The weekly sun., 1862-03-01
Execution Of Gordon the Slave
Pirate.
Ills ATTEMPT TO COMMIT SUICIDE.

obtain even a CummuttNon OF MS sentence. In
October 1850, he was artaguei before Judge Sd.
sop, Of the United States Court, on tie charge "
having been Captain of the slave ship Ede cap.
,urtd with S9I negrces on board, Oy the unt,i
States steamer M,hican, the stu " August
lSGO, iny miles frnm the mouth " the Congu
River, Africa. la November, 1,di, the charges
gains, Gordon having been fully prsven. thanks
~ the uniirug et gy and shility of District A.
torney y. D. Smith, Judge Siipnan scuunte the
convicted pirate ~ death, the execution N take
place In the Tumbs M Feb, Tn, 1862.
Great eNertions were made by the friends and
relatives OF the deceased " have his senteuce
muted W impriannment fu hie. Gordon's wife,
and his counsel, RN-J fdge Dean, were iudef,lza-
bic In their tnorts ~ save him from the gAows,
and the doomed man. almost until the hour 'or his
death, seemed ~ feel certain Of repiieve But all
they accomplished the gainiug of respite u
two weeks, the rysdent hNiug yesterday, the 1ist
inst, Tor his execution, aud warning him ~ pre-
pare for II, without resting further hopes In any ont
his God. SILL, however, the struggle was kept up;
even the day b,fore the execution attemgis were
made g. get up sympathy me-ti1g Ia his hehst
and 10 stay BY legal forms the discharge ofthe law
The PreSident expressed himself, man, i-cling
deep syn paihy with the criminal aud his wife and
child. but as an executive officer he could ma in
eiier" th the established law aud the decision of
the uII
nw9, 1t until tho evening boz re his execution
that e. rdon gave UP al hope.
on Thursday, ho wAs removed from his former
ia what Ia tormod "murderet'sl row" Ha wa
thoroughly seatuhed 10y tie Dorlry e. M,rshNls
and all lis clothing, bench, etc. were made ~ uu
dotgo a rigid eNaminaii m, In the aherunan, toe
Rev NJ 4fars. CAup, Cnrbett and Bingham visited
him, and prayed with him, endeavoriug q prepare
his mind Tor the sudden aud awful change he
~ srnn u experience. rhe wretcheI man seemed
~ exhibit q stoicd Indifference, although he ipined
In their rrayers udeed, the mir is,ets say, that he
always appear, a g. think "a would like II lust ~
well rthey would leave him alone altogether. lie
d l.. al a Nf.sf In all
that ready to die at any uu'e. Iis wife and
m, thcr ais, visted hir, and lie was allow ~ re-
cevc them ia another apsniuent Mira d'rlon,
On entering the room, fh.t"l, aud uttct most
an.sting intetvit " ,tc was lvi away In an almost
a. conscious tt.'e Tuis wac his hnA parting
with them. ON being taken tack tn 'ds cell, Gbt-
| don agRiu searched and nothing pfa suspicious
| char,,ter found ups, him. In the morning Of
the same dsy his wife vt-teI him, AMI ,ndsavurei
| g. cheer hn 10y telling him ui tue last stlunuuus
| ,n,it- being male 10y IN Judge D'au /, stay the
pr,cs elinga. lie seomed g. .u shme conf inncs
| frnm this conmuolcM ~, hut W. 100. hi the even
ing, the Deputy MNrahal iuinrm'd him ~ thu FALL
ure " this lsat hope, aud his wie hd hidden him
| aiieu frrvrr, ho seemed much dupredsei,
| Deputy Mlrshsls rnrl Aid n iySl.y were Htstl,n-
| e1 inside the cell ~ watuh vita uirlon throsy
the night. Spoc,al Drputu~ fiurs snd Rle night
| keepers Of the prison. watched outside. The now
| hoI eless man seated himstlf & atnhle, aud from
early In the svoninB Until attor o.e o'clock, husied
hni.c Ia watng letters. lie wrote "ne ~ his wife,
anu,her g. his nu,her, third ~ he given a. his in
| faut aon when he shall have reached yeArs " dis
cr,tun, am uiheru " different re. .tiyef and
| friends. lie then, without undressing, laid down
upon his lel, MI gpou slept. The vigil,nc oi liz
| keepers relaxed, and when again their stt.n
| U,r called u him, he was In -fusnN TINS
| ws Al liNe after three ol'ck ye eteriay morn
| ing. DIS. Simmons y X. Wp,d and IIpdguA we're
| ~ once Csl,s. G'rden refused hr some time g.
| say whather q hHd taken puiHlni or not. Tnen he
| tod the doctlis he rad taken Erssni' but after
| warts c,nfensci priv tv.y 10 Deputy Marsha iIrS
| tnRt was ST. ycrnina Will he h ~ taken. flum
| four o'clock uttil min" NJ, he sas almost al
,h- IT. uncora inus and, on ''E'i ,g his aans's,
said he hal imagined himself In r.radsa lie
| could not describe II but said everything was
| Al his own request he was then len alone with
| Deputy MarshAl l Tst, and from time h. time, by
order ~ Dr. wuOi, Whiskey WIS given Lin ~ 90 IN
teract the Effects of the posnstiH ho had frIuen,
and very severe spNsrns, the last Of which wN NJ a
| quarter past eleven o'clock, and continued several
minutes, A. little amer nine O'Clock hrs ava we're
locked, and Il was necessary O. pry tnen open n
| p.rur doWh his throat the whiskey. lIs suisrings
| were intense, and his ony mOde ~ communication
| for al iut tWo h,ms WAS by writing slip Of
paper. In ths mole ne said, '' wish that Nigh,
die aud end my sutieingH," and " tie ctor he re-
marked that he did not thank him 'nr his interfcr-
| enca In prolungiug his agonies, " You do MT know
| how ! suffer, aud what pains ! am la" lie also
| wrote, "a Pu'd many may accuse my wife of a
hand Ia this affair tthe attempted suicidel, have
oaly To say that In time Of peace prepare or war.
Tha, littl, bench that HiI nn, al II been CarC-
fully examined, Gould possibly have tod sOme
tales"
The Deputy turned up the bench and q ,rion
poif ~ 10 little oreyce between tha top aud sup
| ports Oi IT, whore he had concealed paper of
| strychnine, which he said was gwen him on iha
second day Of his uipl. On being asked II he did
| nt think his aVenut ~ sef-murisr dreadful
crime, he answered ~ DO not consider Il 30, II won q
| have spared my wife and cnild the disgrace" HIS
state ment ot the isnning was, thai whom he laid
down NJ one O'cocK, he intended ~ feiVn sleep In
order 20 elude the watchfilness ~ the M,raha's,
that he might take the poison. lie, however, fell
as'esp, and only walked At three o'clock whom he
| managed, With ut b,ing observed, " secure the
deadly powder and swallow II. Some tima after.
ward the spaamH came on. Speaking of his wife,
be said his last thoughts in this world would be OF
her. Simeon Drap r, E'q one fthe Comm -uio =
Of Charities and Cprrections entered his cell Ia
| the morning and Gordon asked II he knew
him. lie replied, "Oh yes, hs ia very good man,
| and thank him fpr his kindness towards me and
| my wife and child"
| As the hour for the execution drew near, rimor
| spread about town that Gordon had taken poison
from cigar which had bssn given him, and by
| some II reported that he hal succeeded In
| cheating the gallows. great crowd collected
about ihe Tombs ~ early as ten O'Clock, and AZ .
detachment Of marines irom tho Navy Yard we're
| marcNei In, and the police fIrcs ststipned about
the outside Of the building the excitement increas
ell. Under direction of Capt. wiling, Of ,he 9th
| Precinct, l51 policeman were Htatloned about the
| building guard u marines had been In the phi
| sIn all night, and with the detachment brOugut
over in the morning. eighty -four marines, under
| command Of Capt hen and Lieuts. NukeA and
Bishop were, before the scutiOn, posed about the
| Courtyard.
Al ten O'Clock, Gordon askel perrns,lon Of the
| L, b. Marsha, ~ have y lock of his hair and his
| ling taken Il, and sent to his wife. The request
Was readily granted At eleven O'cl.ck, NJ. p d
Smith, L District Attorney, was Ia the TOmbs,
| but did moi remain ~ VitneAs the execution, say
ing that his feelings would not permit him H. ~.
| Very shortly bef re hs wsa led ant Tor execution
| gndon was visited by the Rsv. Msssrs. Camp and
| bingham, who prayed with him, but did noi read
| the 3 tiptur's n him, his nervous state would
not admin Of protractiOn OF the service. Com
u issoner Draper thsn entered the culpru cell aud
| told him his hour was come. lie replied that he
thought he was ~ haydunil three o'clock for pre-
PaTaton, and wished " know why the Marshall
bad fixed ON An earlier hour. Mr.. Draper replied,
because Of your condition" Gordon evidently
hoped 10 die before the time came for his eXecu.
unn.
In the court y .rd Of the prison we're now Assem-.
blod crowd of about hundred persons UliicAls
reporters, curoner's Jury, Pnd Othors. among whom
we're Senator j. j. Bradley, g. MaasetL Police Com
missioner Acton, Superintendent Kennedy, sN-
AIMS House Governors PinGkney and Smith, Sui.
eou Draper, Esq. NJ. H. arinEel, Lewis Gaylori
Clark and Dan. Bryant W unteer officer of tht
18th Regiment appsrenty, who managed " crowd
| ia along with the marines was also present
| Az twelve O'cCCN tao deputy grah Als entf rel
Gordon's cell and brought him out into the con
rhur u thr prison. VI. 20 rlJ irrsui la suil
Cfrdsty black his fs's was pailid and haggard, bis
limbs sti1, aud foemingly devoid Of power. Ten
derly possible he carried 0ut aud Atei In
air, N hear the reAditg ~ tA death war
rant by Marshal MUIR y. To the reading ht
| paid little attention. Mr.. OeuryO
lsaacs, who Hupe intended the execution, whiF.
| p'red In bis ear most nf the time and he
rep led In tone low u bs inaudlbla 10 those
al ut him lie said he was very thAlkth for tho