Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1864-04-01


One foot higher than tae level OF tue platform
s the fatal trap, which was formerly ave f,ri
oy five, but has been enlarged TO elevea feet by
i've, making 1t OF size to allow the execution
,f four persons at the same time. The rope is
Of the best MANILA, procured from the Navy
Yard, after several pieces OF rope from "a.
stores o; this city had been broken under tae
test weight OF ee5 pounds. The fan is aboa,
three feet. The rope is made fast to q clee; on
either upright, and passing over the beam the
two nocses prepared for Hendricks and Pol
This stanold has been aiready baptised to its
grim mission, having served Tor the execution
Of no less than four noted criminals: Wood
ward, hung some yeals ago for the murder OF
his wife; James Power, hung for the murder
Of yourg Lutz: John Conrad Kessier, a soldier,
hung in the Old Capitol prison yard December
S, is62, for the murder of Lieut.. Fernando Lin
zy; and Augustus Ford, colored, hung on tha
I'd of March OF last year, for the murder OF
Geo. Adams, colered.
SCENE IN THE VICINITY OF THE JAIL.
Some time before noon crowds OF parsons
commenced to gather in the vicinity OF the jail
Among Their were many soldiers and number
OF women and children; but the high walls OF
the Jail intervening, they could gain no view OF
the gallows or place of execution. The house
tops and upper stories of some OF the neigh bor-
ing houses were filled with persons, however.
waiting the opportunity OF Witnessing the exc
cution. At some few OF the houses the upper
windows were closed, and not person was to
be seen. Twelve O'clock came and went by,
ard presently 1t was whispered amongst the
been committed to imprisonment for life Others
called out not to believe it, saying that the story
Of the communication was LIST Of April hoax.
put afioat to enable the originators to get better
standee seats. It was not until the last minute
of the time designated as the limit e p. nj had
expired, that many Of the spectators were
willing to leave the vicinity.
COMPUTATION OF THE SENTENCE.
For some days it has been doubtful whether
the prisoners could be lawfully executed, Mar
shall Lamon being under the opinion that the
ment OF a Warden to the Jail, took the entire
control OF that prison from him, and that con-
sequently he could not legally execute the men.
In this opinion he was backed by some OF ths
law officers of the Government. During the
last few days strenuous efforts have been made
tC have the sentence commuted or the prisoners
respited, and this morning the President grant
ed Communication of their sentences to imprs-
onment for life. The document to that effect
was Immediately handed to the Marshal and
he fastened to the Jail to announce it to ths
The prisoners, who accupy adjoining cells,
were visited this morning by their spiritual
adviser, Rev. Father Mcclure, with two OF
the Sisters of Charity, and the wife OF Ken
drick, who remained with them during the
greater part of the morning, engaging with the
condemned men in religious exercises, and
were awaiting to perform the last sad Offices
Of the Church, should they be required.
While they were thus engaged at a quarter
to twelve o'clock, Marshal Lamon arrived At
the Jail, and going into the Office sent for the
minutes, In company with the guards, they
made their appearance, when the Marshal read
to them in the presence OF District Attorney
Darlington, DIR. Young, the physician to the
jail; Mr.. Davis, of the bar; Rev. B. A MEG uire,
the spiritual adviser of the criminals, and
several others, the death warrant OF Hendricks
and Pollard, and after asking IL they would
accept a Communication Of sentence as a contract
(the President having no power to commute a
sentence except with the cor sent of the parties,
10 which they replied In the affirmative, h.
m he Nr G
"In this case of jeremiah Hendricks for T..
Pollard] the punishment of death is commuted
to Imprisonment during life, at hard labor IN
the peniten tiary. "A. LINCOLN,
"April 1, 1851
During the reading of the paper both of them
became much Observation-Disclosures bowling his
head and shedding tears treely--but neither
uttered word. After being led back to their
cells th' showed much excitement In few
days Hendricks and Pollard will be transferred
from the jail to the penitentiary at Albany, N.
York, when they will enter upon their sentence.
The Law recently passed by Congress for the
appointment OF a warden TO the Jail took from
the Marshal all power over the prisoners in
the jail, and the Senate failing to confirm the
newly appointed warden, left the prisoners
without any legal authority for any party TO
execute them. The following letter from the
Attorney General to the President plains the
reasons for the comm utation:
Attorney Generals Office, Washington, March
2Sth, 1S64.--TO the President SIR: have the
honor to receive your note Of this day endorsed
upon a printed copy of "a bill to authorize the
appointment OF Warden of the Jail in the
District of Columbia
You require my opinion whether this law
relieves the Mershal OF the District from the
duty Of executing the death sentence upon per-
sons under that sentence, in the District Jail :"
That bill having become law, as your note
implies, think it clear beyond doubt, thar
the Marshal DO longer has any duty or law
full power to execute any sentence OF desth
upon any man imprisoned in the Jail OF the
District OF Columbia, under sentence OF death.
EPcOnd section Is
is in these words: THAT the said warden shall
have the exclusive supervision and control OF
the iaIls in the said District and be accounta-
BILE Ior the safe keeping OF all the prisoners L.
gally committed thereto, and shall have all the
po,cs1. and discharge oil the duties heretofore
legally exercised and discharged over said Jail
and the prisoners therein by the Marshal OF said
District
This plainly transfers all the powers and dn-
ties OF the Marshal, in that behalf, TO the War
den Of the Jail.
l have the honor TO he, most respectfully,
your obedent ser, ant,
(SignedD EDw d BATES.
Attorney General.
Port OF GEoRGETowN.-Cieare
tine Sleeper, Boston: Schooners United, Sea
man, Bridgeport; Moses Bramhall, Dayy,
Havestraw, N. Y; Fair American, Bre wington,
Pope's Greek; James Buchanan, Archibald,
Philadelphia; Fl. s. Boynton. Herrick, Boston:
Spedden, Magathy; Eliza A. Johnson, Fallen,
do; Eanquish, Brien, Vienna: Henrietta, Bar
cellus, Pocomoke. Barges Dayton, Murphy,
Salem city; Carter. Bridgeport, N. j.; I. G. Car
roll, Graw, Pamunkey.
Chesapeake and Ohio Cdanl.-Arriy ed-Heleu
May. ceal to Cumberland e. 4 l. Co.; Bower i
Watson, coal to Hi sion IL Co.; 5. VI. Petrie,
coal to Frostburg Il Co.; NJ. T. GatriN and Tn
expected, coal to Borden Co.; &. Slack, coal to
American Co The departures since noon yes
terday were thirty-o all light except the
Ann E. Darby, which carried small cargo of
groceries, &c.
POLICE APPOINTMENTS AND BISNIssALs.-
Yesterday, the Board of Police Commissioners
made the following appointments: --R ebert
Padgett, vice Rolte resigned, George W. NIGEL.
fresh, vice James Lewis, dismissed. David
NJ. Sylvester, vice Jerome Taylor, dismissed
Jeremiah Bresnahan, vice Alfred Fairaii, dis.
missed. Thomas hardwood, vice ]. N. ".
Davis, transferred.
STEALING GOVERNMENT RATIoNs.-To-day
one of Cant. nol2n's detectives arrested Madi-