The Van Buren press., 1859-12-30
The Four Executions at Charlestown
Cook and COppie Attempt to Escape.
DISPOSAL OF THE BODIES.
HARrER's Ferry, Va. Dec. 16.


Cook. since the visit of his sisters-Mrs.
Crowley and Mrs. Staunton-on Tuesday
last, has been very cheerful.
Their meeting was a very aifectionate
one. The meeting of brother who had
been lost to them for years, under such cir
cumstances, was of character that battles
description. Gov. Willard was present
with them, and after they had spent some
hours together, they parted, with the IN
derstandng 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 to write eacE letter to Cook. in
which they could take their farewell of him.
a. soon as the letters were written, the
sisters and Gov. Willard left for the Ferry
and thence for New York. Coppie was
visited by several relatives during the
week, and yesterday an uncle came on 20
whom will be given his body.
About 8 o'clock on Thursday evening.
Cook and Coppie made an unsuccessful cf
fort to escape. Running between the win
dow and the floor in their room, was
plank three and half inches thick and
twelve inches in width. They had looscd
this plank so that they could remove it
with ease. and replace it with the same ia
cilty. For several days, with the help of
a barlow knife, and screw from out their
bedstead, they had been employed in re-
moving the plaster and inside bricks SO
that on the night of the fifteenth 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 ape
raturc made sufficiently large to admit OF
the egress of much larger men. Cook with
the use of his barlow knife which ho con
verted into a saw, had removed his irons
from his feet. One Of the links of the
chain of Coppie's irons was also cut tho
rings still remaining on his limbs. Vs.
To avoid the rattling sound that would
attend his walking, he had tied the piece OF
chain that was hanging to one Of the rings.
to his leg with his handkerchief. Coppic
got out first. feet foremost, and allowed
himself to drop distance of Ii feet. Cook
followed. The timbcrs Of the scaiiold on
which Brown was hung were in the yard.
and they were used for scaling the wall =
Coppie ascendcd first, and stretched him
self on the top of the wall. Cook then
held his hat up over the wall to see If it
would be noticed. A sentinel observed it
as he attempted to elevate himself the
guard fired, but the ball missed its mark
The two prisoners then rctreated into the
yard and towards the Jail door. The alarm
was given, and the iailer on entering tho
yard, seized them and reconveyed them to
their room, where they were heavily ironel
to the floor.
At daylie hit Of the morning of the cxecu-
ton the drums were beaten and the soldiers
called to arms. In q few minutes the en-
tire people who had been quietly slumber-
ing, after the excitement attendant upon
the attempted escape, were moving to and
fro.
A scaffold had been erected on the same
spot which had witnessed the execution OF
Brown. Unlike the day of his execution,
which was mild with genial sunshine, tho
heavens We're overcast, the air raw and bit
ter, and the ground covered with a slighl
snow
At twenty minutes to eleven o'clock the
Commanding General, with his staff, de
parted for the field, and in few minutes
Green and Copeland, the negroes with their
arms pinoncd, walked out of the jail
They were assisted into the wagon, and
took their seats on their coffins. M
The line of march was taken up. and the
negroes. without speaking a word, proceed
to the scaffold, which they assembled at five
minutes to IL o'clock, with an unshaken
step. Prayer was then offered by Rev. G.,
North The negroes bade each other good
bye; Green expressed the hope that h.
would meet Copeland in heaven. The wh,-
caps were drawn down. the ropes adjusted,
and at precisely III o'clock the trap was
spIung, and they were launched into eterni-
ty. They were on the scaffold only five
minutes. Green died easy and with scarce
ly struggle Copeland struggled violent
ly for some minutes, dying by strangula-
ton, his neck having apparently not been
broken by the fall. After hang thirty min
utes, they were pronounced dead, cut down
placed in their colfins, removed and buried
The military returned to the jail and as
sumed their positions. while the Sheriff and
Jailor entered the prison and prepared tho
prisoners for execution. Cook and Coppio
were remarkably cheerful. apparently. not
even interested as much as the persons
around them in what was transpiring and
about to transpire.
On reaching tho scaffold they asoondsd
with frmnese. and on gaining the platform,