The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1863-04-04

| PrisOner--His Condxct During His Last
| Hours-flts Remarkable Co0lness at tho
| scaHoId-His Previous Life, &c.
Tho execution OF Charles Lewis. alias Geo. W. smond,
took place yesterday at Tr nton NJ j. in tho yard in
OF the City Cour House. about hundred being
admitted to Witness the execution. II will be remember
ed that Lewis of the murder OF James Row
land, respectable weler, doing business In Princeton
and upprovoksd and daring murder has seldom
tho eyes of the public The murder commit
ted the evening Of the 18Th Of November last about
hai-pas nine O'Clock, in wlhorspoon street. Rowland
always the habit Of going homo from his store
about quarter past nine O'Clock every night and
passed graveyard his store the night In ques
tion he was waylad by Lewis, who with piece Of
hickory wood him the head breaking his skull
and telling him TO tho ground Lewis, being very pow
erfu man. then threw him tho fence into tho
yard following and dragging the body about forty
feet back from tho WALL Here ho rded his pockets
cured what money he had about his person and
the keys OF the store, and then fed He hav.
ing been seen ia town that evening" suspicion
rested upon him. and he two days after arrested OF
Milestone village. After the inquest be was committed
as the perpetrator Of the brutal murder. During tho
whole time Of his trial. and up TO the last moment Of his
| life, no manifested the utmost indifference. We may
that his time grew shorter and shorter perfectly
increased brutality seemed to seize him. He refused to
any clergy, and would not avail himself Of any offer
that was made 10 communicate with his friends Mr.
Nash OF Boston, with whom he personally acquaint
ed called to him. WHO, In fact Ia the only person who
called to him that knew him. but Lewis refused to
| recognize him.
| THE LIFE OF LEWIS.
Lewis probably Of the most celebrated criminals
of the age all that reported concerning him be true
having been guilty OF almost every offence the criminal
calendar He about forty was born in New
Hampshire and has left awe and child living lie was
large ne intelligent looking man. about i've feet eleven
inches in height and OF uncommcnly fine physical de-
longwhskers very heavy, but rather gray His hair was
| also quite gray, more so, IN fact, at the
time OF his execution tnan when first arrested. He
His real Geo. " Simond The first knowledge Of
him that has been asceraincd was that he learned the
baking business in Massachusetts, in 1872 Ho LEFT Bos
1s4S and afterwards carried the most extensive
burgarios known for which ne served three terms in
three aHent prisons He formerly resided at Hudson
where ne kept the Franklin House During his soourn
at pace he would make frequent orages around the
| country AID commit robberies, making his hotel the
| HEADQUARTERS for the plumber In many instances he
| wouIo throw various stolen articles in III 80 r,n.c
poor peisod % iha hoy would 81 sisbecicd Of The FOB
ysry one n,gas traveller was murdered ~ his
he fired the building, and was totally destroyed lie
was arrested and confined in jail for about eighteen
months but jury being unable to convict him dis
| charged. de then succeeded in obtaining $4,000
insurance en- his property that was destroyed.
For many years he travelled on the Mississippi gam
| bier, where, he stated no made an immense amount
Of money. He was suspected at one time Of being i'm
plicated Ia the murder q aNr. Miller Of the
Bank shot and the bank robbed OF 500 0OO He
denied ever being In said that the report
prison. shortly after Newark Bank robbery he called
upon friend In this city and placed In his hands 50 900
be invested in United States notes This WINS Ave days
after the above bank robbery and II presumed to be
portiou Of the Of the same There are various
mitted, among others that Of Harvey Burde 1t Is re-
ported that no stated be with Burde the night
ID ass ss msn h %
and that he knew all the parties How much truth can
| be placed IN this statement we cannot say.
During Inc post week he was heavily chained both
hands aud feet and for further security no secured
to the floor. He manifested the most dcpraved spirit
isled il every attempt During ing IN Thursday and
remarked that q was raining very hard, he re.
he damned fools away from coming to See ms Sheriff
Robert L. Butchings manifested every desire well as
Is possble the moro they did the less he resar ded
them. He refused TO allow clergyman come into his
Deputy Peter Packer Samuel Mcfarisn and others He
tkept continually laughing and joking up 10 twelve o'clock
six O'Clock in The morning About seven O'Clock he was
furnished his breakfast, aud when 1t was brought
poor breakfast for the las, one" About eight
o'clock our reporter visited him, whom he felt
rather pleased 70 see, rensrking that he thought
because IL did not notice his trial. The cell in which
he confined Is about fifteen by ten feet located in the
basement OF the Court Borse, with small window
inches high and two feet long at the the cell lie
lay In corner on mattress, covered with army
blanket, leaning On enc arm and smoking segar. In
conversation with reporter be first seemed 70 mani.
fest desire say something, but in or two
afterwards declined 10 converse any way relative the
murder bis tate. About O'Clock Deputy Dean
entered his CELL when be asked for pen and paper. hr
Dem declined 10 allow him the OF pen but told him
that one IL the Aldermen would come down and write
anything he wished lie became quite enraged the
! fusa and swore terribly when Mr. Dean finally with
| drew from the cell One OF his keepers. Mr. Packer,
asked him II his conscience did not smite him. He
Piled q I suppose you think my conscience has been
damnaby troubled but you are all mistaken The devil
never paved the way for me" About half past nine
O'Clock he wanted the Sheriff TO allow him TO be shaved
| which also refused
| TUE scArroLp.
| The galows was erected In the OF the Court
House, In enclosure OF about one hundred and fty
feet square IL the used by the Sheriff OF Essex
county the execution Maud, McMahon and another
person, and " OF very simple construction. II dlers
from the gaows commonly used. BY this the criminal
is drawn up the ground by countcrpoise OF
three hundred pounds two upright posts aud
beam strongly bracod TO the structure The rope attached
10 the moose passes over puy directly the crimi
then passing puly dcscends TO the weight
which held up by trigger and the weight drops into
PIT six or seven feet below the surface o. the ground
the execution and - an early hour the First regiment,
Mercer Brigade composed Of seven companies and the
Ewing cavalry, the ground. They placed on
| guard, surro, nding the entire Court House
Abolt eleven O'Clock his counsel, Mcssrs James and
nunphy, arrived TO bid him final farewell During
their visit he converted with them unconcernedly as
possible ma iiesng not the slightest feeling whatever
10 appears that he always denied that no had family
living stating that his wife and child were dead
On thursday evening lady and child accompanied
two Others called at the residence Of Mr.
requested 10 him. On being 10 Mr. James
lady che the wife Of smond brought with
her the lkene's Of her child and herself, desiring Mr..
James TO visit simond before the execution implors
him he bad any money eft, which she believed he had
(about &12 0C0) 70 make 10 his child she stated
That had him for years that he was
q very bad man had twice tried kill her once dcsir.
ing 10 give her poison. White IN Conversation Mr..
/ James learned many things Respecting his lie which
show him 10 have been ono Of the most desperate of
mon His wife proves 70 be- br Mighty resrectcc con.
necticns, with whom sbo and her child have been v.
| ing MI James pIomrcd to comply with the request,
the TWO nkcnet|s and showed them 10 him. Al FIRST no
denied kEovF but 6uallv ledped