The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-07-20

The Pirate Hicks.-.His ExecutiOn.--
Past History.
Hicks, the pirate was hung in New
York, on Friday. The NY. Times Of the
18th, says: -'.
Hicks has dictated to one of the U. S.
Marshals a full confession of the triple muir.
ders on the E. A. johnson, and in complete
history which he has given of his life, from
boyhood, has also confessed his agency in
aseries of robberies, murders and other high
handed crimes which stamp him as one of
the most hardened and desperate men ever
known. Ifhis statements are to be believed
and they have been made with particu-
larity of places, dates and other circum.
stances which strongly favor the superstition
OF their truth he has been a party to the
commission of nearly one hundred murders.
The bare statement of such an appalling
amount of crime committed by one human
being is calculated to stagger belief, and to
raise the suspicion that morbid desire for
criminal notoriety may have led him to ex-
aggerate his story in order to give the narra-
tive wide sale for the benefit of his wife
and child. Be this as it may, the murders
on the sloop are fully described, with all
their horrible and bloody details, and the
remainder of the confession. which includes
his life from the age Of fifteen years, has
been given with such particularly Of nara.
tion-such as the mention of vessels, places,
names of persons, and dates, as to impress
the person who took it from bis lips with
the idea that it is substantially true.
Hicks is evidently familiar with the whole
west coast of America, from California to
Chill. Though unable to read or write, he
drew with pencil tolerably correct chart
of the outline of the Pacific coast, locating
the principal ports, headlands and harbors.
as we'll as giving the names of the interior
towns in Mexico and South America, their
distances from the coast, and description
of the roads leading to them.
These countries, it seems, have been the
theatre of many of his crimes, where be
has been engaged alone or with others in
robbiDg and numbering simply for plumber.
Being excessively avaricious, the love of
money seems to have been the overmaster-
ing passion, and to obtain which he has al
ways been ready to resort to the most des-
perate means. Trains of mules, richly laden,
and proceeding from the mines of Mexico
towards the coast towns, he has waylaid
and robbed, killing the muleteers and Others
who were in charge. He was in the Mexi-
can war, and relates many desperate adven-
lures in that country.
He also went to California in the early
history Of the gold discoveries, and found
many sly opportunities, it is presumed, to
appropriate the hard earnings Of miners and
others who came in his way. He also GER
titles to having hada hand in the slave trade
and relates case where his vessel was
chased by British cruiser, when, in order
to escape the consequences of a capture
with slaves on board, the unhappy creatures
were all got up from below, ranged in the
waist of the vessel, their feet seized to the
ships chain, which, with the anchor, was
then let 60 by the run, and the whole car.
ried to the bottom of the ocean. As this
horrible expedient is said to have beer
adopted in former times to escape the con.
sequences of being detected in the slave
trade, it is not impossible that Hicks may
have actually participated in such wholesale
slaughter of human beings.
THE EXECUTION.
NEW YORK, July Is.
Hicks, the pirate murderer, was executed
on Bedloe's Island, at 11.30 to-day. A
large number of persons witnessed the dying
struggles of the hardened wretch.
On his being conducted to the gallows
the first view which presented itself before
him, was the identical ship, the E. A. John
son, which was moored directly in front Of
the gallows; thus his last look on this earth
was upon the scene of his bloody deed.
The E. A. johnson had a large flag
bearing her name, flying, and on the mast
head was perched sailor, who waved his
cap and hurraed as the murderer ascended
the tree. Her deck was crowded and a
slight mumur could be distinctly heard on
shore when Hicks was placed under the
drop.
Marshal Rynders advanced and addressed
Hicks as follows:
"Hicks, if you desire to say anything be-
fore your execution, you can address the
people,
Hicks replied 10 faint tone, II don t
wished to say anything to any one except
my confessor. l wish you to hang me
quick"
The black cap was then pulled over the
unfortunate mans eyes, and amidst yells,
few seconds after be had expressed his
wish the signal was given, and Hicks was
launched into eternity at ll:30, when the
rope was cut.
Hicks trembled violently for some two
minutes, and then remained quiet. In four
minutes slight plunge Of the legs and a
violent twitch of the arms was perceptible.
After hanging thirteen minutes he was
lowered, and the doctor examined his pulse.
He was allowed to hang thirty minutes,
before be was cut down, although life was
extinct in less than fifteen minutes. The
body was then lowered from the drop and
placed in coffin, and was conveyed on
board the Red Jacket to be taken to the
place of his interment.
The Madison (Wisconsin) Journal says