Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1858-09-09
ORLEANS, AppANoosE Co., Iowa,
July 18th, 1853.

ORLEANS, APPANoosE Co., Iowa,
July 18th, 1858. !
EDS. CoM.-In travelling through South
ern Iowa happened to lay in this village,
about eighty miles West of Keokuk, at
the time that the extreme penalty of the
law was to be executed upon one William
H;nkle. | witnessed the execution-thc
details cf.the manner in which this is done
in this Western region may not be unlnter-
esting to your readers. Orleans is vii
loge Of about twenty horses, situate on the
dividing line between Appanoose and Da.
ris counties, not a county seat, but selected
rs the place for the execution of Hinkle
because bis crime was committed In Davis,
but his trial and conviction took place, by
change of venue, in Appanoose. TIE
scaffofd was erected in the morning: 1t
consisted of platform ten feet square,
supported at the corners by posts stuck IN
the ground. The platform was about five
feet from the platform; it consisted of
frame work three feet wide, extending
along the entire south side of the platform,
attached to it by hinges, allowing it to
swing down readily when unsupported
From the platform 10 the tops OF the posts
supporting it was about eight feet; upon
upon these tops were placed cross timbers,
and upon these extending over the trap
door was beam firmly fastened to the
cross timbersS To this beam was to be
attached the fatal rope. The rope that
supported the trap door was already at
tached to this beam. This latter rope ex-
tended along the beam over the platform
in such a manner that it could be cut by
the executioner when his back was TO the
condemned. 1t will be perceived that the
fall was about four feet. Tho place select
ed for the execution was near a ravine Ia
the prairie, the hill ascending gently on
either side, and 10 considerable distance
The hour for the execution was tive
O'Clock P. NJ, but from an early hour in
the morning, along every avenue leading
into the village poured continuous stream
of every possible description of vehicles
drawn by horses, oxen, and mules, all fill
ed to overAowing with men, women and
children, and these vehicles ranged them
selves regularly on the hills overlooking
the place of execution. This continued
without abatement until the hour of exc
cution, when the hill as far as the eye coult
see from the ravine were covered with liv
ing masses of human beings, of all sexes
ages, and conditions. 1t seemed as j
Southern Iowa and Northern Missouri hat
sent forth all their inhabitants TO witness
the ignominious death of a fellow being
1t is idle to attempt to estimate the tn,
number: I heard it variously estimated a
from ten to twenty-five thousand. Til
day was exceedingly hot, not breath @
air stirring. Your readers who have bee
in prairie upon such day may unde
stand the condition of the mutitude-br
no city is half so hot as prairie when Nc
relieved by breeze.
The prisoner was confined at Centr
vile, the county seat of Apponoose, unit
the day of execution, and he did not reac
the ground until about o'clock. Befol
his arrival, his coffin, covered with blac
velvet, was placed upon the platform
The sheriff's guard consisted Of one hui
dred horsemen, armed with almost evel
species of weapon. Their approach W,
announced by the solemn notes of Il