Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1861-09-18

ed desirious to sve IS little trouble as possible
to all around him.
From the time of his arrest until the time
of his execution, with very brief exception,
ne manifested q Guinness which few could
| exhibit under the circumstances generally
sleeping we'll ut night, eating with a verv
good appetite, and if approached would CON
verse with those who were acquainted with
/ him, in regard to his situation and charge
against him.
Weaver had given various contradictory
accounts of the death of his wife, at times
virtually admitting his guilt then again stcut.
ly denying it and his whole conduct was so
iuexpiieabfe that it confounded all who had
an opportunity Of witnessing it. To one
minister he confessed his gGiIs, to another
denied it-and persisted iE its denial during
the last hours Of his life, and yet at the same
time calling his keeper aside and assuring him
that he had told him all. This singular con-
duet may be accounted for in part by his de
clared affection for his living wife, and the
issue expected by her, as he seems to have
selected the name for the unborn child by
marking q name in the Bible of each sex,
coupled with the fact tkat his wife was to
share in the profits Of the sale of bis alleged
confession, and his denials of guilt were pur-
posely made to help the sale of the printed
confession.
IL was possessed Of some low cunning,
which he b0asted of, and must have had
blunted moral sense which could INDUCE bin,
for the sake of gain to his wife after his de-
cease, to utter ialsehoois when on the very
verge q the grave, and yet criminate that
wife in the very confession from which she
was to derive a pecuniary benefit.
At ii O'Clock ~ minutes, Weaver accom-
nnnlaH bv Aba SLart2 f,lln1raI Nv Maccrc
MendeEhall and Focht and the Sheriff as
sistants, ascended the scaffold. The prisoner
did not seem to falter They then knelt
down and Mr.. Focht addressed God in fer
vent prayer on behalf of the unfortunate
man. The ministers retired after bidding
him faTeEgell. The rope was placed around
his neck by the Sheriff, and at ii O'CLOCK 48
minutes the drop fell and tie culprit was
landed into eternity. His feet were thrown
apart slightly several times and for mo-
ment there was a tremulous motion of his
right leg, but in the course of three or four
minutes all apparent motion ceased.
At ii O'Clock 50 minutes, Dir. Lefever step
ped up to the scatfold and remained beside
the tody until life was pronounced to be at
an eng. At that time the pulse beat 81 times
IN minute. Three minutes later, it was
l40, and beating irregularly, and also inter
LitttChI Al L. U CLOCK II peat 10, ana = MIN
utes past Il no pulsation whatever could be
distinguished, and the body was pronounced
dead.
At Il mingtes past II o'clock, after hav
ing been suspended for So minutes, the body
was lowered and placed in the cJffn. On
examination 1t was found that the neck was
di>loc2ted by the shock of the fall, so that
death must have been instantapeous. After
the body was placed in the co,fn the Sheriff
opened the door leading into the jail-yard,
and allowed the crowd which had collected
around the jail to take view thereof There
was very little change in the features-scarce
iy any dlstortlon-some slight tumefaction
and dlseoloration. The mouth was partially
open, as also the eyes, but there did not seem
to be any evidence of mach engagement of
blood about the head.