American Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1855-1860, 1859-11-17
ne ExecutToI a a.. Y.ouI..

joseph w. norrton. Who murdered JO-
sePh chaTIsss OF 81. Louis. o the Shot
June last. ws.exssuisd il lAAt ely % Eds
day. Thornton. il viii bs Ssesiisslsds sss
been Secretary Of the BOataeDS Sewing
Institution. bat being discharged sSd sab-
sequeo,ly arrested for rObsiSs lie vaults.
be became desperate. and murdered, as
above stated. one Of The RrisciPal ei.iaeel
fr The pEosscatieA. Though ths trial had
rssulGsaip 80 Icapi,sai. Ff0r1lCS. .hda
expected repSete from Gov. .AleyaIl:
but itDever camp. He; however. bore he
fass with mueh6rmnsss sod vas much en-.
gagged during ihs lA,,er parl q bis cOofue,
neSt. 10 listening 10 The heins,rnetiO6s Of the
Catholic Priests who attended him. We
Cad in the R-pnblican the following dss.
EeIption, ol the exeouliop. which taking
place within the jail walls, was witness ed
Toy oSly seventy 6se perSoSs:--E CircInus-
ii Gasstle. NYy- ~ iS3aK'IF0I 4
Al 8 O'Clock the prisoner. who was IL
tks act % smokt0g eigas 70 eomposs bis
nerves. was EdmmO Cd At'bis csllsb the
lofIieers. and responding with alaoFiiy TO
the esll. proceeded with oFalhsFs SadtOis
and Fsel,sn down sisirF. Some little time
Wss required in making passage 70 the
EscalIon 81 driving back those spectators
/ whose curiosity was SgreAter than their
breeding. Atsight minutes af:sF three.
ThorptDna Wlp Vas dtesssd in . daFk sack
leoai. butloped mp to the thvpat.l and dark
pants; made his appeaFapee slothe bottom
of the siaiTs leading io,ihe gallOws. s Here
be disergsged bimpelf from the psiesls, ,and
spFapg nlmbly. up the steps, never Altering
Or showing the lspst trsnots TheeiWS
cleygymen HhomlEs have named sls0c asr
cendsd 70 the platforms accompanied lby
Deputy MaEshals Cunningham Ewes and
Linn. When Thornton was seated be
spoke : IeW Eortsp with cheerful ekptss-
sion Of fcountsDancei 10 Father Feeb o. apd
then cast cold end ratbeF restless look "a
lhe crowd below him. HsTWas not pale,
but rather seemed fusbed. AuSigeFonb
movement Vas observed 10 thsmnselea !ol
bis jaws. once twice. sWhichsppeAred u
say or mean. 'NoSl wilLba 6rm. andthis
was abont al that cOnld bsase1i0 HE face
as in aHy way iaterpreiing v bat MAS going
on in his bosom. Thornton had previous.
ly stalods ihst be- would mot admjnistar to
any morbid curiosity Of the crowd BY max
ing any speech 70. them, and. bad expsess.
4 ed . desires that Che. exeeutloa sshoald he
made as brief ~ possible. In accordance
With this wjsh.s there Wss No, Tises perform
led on the gallows. such as prayer or sohg.
but almost Immediately ai,srSiha. Marshals
had assembled. Thornton araseto vhisS feet
sdysueed a step end looked towards Tbs
4 officers. as, ito notify them Iof his stesdi
EnOsss iThersnpon. officer CHHnipg ham took
from his pocket The death yarrspts Which
was tied Eilhoa black ribbon, sbd sealed
with q black weieE,ss ftsl8Bna5 sl6sso1 !
Daring the Feadiag Of this doeomsbt. /.
4 Thornton slood erect, with bis hands IN HE
side-co4t pockets rocking gently. TO sapd
fro on his feet, sAtsthes scanclasioa. which
wAsieleysp minutes after three. he Wal
placed on = small box over The trap door,
4 where be. stood apparently without a The
movement Of q. mnscls pr. a nerve. until The
4 white scapIwasip put sovers bis bead and fsoe,
\ bis arms piaioned togethertat The helboWs,
with accord, end albsa hangman's 9, loop nd.
jusied about bic neck,i 4 Duringa time
the priests were engaged in silent prayer,
| At three o'clock ard fonr,een, minn,es The
spring was touched. lhe door fell heavily
against the poets supporting the, scslfold,
and Tborpson descended FIVE leet with ,
suddep plunge, which hToke bis meek. Fol
nearly thres mihuteg his body 'upderEenI
Icopyulsions and cop.ortionsa horrible, IL
! took upos.in ghichone Of bishspdsc clptehD
| ed fhe platform, in, which be seemed te
1faise bimself up : moment spa then, drop.
i Every muscle 10 bis, body qniverrd FiiB
trenof, apd occasionally tbe. limbs, would
Wriihe as though stirred with The most tuI
mulluous agitation, ,Tbs spasms yecurrsd
q intervals Of thiItysOr iorty. seconds, lbsI
came less, and less sewers, until twenty
minutes after three, when they, ceased al
negeSber, ,Aler the lapse Of 6iieen min.
[utss,, be was taken down and placed ip I
fmetsfic coffin which had beer, provided
lDrs. Philips. Asno aud Wstpaa. y6So, had
been. spm9npnsi ], then exsmiped The body,
land pronounced isQaiis liielsssss Ths.iacs
did pos exhibit any signs rol ,pOnyulsiopsI
| ths eyes fbOpgh open, were not distorted
land, with The exception Of a slight indigo
ttinge oi couptepapCes there. had bsen ,bnl
little change The body was dsligsrsd Il
[Ricords, tls VpdsilAker.t and Immediately
Conveyed 70 The hearse. which was 10 wait
ling, with 4 reti6ps % csrriakes Tor the oEfi
GERS and others. in front Of the jail. synf
By this time. several thousand, peop).
| had assembled around tbs walls ef the pris
4p, 70 satisfy u morbid ipquiltiyspess. 70,
foolish ss nwss upaceonDtNhls. Ths, rs-
mains were taken 70 Calvary pcemsiery
.Od placed II 'lAs receiving ysplt - SNa'
ThofhiOp was .hiay;sishl, years ei. Age
4 4 tAs as tine q his dsath,.s d . siss sdl
III. ipsmsquNsw York lEIseaS6. .s'4s
Nnw fYoKK! Nov. 81 l2Tne TFibun,
k6gates out The result of',H6o sIsStiorr res
tefdsy. asfoliows: ls leo olseN Ts6',s
The ave STATE ollieArs Oh the "A mel lean