Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1859-12-21
The Execution at CharIestown.

groes, Shields Green ond John Copeland
have just paid the forfeit of their lives The
crowd in the town Is very great. and the exc
cution was witnessed by sixteen hundred per-
Sons.
At nine o'clock this morning, the Geld was
occupied oy the troops. and at seven minutes
of eleven arrived at the scaffold The pris-
oners were in wagon, accompanied by the
Sheriff aud jailor They mounted the scaff-
old with firm step The prisoners had the
caps placed over their heads by the Sheriff.
and after appropriate prayer by Rev, Mr..
North, of the Presbyterian Church. they
we're launched into eternity. Before the rope
was cut, Green was heard to offer up fer
vent prayer. Copeland was Eot heard to
pray. Green's neck was broken and he died
without struggle. Copeland writhed in vi
| olent contortions for several minutes. The
| prisoners bade farewell while on the scaffold,
to the ministers, Messrs. Baugh, North and
Lake, expressing hope to meet them In
Heaven. The drop fell at eleven minutes
after eleven o'clock. The bodies will be pla-
ccd in Jail for burial tomorrow
On the receipt of the news of the attempt
| ed escape of Cook and Coppie, Gov Wise
telegraphed to General Talifferro to take pos
session of the Jail, which was accordingly
| done at once.
CHARLEsrowN. Dec. 16-We have had an
exciting time durin the past twenty-four hours
which has just closed with the execution of
the four prisoners Throughout the day yes
terday there was great influx of strangers
and citizens of the county: who were fockiny
in to witness the last act of the Harper's Fer
~ tragedy. Tho latter came thus early ap-
pretending that they might be detained at
the outposts. as was the case on the day of
| Browns execution. The vigilance exercised
at the railroad depot on tie arrival of trains
was not as tringent as on the occasion of the
execution of Brown, and but little difficulty
was experienced IN getting into town Short
~ after the arrival of the train IN the after
noon grand military dress parade of all the
companies in attendance took place The
troops went through their evolutions with
great skill, and were reviewed By Gen. Talli-
| aferro, who was the ground in full dress.
and mounted on splendid charger. The
prisoners were visited yesterday afternoon by
| the Rev Messrs- Nassau, Dutton aud North
OF the Presbyterian church, aud Rev Bever-
ly Waugh, of the Methodist Episcopal church
The services in the cells were of an interest
ing and solemn character. and were partici
pated In by all the condemned, though it is
now evident, from subsequent events, that
Cook and Coppie, at least, were piaying nos
hopes of life and liberty rather than death
and eternity, at the time they were making
outward protestations of resignation They
all gave an unqualified assent to the conyic-
ton of religious truth and each expressed
hope of salvation in the world to come. Cook 1
and Coppie were the loudest in their profes- .
sions of change of heart, and In hope of I
Devine forgiveness; they freely admitted their 4
guilt, and acknowledged their doom as lust
one, and that in the main they have been /
treated with the utmost kindness by all though
they thought that some of the witnesses were /
rather harsh in their testimony The minis
ters imagined that they had observed deci- I
dedly change In the condition of Cooks mind .
since his interview with his sisters Up TO 4
that time, his calmness and bravery were re-
garded as proceeding from lack of feeling.
but on leaving him Yesterday afternoon. they /.
reported that be had been led to seek forgive I
ness In his prOtestations OF religious convic- /
tions, and hopes of forgiveness, all of which
was undoubtedly intended to hoodwink their
projec; of escape. Cook has been visited
throughout his Imprisonment by the Rev " I
Green North, at the request of the prisoner,
as also of Gov. Wise and Willard The Rev
MIR. North was present at an interview be-
tween Coppie and Mr. Butler, Quaker gen +
tleman from Ohio, who raised the prisoner.
lie describes the interview as au affecting I
one, and speaks highly of Mr. Buffers chris (
tlan department and advice to the prisoner
Mr.. Butler says that Coppie was a trusty,
but very wilful boy. An uncle of Coppie, of /
the same name, from Ohio. his fathers bro
ther, also visited him yesterday the inter
view lasting for over hour; be seemed In
much distress at the sad fate which awaited
his relative
This was the condition of the town. the
prisoners and the military up to seven o'clock
last evening. All apprehensions of an intend .
ed rescue has long since been banisbed, and
nothing was thought of but the approaching
execution; so firmly had the conviction set
tied in the public mind, that military duty
was voted bore, and the finale of the traqa-
dy was regarded as at last approached. at |
quarter past eight o'clock last evening. the
whole town was thrown into commotion bv
the report of rifle under the jail wall. fol- 4
lowed by several other shots from the vicini-
ty OF the guard house, in close proximity to !
the JAIL The military was called to arms.
and the excitement was intense beyond any, 1
thing that had yet occurred during our over
memorable era of military occupation, In /
lew minutes the streets and avanues to the 1
town were in possession of armed men. and /
1t was with some difficulty that the cause of
all this turmoil could be ascertainea. Ru. |
mors of every description were aloat, and it /
was at one time thought that the prisoners |
had overpowered their guards and made their
escape. and then that an attack had been /
made 90 the Jail by parties attempting to res
cue the prisoners,
The bodies of the negroes, after being cut
down were placed in poplar coffins and car
rled back to the jail; they will be inferred to-
m on fho ~ IL