Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1864-02-23

ExEcrrIox OF YANEEE SRA Yankee
spy was hung, at Il o'elock on yesterday, in
the yard Of Castle Thunder. On Cary street, in
presence Of !. number Of spectators, prison
officials. &C. Tho condemned man was ar
rested inside Of our lines near Knoxville Ten
nessee, on the 9th OF las. August by General
Sam Jones' men, end held as Yankee spy
md recruiting eff :er. He gave his name az
Spencer De.s,n, Captain cf Company B, Gsh
lYankee,) Tennessee 1Lflntry, commanded
by Col J. saph Cooper nov ct Cla:'enooga,
Tennessee He a's) rcpres that hls
brother was Culonal Of an East Tennessee
Yankec K gimeot. AID that his taHher was
named William Deatnn a1i resided at Straw
berry Pi .ins, J: J:f!'.tsrn county Eas: TeaneSsse.
Afer his q rest it vas conc,G lively shown
tha:, in aiiiton to being YlnEse recruiting
officer. Dea,oa was L ~. He vas. therefore
tried Nv court mart al composed Of 'flisers Of
Gen. j mes command, in Western Virginia:
and. af.cr fair and impartial trial. convicted
on both charges. and sentenced to be hung at
such time as should ba appointed. lie We
reut to Richmond by the Provost Maraanl Of
Knoxville, Tennessee, when cur troops were
forced to cvscuato that country. His e1ccu-
ton YVES SGT "a. last Friday, but the prisoner
having sen. Il atHer to the President that be
was not u.eia~-.; III die, he WAS respited until
Yesterday ,l,i hat from the time that
the verdict OF the court was communicated to
Deaton be bu, bntn utterly unp,anncd, and
has only iccp kept from dying from mental
prostra,ion by n liberal daily supply of whis-
kew and Iaudanum When the news OF the
Yankee raid vas reccntly rife here be seemed,
by his frequent inquiries of the officers of
tue Libby, TO i,ilulge the hope that his former
comradr, might 10 able to release him.
At IL o'clock, Yesterday, he appeared IN the
ward of Castle Thunder, where the gallows he'd
becn erected, accompanied by the officer ap-
pointed to hang him. lie seemed to he about
forty years of age, about six feet high, very
pale, no intellectually about his face, which
was rather sharp and exceedingly palld.-
His hair was black. and he wore moustacho
aad small imperial. lie glanced at tho gal
lows without apparent emotion. At its foot
stood Capt Callahan. Of the prison, who pro
cceied to read the finding and sentence OF the
C.urt. That done, Rev. MIR Dickinson offered
up a PRAYER the prisoner and spectators un-
covering tbs while Al i;s o'nclusicn, he
turned ard a-cendcd without assistance the
siens leading to the galloEs. Here attendants
wers in readiness. and quickly placed the 'pn
around the culprit's neck and white bag oyer
his face. HIS arms and legs we're tied. After
th.a. De .tnn rcnoTcd the cap of his head ana
suggested that his wrists instead of. his elbows,
he tied This was 'ous, and thr officer retired
from the s.aE,d, bur did not reach the
ground before D. atom TO K q seat on one side
Of the saatf Id IL haig imp 'Ssible tor the
execution tp proc eiu'd d:rsuch circumstances,
rhe fir ,.stenled aud placed the condemned
in IN upc:s position H.. agaiu sat down,
and was ..s;.lu raised up. Flu iily, when ne
had sat i"wn fnr he ,hi'i tine, he told Mr.
Wiley, one Of the rrisan officials, to hold h Ii.
up. he cou.d not stand. That gentleman ac-
ooriiugly did So ,."d the trap being pulled,
the unfortunate wretch was, in an instant,
dangling in the air. His limbs did not quiz
or, and, after grrating for some moments, tho
hady hung still. It remained suspended for
thirty minutes, and lifs being nrououncsd ez-
tince By Assistant Surgeon Upshur, il Gas
lowered, placed in coffin and carried cF &c
be buried. While On the sclHp!d, psatcn
said he was innocent Of the charge Of h"ing a
spT. and unce or twice he calculated, .L7Id
have mercy on my soul!' Beyond that d:
said nothing. Judging from his appearance
he was not a person of much mental stamina