Cummings of
New York, and Jungkel and Young Of Prince
ton, Catholic clergymen, with whom he Joined in
devotional exercises. Rev. DIR. Cummings ad-
nlnistered the communion, and Donnelly was
Invested with the seapatar. He appeared to be
very devout. The noise of theshammers of those
who were preparing the scaiiold erected I'm the
prison yard heard distinctly at this time, did not
seem to affect him. At the conclusion of these
exercises Donnelly retired to his cell, and there
remained with his confessor, occasionally visited
by his friends, awaiting the hour appointed for
his execution. BY his sentence, he was to be
hanged between 10a IN. and p. m. The Sheriff
decided to take him to the scatold at II O'Clock
The scene in Donnelly's cell just before he was
tad n.,f l.oz ,N,I
impressed itself upon the minds of all VINO be,
held 1t. In this narrow apartment, the grated
door Of which was thrown open, were the prs-
"ner and the clergymen who attended him. Ia
peTs were burning on the table. Donnelly ap-
peated to be, at times, engaged In prayer at other
times he conversed cheerfully with those who
Were with him. His face, though very pale
wore singular expression OF resignation He
was dressed in suit of black broadcIotb the
same which he wore his trial, with an en-
brodered shirt, and collar turned over a black
neck-cloth. Ii was while arraying himself in
this suit that he remarked to one of the consta-
bles, with a smile, ''These are Donneliy's grave
clothes The hair OF the prisoner, which was
very black and glossy, had been efmitted to
He wore wbiskeIs and a slight moustacbs His
features were regular and handsome with the
exception OF his lips which were thin and press
ed together nightly One of the priests was
dressed in his clerical costume, and he Id in his
hand small cruCifx. The grated bars of the
cell, the pastures of devotion of those within the
soft light shed by the tapers through tie other
wise gloomy dungeon, and the circumstances
which surrounded the young man-he would
have completed his twenty fifth year, had he liy-
ed, on the 26th CT May next-about to be led out
out to expiae upon the scaold the terri ole crime
or whic h ne had been convicted, ali conspired to
make the scene a most impressive one
At ndif-past eleven O'Clock he took small
quantity OF brandy: He took from his pocket
several letters, which were directed in envelopes
and gave them 10 Messrs Newton and Cozzsps
two OF his friends To the latter he said as he
handed him letter, give that to her upon your
arrival at Washington. Soon afterwards he
partook Of bowl OF coffee and glass of Bran
dy: after which be wrote a brief letter 10 a dis
tant friend.
Al five minutes Def IRE twelve o'clock Donnelly
was led into the prison yard, into which Inn
lied lumber Of spectators had been tuimlttsd
hundreds or people from th- tree tops and house,
in the vicinity looked down. The giDbrt-a rude
structufe-stoud al one extremity If the ward N
consisted OF two wooden posts and d cross beam
and paiiy, over which passed a rope 10 one End
Of this were attached several wei9h hts 1852 lbs !
which, when permitted TO drscend would drag
up the other end to which the moose was To he AT.
tached On either side OF the prisoner, who was
not pinioned, walked the clerg ynian who had
been with him. and the officers As soon as he
had reached The platform under the galiows hp
kn-lt, the spectators removed their hats and
Rev. DIR. Jungkel offered a prayer. Donneily
then arose, and spoke for nearly two hours, ad-
dressing himself to his - f,i~nds Of New Jersey
New York, aud from his own loved home of
Washington y
His speech Is considered the most elaborate
and eloquent that was ever delivered under the
circumstances. He referred feelingiy TO the
death he was about to sntf.r for a crime of which
he was wholly innocent. lie thanked his old
schoolinates and friends who had gathered about
him in his last hour and prayed that every bless
ing OF God might attend them through life
The most remarkable portion Of his speech is
that, i'm which i'm reviewing the evidence In his
case he accused other pafties of the murder He
said:
civilian w. Smith, the proprietor OF the
Seaview House, stands before God with the brand
OF a perjured sinner on his brow, more than DON
nelly does. have some questions to put to that
man j am not carried away by the realities of
my position. but have some questions to put to
that man, which must be answered before he
leaves this world. In the west passage Of the
Seaview House there were tracks OF a bloody
foot Donnelly, the alleged assassin, could not
not have made them, for he Was not in that part
Of the house. Albert :. Moses was not there on
that morning. Who do we know Was there that
morning in his bare feet! Who do we know
was there in his shirt and drawers that morning
William w. Smith,
His sDeech consisted for the most mart ~