The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1859-12-21
General Mews.
The Last Act of the Harper's
Ferry Tragedy.

The Penalty at Last aad.-Cope-
land and Greer Hung en- the Morn
anq, and COOK and Coppie IN the
afternoon. -FErmness Of the Con-
demned on the Scafold,
CHARLEsTowN, Dec. 1--we have
had an exciting time during the past
twenty-four hours, which has just
closed with the execution of the four
prisoners.
In order to give correct under
standing of what has transpired, we
furnish q succinct narrative OF the
events since yesterday morning.
Throughout the day, there was a
great influx Of strangers and citizens
of the county, who were f1ocking in to
witness the last act of the Harper's
Ferry tragedy. The latter came thus
early, apprehending that they might be
detained, at the outposts, as was the
case on the day of John Browns exc
cution
The clouds which early in the morn
ing darkened the horizon were soon
dispersed, and the sun came out in
unusual brilliancy and beauty for a
December morning
AS the hours advanced, groups were
seen on all the street corners discuss
ing the all-absorbing topic of the ap-
preaching execution. The afternoon
trains Of cars from Winchester and
Harper's Ferry brought large num-
Der of persons, including delegation
of newspaper reporters from the North
ern cities.
The vigilance exercised at the rail-
way depot, on the arrival of train,
was not so stringent as on the occasion
of the execution of Brown, and but
little difficulty was experienced in get
ting in town, although the difficulty
was not so light in obtaining accom-
modations after efecting an entrance.
Shortly after the arrival of the train
in the afternoon, a grand military
dress parade of all the companies in
attendance took place.
The place selected for the parade
was the immense field on which Brown
was executed, and on which the gall
lows for the execution of the remain
ing prisoners was being erected. The
companies were drilled into four bat
talons the whole body being under the
command of Col Weiserberger of the
Petersburg Regiment; Lieut.. Israel
Green, of the United States marines,
acting as adjutant.
The troops went through their evo'
lutions with great skill, and were re-
viewed by General Taliaferro, who was
On the ground in full dress, and mount
ed on spirited charger Everything
conspieed to make the display grand
one. The bright bayonets and gay
uniforms of the soldiers combined to
perfect picture.
A very large crowd of spectators
was in attendance, amongst whom
there were large number of ladies,
who occupied their handsome equip
ages to the east of the line.
During the time of the parade a
company of cavalry entered the town.
They came from Middlebury, Loudoun
county, and are under the command of
Captain Carter.
The prisoners were visited yesterday
afternoon by the Rev. Messrs. Was
son, Dutton, and North, of the Pres
byterian Church, and Rev. Beverly
Waugh, of the Methodist Episcopal
Church.
The services in the cells were of an
interesting and solemn character, and
were participated in by all the con-
demned; though it is now evident,
from subsequent events, that Cook and
Coppie, at least, were playing pos
sum-" as their minds must have been
fixed on the hopes of life and liberty,
rather than death and eternity, the time
they were making outward protesta-
tions of resignation. They all gave
an unqualified assent to the convic-
tion of religious truth, and each ex-
pressed hope of salvation in the
world to come Cook and Coppie were
the loudest in their professions of a
change of heart, and in the hope of
Divine forgiveness. They freely ad-
mitted their guilt, and acknowledged
their doom just 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 ministers imagined that they
had discovered a decidedly favorable
change in the condition of Cooks
mind since his interview with his sis
tiers. Up to that time his calmness
and bravery were regarded as proceed
ing from lack of feeling but on
leaving him yesterday afternoon they
reported that he had been led to seek
forgiveness in his protestations of re-
ligious convictions and hopes of for
giveness-all of which was undoubted-
ly intended to hoodwink their project