The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1861-09-06

happy CRIMINAL, should unite 10 prayer.
When asked If he desired that the clergy
should pray with him, White answered With
almost stolid indifference, 'If he pleases."
Then, all kneeling around the scattold, DR..
Hawley, in most jealous and feeling man.
ner, besought the mercy of that Ali-seeing
and most merciful Judge before whom the
i'll fated White was shortly to appear. 1t
was most affecting and heart piercing ap..
peal, and, strange to say, all present seemed
to appreciate It more than the unhappy
youth who needed to feel it most.
The services concluded, White accompa-
MED by the sheriff and his assistants, as
cended the steps of the gallows without ap.
parent trepidation.. He never faltered
moment, but examined with critical eye,
all the appliances prepared for his execu.
ton; And now occurred one of the most
horrifying and painful scenes in this terri-
BILE drama. When once upon the scafold,
and his ANGLES being bound together, the
usual white cap was produced, and he was
informed that it was necessary to put it
upon his head. We should have stated
that Sheriff Black with characteristic hui
mainly, had endeavored to persuade the
prisoner to permit him to dress him in a
neat suit of clothing appropriate for the &C.
casion. To this White objected, insisting
that no change should be made in his ap-
parel. He wore the little felt cap with
which he had covered his head from his first
Imprisonment, and was clothed in pair of
gray pantaloons and muslin shirt. These,
together with pair of neatly fitting shoes
and stockings, constituted his clothing.
When the Sheriff removed the felt cap, and
was about substituting the usual white one,
the prisoner again objected, and, with fear.
full imprecations, declared that it should not
be put on. Sheriff Black, in decided tone,
endeavored to persuade the prisoner to SUBJ
NIT, but in vain. For nearly an hour the
officers were engaged in a struggle to
enforce compliance. Here, indeed, was the
demoniac character of the prisoner display.
ed. He made every effort to prevent the
officers from putting on the white covering.
Pinioned and bound as he was, he fought
with desperation. He snapped and bit at
their fingers, he leaped into the air, he
crouched toward the ground, and for some
time it seemed doubtful whether he could
be compelled to submit. After a severe
and protracted struggle the cap was
thrown upon his head and securely adj
justed about bis face and the string
drawn around bis neck. Nothing now
remained of the direful preparations but to
put the rope around his neck and dbjust the
fatal moose. With some difficulty this was
at length accomplished, the united efforts of
four men being required for this purpose
As the Sheriff drew the fatal moose closer
to its place and placed the knot nearer the
ear Of the unhappy man he exclaimed with
fearful imprecations, What in h--ll are
you choking me now for-y0u, are choking
me for l can hardly speak," These were
the last words of the wretched man. The
sheriff gave the signal that all was ready to
his deputy, Mr.. Schultz; in moment the
trigger was drawn, the drop fell, and the
unhappy man so lately struggling with such
desperate fury, so lately busy with his ter
rible efforts to defeat the vepgence of the
law, fell like lead through the draw and
hung, slightly oscilating, struggling, vio-
lent human being no longer. There was a
slight struggling of the convict's shoulders
once or twice; low cultural sound from
the throat slow, pendulous motion of
the lower limbs for few minutes, and then
all was still.
After his body had hung nearly seven.
teen minutes, it was examined by the sur
geons present, who pronounced it dead. 1t
was then taken down, placed in decent
coffin, and quietly deposited in the earth,
dust to dust, until the last Judgment.
White was buried near the limits of the
town and beyond the suburbs of the city
burying ground. He had no friends to
follow him to his last resting place and no
relatives to claim his remains for the last
sad offices of supulture.
Thus ended this first and fearful inhiotion
of the death penalty for crime in Marion
county. We learn that White made some
confessional disclosures, which, at the pro-
per time, will appear in our columns.