Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1858-01-14
EXECUTION
OF
Am Els P. DONNELLY.


THE ExEcuTIoN.-We copy from the report
of the special agent of one of the New Yorl
Tribune Reporters the following statement
of some facts which we have not yet laid ii
detail before our readers
The interest felt in thesfate of Donneliv i:
greatly intensified as his end draws near
To-day the principal topic of conversation
in every circle is the execution. The arrival
OF military companies from various parts Of
the county, the fact that the relatives Of the
condemned man have bid him a final farewell
and the erection of the gallows, have all ten.
ded to increase the excitement. Five militia.
ry companies are now here on duty, viz the
the Monmouth blues, Capt. Patterson, Of
Freehold and the Monmouth Guards, Capt
Conine, and the Ocean Rifle Guards, Capt
Brown, of Long Branch; the Neversink Ri
fes, Capt. Stevens, of Red Bank; and the
Excelsior Guards. Capt. Valentine, of Fresh
Pond.
The Sheriff has felt it necessary to call
out this large force. in consequence Of
having received intelligence that Donnelly's
friends intended to break into the jail and
rescue him. Although this information
came in an anonymous letter, he deemed it
entitled to belief, inasmuch as he had re-
ceived three other letters from the same
hand one apprising him that the prisoner
had a large SUM of money and a club secret
ed in his cell ; a second detailing the man
ner in which he would break Jail and escape,
and other facts and circumstances, all of
which have since proved correct. In view
of these facts, the Sheriff has taken every
precaution to Illustrate any further attempt
escape. Discovering that every night this
week the vessel employed to carry Donnelly
off was still lowering near the shore, he put
the local authorities in the various townships
on their guard, in case any demonstration
should be attempted.
1t is evident from Donnelly's bearing,
however. that he has lost all hope. During
yesterday morning and afternoon his sisters
and other relatives visited him in his cell.
When the hour arrived for the last parting
on earth, a scene ensued eff the most har-
rowing nature. At this interview with his
twin sister, both of them swooned. She
was conveyed from the prison in a state of
insensibility, to a neighboring hotel, and
his keepers took him from his cell and res
stored him to consciousness. Both ladies
were in a truly pitiable state of nervous
prostration when they left by the afternoon
train for New York. Their father was too
enfeebled to come. Several of Donnelly's
friends from Washington are still here, and
will remain to take charge of his body. It
was his desire that he should be executed in
side 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 gallows in the yard adjoining the jail.
The windows of the Jail were blinded with
blankets, to hide the sight from the con
demned man. But he could hear the noise
of the hammer and the saw in his cell as
the carpenters fitted the frame together.
Mingled with these sounds came the merry
voices of the scholhoys at play, who, Just
freed from their tasks, were laughing and
saouung WIN cnlldlsn glee, under the walls
of the prison.
tThe doomed man applies himself to his spir;tpal
esnrss VIII ifs Great a5a 2sfySdfl RFt s aaa R RFp htfteh hef :s5f
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
afterwards, while the gallows was being erected, he
fell into convuliOns. These medical gentlemen were
summoned TO MS assistance, Dut ne tainted several
times, and remained inseusible for two or three hours.
A few personal friends were admitted to see him
last evening, but all others were rigidly excluded.
He complained that the Sheriff was too harsh in re-
fusing to allow his chains to be taken off during his
interview with his sisters. His attempted escape
however, and the presence of a large number of his
friends, were, the Sheriff thought, sufficient reason
for this seeming severity.
About z O'Clock the medical attendants admins
tered a powerful dose of morphine to the prisoner,
to enable him to sleep during the night.
THE MORNING.
Although under the ~inflence of powerful doses 0
morphine, Donnelly could not sleep last night. The
anodyne, however, prevented a return of the faint
ings and spasms, and ne rested most of the time
comparatively tranquil. About 5 o'clock this morn
ing he fell into a slumber, from which he did not
awaken until afterS 8, when the priests arrived and
he was aroused to attend to his religious exercises.
He was taken to the keepers apartment, where
High Mass was performed by the Rev. DIR. Cum
mings Ne York, assisted by the Rev. Fathers
Young of Princeton, Jocklyn Of the Redemptorist
Fathers in Third steet, and Dutchet of Fordham.
After receiving the Holy Sacrament, he manifest
ed surprising fortitude and talked with his relatives
and others around him quite cheerfully. | UNDER
derstand that he had written a long statement i'm
~plicating various persons in crime for which he is
about to suffer, but by the advice of his friends ne
| destroyed it. His spiritual advisers as well as his
friends consulted him to say but little on the scat
fold, but he seems determined to have his own way
il the matter. About O'Clock, he decended to the
prison work-room, and walked to and from for near
" an hour with his brother-inlaw.
Mr.. Van Deren (the j%ailor) and his wife took
leave of him, when he thanked them for their MANY
kindnesses to him. To Mr.. Van Doren he said.
Good g bye, God bless you, old man; you have be-
haved like a father to me since | have been here
All, well do | remember how you would come to my
cell door and weep over my sad fate"
The stern old jailOr gave way to his feelings, and
| left the room Subsequently, DnnuaIlv ciuoad q 10