Sioux City register. [volume] (Sioux City, Iowa) 1858-1871, 1859-12-24
ExECUTION OF THE HARPER'1
FERRY INAURGENTS.

The execution Of Cock. Coppie, Green
and Copeland, Browns sonfedsrAtss in
the Harper's Fsrry Instruction took
place 81 Chariestown on the 18th. On the
nigh previous 10 their execution Cook
and Copp'e made an attempt to escape,
which came very near being successful.
They had succeeded after two weeks
lsbor whenever alone and at night, when
their bed clothing mutfled the sound Of
saw which they had made out of IN old
Barlow knife, in cutting through their iron
shackles. 80 that at any moment the sho d
have their work completed. They had a
50 made sort Of chisel out Of An old bed
screw, with which they succesdsd, as OPP
portuni.y offered, in removing the plaster
from the wall, and then brick after brick
until space for them to pass through
was opened, all except the removal Of the
outer brick The part Of the wall on which
they operated was in the rear Of the beds
on which they slept, and the bed being
pushed against the wall completely hid
thsir work from view.
The bricks they took out we're conceal
ed in the drum Of q stove, and the dirt
and plaster, removed in the course Of their
work, was placed between the bed cloth
ing. They acknowledge that they had
been at work whole week in making the
aperture in the wall. Their cell being on
the first focr, the aperture was not more
than FIVE feet above the pavemenp of the
yard, and whom freed from their shacklss
their access to the yard was quite easy
Here, however, was smooth brick wall,
about fifteen feet high, TO scale. This
difficulty was coon overcome with the aid
of the im5srs Of the scaffold on which
Capt. Brown was hung, and which was in
tended for their execution on the succeed
ing day f- 3 '
They placed these against the wall, and
soon succeeded in reaching the top, from
which they could have eaaily dropped on
the other side had not the vigilance of the
sentinel on duty so quickly checked their
movements. They were arrested in the
Jail yard by Captain Taliaferro and an
officer of the day. who rushed to the jail
the moment the alarm was given.
The following is the telegraphic accoun,
Of the execution:
Charlestown, December ls.
The negroes, Shields, Green and John
Copeland, have just paid the forfeit Of
their lives The crowd in the town 10 We
ry great. aud the execution was witnessed
by 1000 people. At 9 o'clock this NOR.
ming the field was occupied by the troops,
and at seven minutes of II o'clock the
procession made its appearance 1t arriy.
ed At il o'clock at the scaffold.
EXECUTION OF COOK AND corrIE.
The bodies of the two negro prisoners
having been brought back to the jail At
/ about q quarter to twelve O'Clock this Of.
ternoon, notice was given to Cook and
Croppie that their time was approaching
only one hour more being allowed them.
The military movements similar to those
at the first execution were repeated, and a
wagon with two more collins was standing
at the door of the Jail. At half past
twelve o'clock the same military escort
was in readiness. Meantime the closiug
religious ceremonies were progressing in
the cell. ..-..
Since the failure Of the attempt of Cook
and Coppie to escape last night, their as
sumed composure and apparent resigna,
ton had given way, and they now looked
at the reality of their fate with the full
conviction Of its awful certainty. They
were reserved and rather quiet, but joined
with fervor in the religious ceremonies
conducted by the Rev Messrs. North, Lehr
and Waugh. .,.............
Their appearance was rather Of hope
less despair than Of resignation, and they
seemed to take but little notice Of any
thing as the procession slowly moved to
the field of death.
Ths wagon reached the scaffold Mt thir-
teen minues before one o'clock, and the
prisoners assembled with . determined
firmness, scarcely surpassed by that of
Captain John Brown. The ropes were ad-
justed, the caps pulled down over their
heads, and both were launched into eter-
nifty in seven minutes after they ascended
the galows. =..: