, 1859-05-07
SHOCKING CIRCUMSTANCES
.He-saMe< I'rreiptfatsd Fff1een Ffft ty the
<3frtnE N-ay of fAe Ropf!:


III ri t!iosc series 0l appalling cFlHlcs "H'ea
ON their number gave to the brief space Of
me- including these ercnts. place without
ur:.llcl in the annals Of our city, and will cause
he Scarlet 1:ra,' the few months preceding
he midsummer Of 1855. tn be long held in re-
nen,l,ruucr. Yesterday the cuse Of Michael
lcNamec was carried By his naked spirit before
tribunal whose records know no errors, and
whence no appeals are taken, As the erent Of
yesterday, one which created most profound
;casation in our community, it is the more
marked as being tue first instance under tic
,cw regime Of the death pcualty in our State.
In .ic, passed during the last session Of our
Legislature nbo1isle* henceforth the public exc
,utions in Illinois. The following is the first
section Of the ACT, which provides
That xhenescr any Je..cn nha he coclemncd tr sutr
s:tl l., taasns fl aey cTn vf :ish ; s,r re.snp :a
ry, I'D: le :sccd Within lie x:4is Il ta rriu,u of
thu cnty IA ~hlea sai conviction s''i sv tkeu raee
Tie liat Of attendants upuu the scene is lin |
ted hy the same net, 10
n ti x sf'ne; sso a S:sas sks = I'D saf wess Sets
t;,atlLlc citizens. !+ lrct by es h.FG Of his epu'
@ i "a e. n i 1 :t ta Hs'x s ,A i
h., e1c'!uE tiroe a. sa|d et'tai eha; name and sy"f
suc! *z.s"u :.n ";5rs 1t ts prison. deputies
M Ut sstt @ ~ a ss
,-s:> 11'I:'.tstu T. .t-s,t u s'i 1rs'l"n hot :h
.x: M % !, M. u x.. !, ts : IT, a ss 'F
tuttl the execution Of William Jackson about
two ycafs since. nearly score Of years had
,,asst.l without an event Of tue kind in our
cnn,y. Tue ease Of Staub succeeded it the
wear following, that Of McNamee has nearly the
same intervu!.
Those who were ce.nizant Of ii spectacle
turcrd upon many Of our citizens, strongly dis
crt.!itable to our common humanity, the excited
herd IF people wllo On the tw" previous execu-
lions hung about the death passage Of the
wrctcleI ftlons and fnlInwed miles the Sheriff :
curtegc to feast their eyes upon tue gallows and
lis ::l!a>sly burden the humane aud wise will
rejoice that yesterday most striking!y attcstea
the bencfcrnce Of the cllanGe effected. Al WAS
t1rceucy aud stiffness. The Court House. the
| Temple If Justice, was throughout the day
given M to the officers Of the law- The policc
| held 1lc entrances ol the square against tiIr
curious AMI idle .azers. anu within its enclosure
It's Windows cnrtaincd asainst the sunlight. tile
| last drcuh scene was enacted. Those very few
| who have felt tia, it might be possible that i'll
! the abolition of the public execution ii thc
death neualty would be- surrendered tue salu1a-
tary elect Of public warning, must have learned
Yesterday that nothing is lost but the brutal1z
ing and hardening influence of Il spectacle satl
a,inc the baser lastes, Willie the knowledge tina
within the Jill fellow mortal was paving th'
forfeit Of lis life, bad Of dread and awe what thu
open spectacle would lave failed to produce.
prnbablv nlany thousand persons passed q
| paustl ii, t1r Court House enclosure Yesterday
disappointed and dcbarred Of 4 spectacle the,
would not have voluntarily missed. 0ur rail
road men inform us that from towns adjoining
Joliet, Frrrport. kctln>hn, &c, and eycn tro1
Michigan City, there were parties who risitc
Chicago Yesterday ia - see tue hanging. Thcs
Of course possess disappointment little crct
nb]e 10 their tas1e or humanity.
TIE CRIME.
d. uf the three condemned ncn sentenced to L,
y ccntiun on yesterday, May dti al the close {
tl,r January term If the Circuit Court, tw
Finn and ,tumprrtz, irc still awaiting ina! d
: ci.ion Of their case the former under brief re
pitt, as published yesterday, the latter to ava
: tic decisieu Of the Supreme Court under q IN
| tien for new trial.
X The crime IF Michael hcSamcc wa* the III"
* der Of his wife, Jane AcHAmec' on inc hrs'
July, ISIS, III thu tenement occupied " tne
over Wright Curriers' livery stable, on Ac'
~ gan street. where he filled tile place Of host!
- The relations oi tle p"rt'cs were unhappy. ho
- we're "i intelnpefale nao''s' a''a 'ae "'e
y not llesitatcd to rouse the anger OF her husoa
!" by other practices which gave to their wretch
hume no place or hope for peace. The spccia
IN presented ut their roo1ns was shocking o
or IN the fearful morning OF July first. le5s, VT
m the word passed from mouth TO mouth thror
he our city, and hundreds Of citizens gathered
ng ,yitncss the last aua darkest triumph OF the
nd mon of drink, i wife aud mother slain by
>>t husband in the presence Of her children. i
drunken u,arrcl between the hesotted pair.
II Michael McNamce WAS born iu Fcrman
~ County, Ire!ai.l, in the vicinity Of Enniskil
lie was about tl.irty-two ycars Of age, n per
n,,tu, inta1euts ar their cultivation above
"H 1,b,r;u., c1,>, of his ccuntry1ncn. lie has b
~, III ibis country thirteen years, At rhila
a.. n,,;o abou, the wear 1851, he married n &C
49, ,rx,xom,n 1anr O'Drieu, The pair resided
New Haven. Conn, where he was drays,
Thar ,esnr;c. arr Andrew md Mary Jane
'e~ .,,c,;x,lx ff,, and fur Years Of age, clli1f
'Fa IF ,,,rs,l nrnmsc. and who themselves, a
ms H., evmpu,hv iu,]uced by their for}or1
"rn ,,,o,e b,ro r,p n,nnv friends amonr
the ;,,.o tho dre,,, ,rc,t Tim, bas cost i
50 ,.,., ,,,,;. ,,ronts
~