St. Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1845-1863, 1862-05-08

Trial, Sentence and Execution Of Ilm6thy
Webster. as Spy.
We append brief synopsis of the pro.
cecdings Of the court martial that con.
dc,nned the above person. il order to .
correct understanding of the matter al.
legged against him. and for which he yes.
! terday. at twenty-five minutes past clever
o'clock, suffered the extreme penalty o,
the law at the military camp ut the new
Fair Grounds. -,
On the second of April the court-mar.
tial convened for the trial of Timothy
Webster as an alien enemy. Col. Nat
Tayler being President Of the same.
tharye-Lurking about the armies and
Notifications Of the Confederate Statrs Of
America. First sprcifca';on-That o.,
the Isl Of April, being an alien enemy
and in the service of the United States,
he lurked about the armies and fortified
ti"ns Of the Confederate States in and
near Richmond I>rcond specifications
That about the LIST of July, 1861. prison.
er. being an alien enemy and il the SER
vice of the United States, did Turk in,
around and about the armies and forti6ca-
tons Of the Confederatcs States, at Mem
phis, in the State of Tennessee. The
prisoner was defended by Nance l. VIII
Hams, who introduced number Of wit
ness in his behalf
The court. having maturcly considered
the evidence adduccd. and two thirds con.
Curing therein. they fnd the prisoner
guilty of the charge
First pecifcation-guilty.
Second specification-not guilty.
WhcrcupOn, two-thirds of the court
concurring. it was adjudged that the ac-
cused Suffer death by hanging" On
the 18th Of April, the proceedings, End
ings and sentence of the court were ap-
proved by the Commanding General of the
Department Of Henrico. who ordered that
the sentence should be executed uuder the
direction Of the Proves. Marshal. on the
10Th day of April, between the hours Of
q and IL o'clock NJ.
On the announcement of bis approach.
ing fate, the prisoner, a. We hear, grew
defiant. thinking no doubt that he would
not be hung. He also said he could
make several parties in the War Depart
ment shake in their jackets" by his rcve-
lations. but he made none up to his last
hour. Learning on Monday night that
there was no show for him. he became
completely unnerved. He was carried to
tho Fair Grounds as early az 6 o'clock
Yesterday morning, by Captain Alexan-
der, but prior to that time received a
visi, from Rev. Mr.. Woodbridge. He
asked the clergyman to read the Psalm
If David invoking vengeance on his ene-
mics. He refused. and Webster grew In
dignant, causing the clergyman to take an
early departure. When brought to the
gallows the prisoner was visibiy affected
by the sight Of the preparations observa-
bic. and shuddered when he locked at
his coffin. After the rope was adjusted
around his neck, prayer was offered up by
Rev. NJ. d. Hoge. AT the conclusion,
a black cap was drawn over his eyes, he
having previously bid farewell to several
persons. standing by. The signal being
given. the trigger that sustained the drop
was drawn. and it struck against the up
rights With a loud sound. Owing to de
fcctivc cotton rope. the noose slipped, and
Webster fell on his back to she ground.
The half-hung and partially stunned man
was speedily raised and assisted up, and q
new rope being ready. he was soon swing
ing lin accordance with his sentence.
This occurred at twenty-five minutes past
eleven o'clock. Fifteen minutes later we
left the ground, but the party was still
suspended He died in about one minute.
Webster. who had plenty Of gold and
Confederate State Treasury notes. gave it
all to his wife the night before his execu-
ton He was in the employment of one
Of the departments here as letter carrier
between this city and Maryland. 1t is
said--hox true we know not-that be
used TO take the letters received here to
Washington. where they we're copied, and
the answers received were served ia the
same way. thus being used as evidence
against the parties. lis many of them hare
fund to their cost by subsequent arrest
and incarceration in N.rthcrn ferss. Sus-
picion was first excited against the prison.
er BY the style Of his evidence against
Lewis and Seully. aud they let the cat out
of the bag ON him sitter their couvietion.
Mrs. Webster. who was arrested along
with her husband as spy. is sill at Cas-
tie Godwin. but vill. no doubt. be sent
cut the Confederacy. Webster il the
fret u,an executed here a. spy. Per
haps it would have been better had the
business been commenced at IN aesrlier
day. ~.--7 -ai T.tE+f -4t--s ..s- s-as
.-'.G-9 -s-..a ----s9b sLt-sa-4 az
WADs MUST Fiaur.-In~ the House
yesterday Vall.sdighsm. denounceG Wades
M 81; r. q scoun isei. and cngard." for