Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-05-05
08io Statesnran,
PRINTED AND PUBLISHED BY
The Ohio Statesman Company.
THURSDAY MORNING, ---- MAY 5.
FROM IDAHO.
The Execution of Siadc-Awfnl
Scenes-The Murderer Hung.

VIRGINIA CITY, L. T., March l0.
J. A. Slade has been a terror to this COM
munity. He has been Keeping ranch ON
the Madison branch of the Missouri river,
about ten miles from here, but spent two
thirds of his time in town, and while here he
was always drunk. He had with him at all
times a gang of desperadoes, who feared
nothing and never observed law, order, or
the counsel of any one. He frequently
slapped law-abiding citizens in the face, and
threatened to "bore them through" If his
wish, whatever it might be, was not grati-
fed. The citizens and vigilance committee
sent him word when he was sober, that law
and order should and would be preserved,
and if he did not abide by this rule, which
is considered imperative by them, he would
soon suffer the consequences. EARLY this
morning, Slade and company were drunk
not dead drunk, but crazy drunk, and
abused every one calling them Opprobrious
names, and daring any one to take it up
Papers were issued for his arrest and while
he was being arrested the warrants for him
selfand Others were torn up, and vengeance
threatened against the Court. Before other
warrants could be issued, he went to the Office
of the Judge and called him son of b-h;
and said some peoples days were num-
bered, and thus abused the most reSpecta-
BILE citizen among us. At forty minutes
past three p. NJ, company of about three
hundred men, all armed, marched from
some place unknown to myself up through
Jackson street and halted directly in front
of the place in which Slade was. A guard
was put around the town, and also the
building that Slade was then in. Business
was suspended; crowds gathered. the streets
were full; old muskets and rifles glistened,
| and still 10 excitement prevailed. Gangs
of men could be seen i'm every direction, but
hardly word was spoken. Nine-tenths of
the people knew nothing of this affair, or
| what the men were about to do. The queS-
ton would be asked in every group of men,
what is the fuss % ''whO is dcad?" etc. At
half-past four Slade was arrested and con-
Quoted to ravine at the edge Of the street,
where, 10 and behold, there stood before
him and us a newly erected gallows, for this
| special occasion. The hills and streets,
house tops and every vacant spot in sight
| was covered with men, women and chill
dren. The crowd conducted him before the
scalfold and asked him il he had anything
to say before he would suffer death. All
was quiet and still as death. Not q word
could be heard from any one, except the
cravings of the prisoner to see his wife,
About an hour previous to this a message
had been dispatched to his ranch for Mrs.
| Slade, but this was not known to the COM
mittee, and therefore his request was not
granted. lie was made to mount the stand
and given ten minutes to say what he pleas
ed. He cried for Judge Davis, Lawyer Sam
ders and Others. Judge Davis came forward
and was asked in the most entreating Ian
guage, by the prisoner to plead with the
people for an innocent man. The prisoner
said If they would allow him to leave the
country he would Immediately do so and
go anywhere directed. Judge Davis told
| him it was not in his power to do anything
| to save him. Again and again he would
ask time for his beloved wife to arrive. He
said he had business matters to explain to
her, and asked them for Gods sake to grant
him time for her arrival. His legs now
trembled, his face was pale and his whole
frame was nervous. He was now certain
his time had come. The rope was placed
about his neck and his arms bound, and
again he cried "for Cod Almighty's sake
let me see my own beloved wife," Cries of
''let him see his wife," from every quarter
could be heard, and a rush to the galiOws
was looked for. Excitement now prevailed.
and general fight was now anticipated.
| In an instant about three hundred guns
were leveled on the crowd, and in an in
stant more everything was as still as the
hush of midnight. The prisoner was still
begging for mercy, but all to no purpose.
| Hang him they would, and hang him they
did while he was still asking few minutes
longer; and without his being blindfolded,
the trap was sprung. The fall was thirteen
inches, and his boot toes touched the ground.
After hanging for thirty-one minutes the
rope was cut and the body conveyed to the
Virginia Hotel
The crowd still remained in the street,
but not word was said except by the
aforementioned Naylor Thompson, who
swore vengeance against the perpetrators
of this deed. A dozen or more of the
guards went after him and marched him to
the gallows where they were about to deal
IL out TO him, but by the interference of some
men, he was let loose. He will probably
BE- banished. At six o'clock, and before the
corpse was laid out, Mrs. Slade arrived. She
is lady who bears an excellent character
here, and is thought much of by all her ac-
quaintances. When she rode in front of the
Virginia Hotel, she alighted and was con-
Quoted to the room in which her dead hus-
band lay, yet ignorant of the fact that he
was dead. As soon as she saw the body,
she cried out that God might punish the
murderers of her husband. Her feelings
can better be imagined than described, and
the sympathy of this community is with
her? She asked friend of SHADES why he
did not pull out his pistol and kill him be-
fore he was hanged. -..