The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1859-12-22

THE CHARLEsTOWN EXECUTIONS.
Attempted Escape of Cook and Coppic--
Their Discover by Sentinel.
Charlestown, Va, Dec. l6, 1859.
At a quarter past o'clock, Thursday
evening, the whole town was thrown into
ommotion BY the report of rife under
the wall of the JAIL followed by several
other shots from the vicinity of the guard
house, in close proximity to the Jail. The
military were called to arms. aDd the ex.
ctenent was intense beyond anything
that bas yet occurred during our ever
mem orable era OF military occupation
In few minutes the streets and avenues
of the town were in possession Of armed
me D, ,andit was with difficulty thattbe cause
of all the turmoil could be ascertsiued
Rumors of every description were ofoat,
aud it was at one time thought that the
prisoners had oserpowered their guards
and made their escape; and then that n
attack had been made on the Jail by par
ties atte enping to rescue the prisoners
1t was dangerous for citizen to 60 out
to ascertain the true cause of the excite
ment, and rumors of most alarming
character foated in, to be contradicted
by momentary new arrivals OF citizens.
driven in from the streets.
The sentinel stationed near the Jail re.
ported that at quarter past eight o'clock
he observed man on the Jail wall. He
challenged him, and receiving no answer.
fred at him. Another head was also
seen above the WALL but he retreated as
soon as the first one bad been fired at =
The man or the top of the wall seemed
at first determined to jump down, but the
sentinel declared his intention of impal-
ing him on his bayonet, and he then re-
treated into the jail-yard with Coppio,
and both gave themselves up without fur
ther resistance. Cook afterward remark.
ed that If he could have got over and
throttled the guard be would have made
his escape.
( The Shenandoah mountains are within
ten minutes run of the Jail wall, and had
he reached them, with bis thorough knowl-
, edge of the IN 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 labor, whenever alone,
and at night when the bed clothing muf-
fed the sound of the saw which they
made out of an old Barlow knife, in cut.
, ing through their iron sbackles, so that
they could pry them off at any moment
they should have their other work com
pleted.
They had also made sort OF chisel
, cut of an old bed screw, with which the ;
succeeded, as opportunity would offer, in
removing the plaster from the wall, and
! then brick after brick, until space iii
ciept for them to pass through was open
ed. all to the removal of the outer brick
The part of the wall an which they ope
rated was in the rear of tie bed on which
E they slept; and the bed being pushed a
e gainst the wall, completely hi1 ti:elr work
from view. The bricks they took ou
r were concealed in the drum of sto7e
and the dirt and plaster removed in the
, course of their work was placed between
t the bed clothing. They acknowledged
y that they bad been to work whole week
in making the aperture in the wall.
! Their cell being on the first floor, the
S aperture vas not % more than FIVE feet above
e the pavement of the yard, and, when freed
5 of their shackles, their access to the yard
+ was quite easy. Here, however, there
was smooth brick wall about fifteen feet
r high to scale. This difficulty was, how.
$ ever, soon overcome, with the aid Of the
: timbers of the scafFold on which Captain
y Brown was hung, and which we're intend
ed also for their own execution. They
). placed these against the wall, and soon
succeeded in reaching the top, from which
c they could have easily dropped to the
d other side, had not the vigilance of the
sentinel on duty SO quickly checked their
" movements They were arrested in the
}, Jail yard by Gen. Taliaferro and the off
o Ger of the day, who rushed to the Jail the
moment the alarm was given. General
J. Taliaferro Immediately telegrsphed tc
!, Gov. Wise, informing him of the frustra
ted attempt of the prisoners. His answer
IS directed that the military should imme
b diately take possession of the Interior o
the Jail and guard the prisoners until they
:. were executed.
3 Execution of Copeland and Green.
b At l04 o'clock Gen. Taliaferro, Will
u his staff, numbering about 25 officers
: having given orders to prepare the two
d negro prisoners, Shilds Green and Johr
|, Copeland, for execution, took their de
, parture to join the main body of the troop
Is on the field.
The military then formed 10 hollow
square around the Jail, and an open wag
s on, containing the cofius of the prisoners
rs drew up in front, with carriage to con
IS vey Sheriff Campbell and bis Deputies.
d The crowd of citizens and stranger
was very great-at least five times as nu
merous a. on the occasion of Browns ex