Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1859-12-19
COOK q ooPPIc ON THE SCAFFoLD
Dt.pOsai ortho DodIo..


The condition OF tblngs was vastly changed
on my arrival yesterday, since my visit TO
Charlestown on the occasion of Browns exc
oution People had become tired and woared
out The soldiers were wishing that the exc.
cutions were over go as to get rid OF them --
Cook and Coppic had been exhibiting most
unusual flow of spirits.
LAST INTERVIEWS OF rHE CONDEMNED WITH
THEIR FRIENDS.
Cook, since the visit Of bis sisters, Mrs
Crowley and Mrs Staunton, on Tuesday last,
has been very oheerfdl. ..#.t
Their meeting was a very ohectionate CDe
The meeting of brother wi had been lost to
them for years, undeF such circumstances, was
of a character that battles description. Gov
Willard was present with them, aud after they
had spent some hours together, they parted,
| with the understanding that the sisters would
not leave until the next day, when they would
again visit him.
After they had parted, Gov. Willard deemed
it prudent that they should not meet again, and
he accordingly requested the sisters 10 write
each letter to Cook, in which they could take
their farewell of him.
As soon as the letter was written, the sisters
with Gov Willard left for the Ferry, md thence
for New York. Coppio was visited by several
relatives during the week, and yesterday an
uncle came on to whom will be given his
| body.
COOK AND copPIc vAINLY ATTEaPTRD To EsoAPE.
About o'clock on Thursday evening" the
| two made an unsuccessful attempt TO csc ape,--
Running between the window and the floor in
their room, was plank three and a slfinches
| thick and twelve inches IN width. They had
| looEcd this plank so that they could remove it
I with ease and replace it with the came facility
For several days, with The help Of a Barlow
| knife and a screw from out their bedstead, they
had been employed in removing the plaster
and INSIDE brick, SO that on tho night of the
10Th, they had nothing to do but remove the
outer bricks
At the hour named, when no guard was
near and the excitement of the day WAS over,
the bricks were removed and an aperture
made sufficiently large to admit OF the egress
Of much larger men. Cook, With the use OF
his Barlow knife, which he converted into o
saw, had removed the irons from his feet
One of the links of the chain of Coppcs irons
was also cut, the rings still remaining on his
limbs.
To avoid tho rafting sound which would
attend his walking, he had tied the piece OF
chain, which was hanging to ene Of tho rings,
to his leg with his handkerchief. Coppic got
out first feet foremost, and allowed himself TO
drop distance of fourteen feet Cook follow.
Brown was hung were in the yard and they
were used for scaling the wall Coppic ascenN
ded first and stretched himself on the top OF
the wall Cook then held his hat up over the
wall TO see il it would he noticed A sentinel
observed it;as he attemI ted to elevate himself,
the guard fired, but the bail miss,d It's mark -
The two prisoners then retIeatCd into the yard
and tovards the jail door The alarm ives
given, and the jallor on entering the yard
seized them and conveyed them 20 their room
where they were heavily ironed to the floor
The buoyant flow OF spirits which they had
exhibited now sank, aAd they appeared mUch
depressed,
In the morning they again became cheerful
Cook humbly begged the jailor's p rdon, and
said he freely and fully exonerated him from al
completely. Had 1t not been for the military
guard, they would have undoubtedly escaped -
Some of tue citizens oensure the jtilor severe
ly, while others think that the charitable feel
ings towards the prisoners, was his only fault.
He undoubtedly desired that the prisoners
should spend their last hours by themselves
undisturbed even by the regular Jail guard
His kindness, it is feared, has been his ruin.
TIE MORNING OF THE EIEouToN--ARREST oI
, sTRANOERs,
At daylight the drums were beaten and th'
soldiers called to arms In few minutes th'
entire people who had been quietly slumberinl
siter the excitement attendant upon tho as
tempted escape, were moving To aud fro Their
were no guard placed on the avenues leadinI
to the town, aud the country people were flock
ing in from all directions number of personi
who came TO Harpsrs Ferry on Thursday nigh
from Baltimore, hired vehicles and drove t.
Charleston. They we're arrested on entering
he place,and conveyed to the guard house, anC
those who could not give sn account of them
selves or get some citizen TO vouch for them
: were confined until after the execution
Z At nine o'clock the streets were lined Will
Z soldiers. The road leading TO the Il Id of exc
cuton was thTongec with cavalry, and the fsll
itself presented the appearance Of a regiments
! diess parade. All the pomp which could b,
) suggested was used, and nothing was wanting
to give effect to the scene. The streets th,
jail were taken possession of by the military
! and citizens were not allowed 10 move toward
the prison.
, A seshOld had been erected on the same tpo
which had Witnessed the execution Of Brow
, Unlike the day Of his execution, which wa
mild, with genial sunshine, the heavens wer
overcast, the air raw aud bitter, and the Rroun,
covered with slight snow,
IIEoUToN or the NEoRoLs.
Al twenty minutes to eleven O'Clock tb
= Commanding General, with his staff departe,
Q for the held, and ina few minutes Green an,
Copeland, the negroes, with their arms pinion
= ed, walked out OF the Jail They were asss
4 ted into the wagon, and took their seats on thsi
cufIins.
Tho line OF march was taken up, and the ne
RIOes without speaking word proceeded Il
the seaffold, which they ascended at five min
utes TO IL O'Clock, with an mistaken step.
! fT4yer was then offered by Rev. G North
= The negroes bade each other good b. @. Greer
q expressed the hope that he would meet Cope
= land in heaven. The white caps were draw
: down, the ropes adjusted, and at precisely
/ o'clock, the trap was sprung and they wen
launched into eternity. They were on tn
= SeaiiOld fvs minutes. Aher hanging thirt,
}. minutes they were pronounced dead, cut down
placed in their eoiins removed and buried.
/ THEIR BODIES DUO Up ron DISSECTION.
They were allowed 10 remain la the gtoun,