Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1864-10-04
JUDICIAL MURDER OF TWO CONFEDERATE
SOLDIERS

SOLDlERi
The s.. Louis Republican, OF the lob, gives he par
i.ua.s Of the ha- 81 of two COrfede'a;e soldiers,
n.msd Stephen R Smith aad Vim Moore, in that city,
on the oh inst Taey had been convc.Sd of6sinS gee
riag and SPIES Gnd lh9 United Safes military had
charge of the proceedings We extract the following
account of the fair rom the journal name1
The escort Consisting mainly Of companies Ct the
40 d snd Ais. Missouri cavalry and two companies oil
the S:h hssour cavalry aud, we believe portion OF
The lO.h lusas nanry) arrived on the ground about
two o'clock aud took position Surrounding the scauOd,
form ng hollow so lare. In about twenty minutes the
ambulance, guarded by "a ad OF II e3n soldiers,
arrived, and drove up within few yards OF the scat
odd.
Snith-who was large, iuely-foJmed, muscular
MAJ over six feet high, Bnd weighing $50 poun s.
jumped out Of { wagon with apparent pdaIiop;
out when he looked Up a; the gaows thoye was teen
largo, grave lhoushttJ! face high forehold aud gen
eIal nobility Of crriage, which qualities were OF course,
looked or IN one condemned to so i8nomLious
doom The eIpressiOn Of bis cOun ena1,e betrayed
great Jrt az reconciliation 10 his fate and when he
u- ked on T. noosei rope hanging above, in bod re-
lie against the clear sky, bis eye betokened The tori
Die emotion within him. BE was dressed in common
black cashmere clothing, wearing black felt hst. Ills
step was firm aCd he ooeyed with alGcrty every order
Of the exsc-ti9ner7. II b,ad, which no were long,
vas dark brown bis hair was cut toeraby ahort.
Moore WAS a young aud rather toyish looking per-
con- about FIVE feet s.x inches high, aud Of scarcely
more than hail the weight Of Lis companion. he
va kod with SICILY, uncertain step, and hls face
though full aud round, wore deaihiy pIor Hs ooun.
,ensEce, like smths, expressed guaor, and there
W. not psrcepiOe The less. tTenoT in his AcIiODs.-
His hair vas lOTg, ard OF sn RuorIn coler-alnost
red-bul on hi, ace there MAS no beard.
Ths patty dii nOLrLmsil on the giou1d long; lmmC-
date after get ing out of the ambulance 1 colder
took each prisoner by the arm sad led them TO the
~ 4 H. ~ A.
seated upon t. No person was allowed on tho scAio.d
sxcspe these having mued charge of the execution
It teng feared the structure might break down. This
excluded the reporters fer tho pr5s' who sre there
fore unable to give fair rspri OF the prisoners
marks. After being scated the two men Immediately
kn,ls in prayer, he R.v Phillip heKim chaplain Of
Graiot street prison, leading Whe they knelt there,
the long straight hair of Nj lcrs s!reamed out in the
evening wind, which WAS blowing strong from the
soull; and sun and breeze seemed TO come down aud
bless these poor penit'nts and ftrc gbe within their
souls tie peZoo that God ssnt them.
TIE prayer lated some three Minutes; WheE it We
concluded they arose, ard Major Williams read the cI-
der for eIeou ion incorporate he charges on which
they had been found guilty. aud asked they had any
thing to say. Smith replied that he not gully OF
being guerilla, as charged; that lie belonged 10
regularly Organized Confederate force and was no. it,
SIDE the lines OF the Ulitel atss, to territory ig
claimed by both sides that he was prepared 10 ole,
and all the regret lie had in leaving the word was that
A wife and tao helplesI children remained unproviiCd
for he had regrets for what he had done, aud was
pre- garsd 10 meet bis God; the sing Of death bad is
tSrrcrs-he could not lock forward 20 it without sbud
ieg, but alter the brief passage hs had no fear;
when the cold rvr was passed he would be az rest
the ether eide. He eIhorted all who heard him TO live
chri5iRn'5 life; il wold be worth more than ell tie
wezlh AID power o. th5 world; when this mortal form
had put on immortality, then he would praise God Tor
hs goodness in giving him iostIude to 60 through this
geat trail
While he spoFe, there was frmness Of tonei but
often his mouth bseans drv AVID frequently ne would
stop for want of word. Bat he showed .miliarisy
vita public speaking and Wedt TO the end win eage
When no mad concluded the Oi5Cr asked Moore il he
rad anything 70 soy. he replied, noihing and soon
they ordered on tie drop
The fatal white caps drawn over the fsces of the
doomed me1-ther arms had been secured behind them
bel leaving the prgon-and the ropes were adjusted
As the CAD was being put ever the fscs OF Moore be
said something to his minister, who stepped err to hear
hin; bu. the white covering husled his voice, aud his
las. words were unheard by moral esr They fell at
quarter to O'clock
TIC heavy weigh. 4 Smiths body was too much for
the rope, and i snapped qss above the kuo,. His i'm
mensa frame fell prone the ground, while tEe rope,
slipping nearly through the pulley 10 which hooTe was
hanging, ltfs him nearly If tho cord to which Smith
should have bcen suspandsd aud, strange to say, the
end Of the rope got half way through the grooves OF
the board clasprg, which was to divide the rope be-
tween the two and stopped. Moores feet nearly reach
ed the ground. HIS neck was broken, and he never
struggled an instant though the physicians did not
pronuurcs life extinct for more than ten minutes, The
pcck of Smith was also broker and, With few spas
medic tIuggles, he died in about FIVE mru:e5. Gouts
OF blood clotered under the cap aud there we're pools
of it on the ground underneath his feet and neck.
We we're able to learn but ls Of the history Of the
executed men. SEphen R. Smith was bora in Tonnes
nssee bu. has resided for long lime Ia Oregon coun-
IT, No where he leaves a wife and two children. He
Was an oder in tho Csmpbete denomination Of CHRIS
ta1s, ard vas preacher Of 10 mean Iepute in bis
ntighbOrhOOd before the var broke out. He was 81
years of age
Moore was % years Ole; was born in kentucky, aud
removed with his IA her, when quite youIg, to Ts1iS
county, No. His parents still reside there
After their sentence rad been made known to them,
Smith converted MOors to his Christian belief, and on
last Sunday week baplsod him in the prison, tee oere
mony being witnessed by several other prifoners and
soma oiiers OF the prison. Tbs scene was spoken OF
truly affecting