The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1859-12-23
More Vindication Of Law,

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Five more of those who were guilty of
treason and murder at Harper's Ferry,
Virginia partners in "o!d BRowN's" in
famous plan ofrapine and desolation in the
Southern States-met with their just de
serts on the 10th inst. The following are
the particulars of the hanging:
CHARLEsrowv, Dec -
At half past eight o'clock, Cook and
Couple escaped from the Jail, and were
fred upon BY the sentinels and driven back
to prison. The, are now in the custody
of Sheriff Campbell. The prisoners had
mounted the Jail wall when they were dis
coyerel by the sentinel on the outside,
who Immediately gave the alarm and fired
upon them. They had sawed their mana
cieS asunder with the blade of barlow
knife, which they had concealed and made
into fine saw:
It is ascertaned from their confession
that they have been engaged in preparing
for their escape during the last ten days.
They made hole in the wall, near the
window, which they concealed with paper;
hiding the bricks, they removed under the
bed Upon the alarm being given they
made no resistance, but surrendered as
soon as they discovered by the shot of the
sentinel that they were detected.
The event has produced the utmost ex
element here, and all are on the alert =
Major General Taliaferro is directing eve
rything in person, and will maintain in
uninterrupted supervision of affairs until
after the execution. We do not apprehend
any further difficulty.
Further PARTIcULARs.-A sentinel
stationed near the Jail reported that at a
quarter before eight he observed man
IN the Jail wall whom he challenged, and
receiving no answer, fired at him. The
head of another man was also seen above
the wall, but he retreated as soon as the
first one had been fired at. The man on
the top of the wall seemed at first deter
mined to resist, and was about making
an attempt to jump down when the sent-
nel declared his intention of impaling him
on his bayonet; he then retreated into
the Jail yard with Couple and both gave
themselves up without further resistance.
Cook afterwards remarked that if he
could have got over and throttled the
guard he would have made his escape
The Shenandoah mountains are within
ten minutes run Of the Jail wall and could
he have reached these, with his thorough
knowledge of the mountains, his arrest
would have been difficult, especially as but
few of the military could have followed
him during the night.
They had succeeded, after two weeks la
Dor, whenever alone, and at night. when
their bed clothing mutfled the sounds of
saw which they had made out of 40 old
barlow knife in cutting through their iron
shackles, so that they could have put them
off at any moment they should have their
work completed. They had also made a
sort of chisel Of an old screw, with which
they succeeded, as opportunity would Of
fer, in removing the plaster from the wall,
till space large enough to pass through
was opened, all except the removal Of The
outer brick
The part Of the wall on which they OPP
Grated was in the rear Of the beds on which
they slept, and the bedding pushed against
the wall completely hid their work from
view; the bricks they took out were con
cealed in the drum Of stove and dirt and
plaster removed in the course Of the work,
and placed between the bed clothes.
They acknowledged that they had been
at work Il whole week in making the aper-
ture in the wall; their cell being on the
first floor, The aperture Is not more than
five feet above the pavement of the yard,
and when freed Of their shaczles their &C
cess to the yard was smooth brick wall
about fifteen feet high.
This was, however, soon overcome with
the aid Of the tiinbers of the scaffo}d on
which Capt. Brown was hung, and which
was intended for their execution on the
succeeding day. TheypIaced these against
the wall and soon succeeded in reaching
the top, from which they could have easily
dropped to the other side, had not the VIC
lance of the sentinel on duty quickly
checked their movements.
They were arrested in the Jail yard by
Gen Taliaferro and an officer of the day,
who rushed to the jail the moment the
alarm was given. Sheriff Campbell and
Ca 1T. Rives are, of course, much chagrined
at this narrow escape of their prisoners,
and especially as they had resisted all in
reference of the military with the interi-
or discipline Of the Jail.
SHIELDS, GREEN AND COPELAND HUNG.
CHARLEsTowN, Dec IS
The negroes Shields, Green and Cope
land have just paid the forfeit Of their
lives. The crowd in the town is very
great, and the execution was witnessed bv
l 600 persons. At o'clock this morning
the field was occupied by the troops, and
at seven minutes of / / o'clock the process
sion made Its appearance. 1t arrived at
the scatfold at IL o'clock.
The prisoners were in wagon, accom-
panied by the sheriff and jaior They
the scaffold with a firm step
The prisoners bad the cap placed over their
heads by the sheriff, and after an appro-
pirate prayer by the Rev. Mr.. North, of
the Presbyterian Church, they were launch
ed into eternity. Before the rope was cut
Green was heard to offer up a ferYent
prayer. Copeland was not heard to pray
Green's neck was broken. and he died
without a struggle. Copeland writhed i'll
violent contortions for several minutes
Tho rriSouarS ho1a farauali ,,.I;Io -, H.