New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-01-09
7TJE FATE or DONNELLf'
u,vq,xo WITH his RELATlyEs,

a.,.;op. The auIval Of military companies from
.ous parts Of the county the fact that the relatives
IN. condemned man have bid him final farewell
"a ,so ere ion Of the gallows, have all tended TO in
grease the excitement. Five military companies are
now here on duty, viz: tie Monmouth Blues, Capt.
Patterson, aud the Monmouth Guards Capt. CANINE
OF Freehold; the Ocean Rife Guards, Capt. Brown,
pcLong Branch; the Nevcrsink Rifles Capt. Stevens,
of Red bank; and the Excelsior Guards Capt Nalen-
fine, Of Fresh Pond.
The Sheriff has felt Il necessary TO call out this large
force in consequence of having received intelligence
that Dsaneys friends intended to break into the jail
and rescue him. Although this information came in an
snonvmous letter he deemed entitled 10 belief mas
,nucl ~ nc had received three other letters from the
same hand one apprising him that the prisoner had
,lsrge s,m Of money and Clubsecretcd in his cell;
second detailing the manner in which he would
break Jail and escape and other facts and circum-
stances all of which have since proved correct. In
xeU of these facts the Sheriff has taken every pre-
caution TO Illustrate any further attempt at escape
Discovering that every night this week the vessel
employed to carry Donnelly off still lowering
near the shore he put the local authorities in the va
rious townships ON their guard, in case any demon
s.Iation should DO attempted
III. evident from Donnelly's bearing, however, that
he has lost all hope. During ycsterda! morning ana
afternoon his sisters and other relatives visited nm IN
bis cell. When the hour arrived for the last parting
on earth scene ensued Of tho most narrowing nature
At tbe interview with his twin sister, both of them
swOoncd She was conveyed from the prison 40
state of insensiby, to neighboring hotel, and his
keepers took him from his cell and restored HIM to
consciousness. Both ladies were in truly pitiable
state Of nervous prostraton when they lett by the
afternoon train for New-York. Their father was too
nloCl allx,fs fri ia from
Washington are still here, and will remain to take
charge Of his body 1t was his desire that he should
be executed inside Of the prison. but the ceiling was
too low to hang him without causing much needless
suffering.
About four o'clock the workmen put up the galows
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 o.
the hammer and the saw in his cell the carpenters
fitted the frame together. Mingled with these sounds
came the merry voices of the schOOlboyS at play who
lust freed from thertasks laughing and shouting
with childish gee, under the walls of the prison.
The doomed man applies himself to his spiritual du
Ties with great fervOr but still protests his innocence
He suffers dreadfuly, and his whole nervous system
seems nearly broken up. When his family and the
Rev Father Cummings Of New-York left him to-day
he was completely unnamed, and soon afterwafd
while the gallows was being erected, he fell INTO con
wilson's. Three medical gentlemen were summoned
70 his assistance but he tainted several times and re-
manned insepsbe for two or three hours few per-
sona friends were admitted to see him last evening,
hut ALI others were rigdly excluded. He complained
that the Sheriff was too harsh in refusing to allow his
chains to be taken of during bis interview with his
sisters. His attempted escape however, ana the
presence of large number of his friends, were, the
suiic
severity.
About o'clock the medical attendants administered
powerful dose Of morphine TO the prisoner to enable
him to sleep during the night. What effect 1t pro-
duced have not yet ascertaned.
His brother-in-law informed me few minutes sihce'
that Donne'ly has prepared speech, or statement,
which se will read tomorrow morning, on the scaio!d.
xVbst its tenor NAV be has not been divuged The
Rev. Dr. Cummings, of New-YOrk, says that Don
nelly certainly believes himself innocent. hardly
think thai under any circumstances he will make
confession. II was thought this afternoon, when his
sickness became known, that he had taken poison
but do not believe, if he had ever so good an oppor
funity of doing it. that he would outrage the feel
ings and the faith of his family. His friends think
that tomorrow he will meet his fate Ike man. 1t
is more probable, however, that his feelings will
overcome him. as ne is of ar extremely nervous tenn
permanent. am informed by his friends that the
Sheriff has announced his determination to exhibit the
body on the Courthouse steps, after the execution
in order that the public may be satisfied that he was
really hanged Surely this is an outrage upon the
feelings Of the family of the unfortunate man, wholly
uncalled for ard | hope that the Sheriff will think
better Of il. AND further ii seems TO ma that 80 far
rs the satisfaction Of the public IL concerned, the
privacy Of the execution is merely nominal. Ii will
take place in tho courtyard of the jail, it is true;
but unless am much mistaken the top of the 2allows
rises several feet above the top Of the wall, and az
the unfortunate is to be elkcd up by the neck to
within few inches of the crossbeam, spectators in
The street may satisfy their curiosity to Il conSid-
cradle extent. The gallows is simple cross-beam
set in a frame with pulies which the rope passes
Two hundred and fifty pounds Of iron will be attached
TO the rope and when the stay IS cut by the Sheriff
the cuprt will be erked up into mid air with force
sufficient to dsocate his neck. The moose, and black
cap, were borrowed from the Eewlork HGngman for
the occasion. They have often been used for like
purpose before and will be required al the Tombs, in
all probability. week from tomorrow. Last evening
he can and moose were exhibited to curious circle
by the person who procured them from the Tombs
The cap il old and worm-eaten ard the rope, which
has an enormous knot at the running moose, Of fine
YAK small and flexible, but very strong. Il was made
by tine New-York HaDgman, expressly for this pur
pose.
The village is fun Of people who have been attracted
hithe' 10y the execution, aid the sheriff has been be
seged with applications for admission. understand
that the number of spectators within the ipclosure vii
be very few. Donnellys trunk was removed from
Tie prison tonight, and his coffin which arrived in
the aftenOgn train was convened into :, c,,,rt