The Bedford gazette. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1805-current, 1863-11-13

His Attempt to Escape from Prison.
DEVOTION OF ms DAUGHTER.

|
! Tie Portsmouth (Va.) Old Dominion, of Fri
day last, narrates the following attempt Of DR..
Wright, sentenced To be hung on Friday, to
escape on Thursday night. Our readers well
remember that DIR. Wright-'who was an old
I citizen Of Norfolk, shot.the captain of a COM
pany OF negro soldiers who were making hide
! GUS noise in front of his house. He told the
I captain to take the negroes away from his door
and received an insulting answer, whereupon
\ he rot gun and shot the officer. For this
! offence he was tried by a court martial and
I sentenced to be hung.
Few can penetrate the deep sagacity or SUBJ
vert the determination of woman. Seeing the
desperate circumstances of her father, Miss PEN
elope the eldest daughter Of DIR. Wright, re-
sorted to an expedient that in most casees would
result in perfect success, but the readily observed
disproportion Of the Doctor and his daughter
! loed her most sanguine anticipatlons-lt has
long been a custom for the family to visit the
/ Doctor every evening, and last evening Miss
( Penelope came as usual, but soon after entering
/ the cell the light ordinarily used by the Doctor
during such conferences was extnguished, which
), aroused the suspicion of Lieut.. Cook, who has
especial charge, and he placed detective 'front.'
ling the door, to watch their movements.
ii But there isno penetrating the mystery of
an Intelligent wopan's deliberate purpose. Al
Though the eye of the detective apparently
scanned the cells interior, she managed in the
shadow to trai,sier to the Doctor the guise of
woman and so to veil and otherwise conceal bis
person, tha- in passing through the bull ling there
was no recognition until one Of the turnk eys,
named Garrlsot, after he had gotten out of and
some fifty yards from the prison, suggested that
the lady was very tail for DR.. Wright's daugh-
ter Lieut.. Cook, on the qai riUe, lest he sh ould
be deceived, Immediately hurried after the figure
and to feel positive that nothing was wrong.
4 lifted the veil, when 10 contra 6Onos nlofes the
Doctor was discovered apparelled a ID te,naiae
He exhibited bit little embarrassment, simply
observing to the Lieutenant that desperate
means were pardonable under desperate circum-
stances" and turning, walked back TO his cell
as unconcernediy as if nothing unusual had oc-
Cured
Entering, the daughter was found reclining
upon the bed, boots on and protruding from be-
meath the covering, the Doctors style. She was
as deeply surprised us she was pained TO ascer-
tain the apprehension of her father, and the
thwarting ot herdeep-laid scheme. No restraint
was imposed upon her by the officers in charge.
and the Doctor handed her to the care of Lieut..
Roberts, who escorted her home.
Extraneous intelligence informs US that every
arrangement had been completed for facilitating
the Doctors escape. carriage was stationed
in waiting a short distance from the prison, out
side of pickets that guard the different avenues
leading to the Jail, and every essential and suit
able precaution taken to insure his safety
THE EXECUTION.
The sentence of ''death by hanging" was
carried out on Dr. Wright on Friday morning
at ten O'Clock. a few moments before nine
O'Clock, the Twenty first Connecticut regiment,
Colonel Dufton, and the One Hundred and
Eighteenth New York, Colonel Koose, formiag
the escort, were drawn up in line, awaiting the
appearance OF the prisoner AS nine o'clock
sounded DR.. Wright appeared, supported on
either side by his spiritual advisers, and, amid
the vacuum like husliof the awe-strcken crowd
tie old man totiered down the steps, trembling
at first, but gaining confidence and strength at
he moved. He paused moment on the side
walk to speak to several whose faces he recog-
nized, smiled calmly as he looked around upon
the sea of faces, and entered the carriage as
signed 10 MN.
The scaifold was erected at what is known
az the Fair Ground level plot of ground in
the suburbs of the city, and distant about one
mile from the Jail. Here were three regiments
the Eighth, Fifteenth, and Eighteenth Connecti-
cut-forming three sides of a hollow square, in
the center of which stood the gallows, with its
suggestive paraphernalia. In an advantageous
position was posted Regan's Seventh New Yolk
battery, with guns numbered, shotted, and
ready for action The Second North Carolina
(colored) regiment, Colonel Draper, arrived at
a late hour, and formed the fourth side of the
square. 'so hA
There was a temporary push of the crowd
on the bayonets Of the guard, as DIR. Wright
walked boldly into view, and, with the aid of
the ministers who surrounded him, assembled the
steps OF the gaows and stood in full view of
the masses. He seemed to have lost his ncrv-
ousness of an hour before, and stood calmly