Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1865-03-28
THE EVENING STAR.
E1etrtien Of Reper, Cobb Kennedy.

E1eSutisn Of Rsbert Cobb Kennedy.
Robert Cobb Kennedy, the raider and Motel
4heendiary, convicted BY military commits
aicn some months ago In New fors, was exc
nu,, um his confinement a. Fort Lafayette
,Kennedy assumed q perfect devil-may care
sort Of manner and would have his visitors
heiieye that the government would never have
the nerve to hang him tor fear OF retaliatory
measures on the part Of JEFF Davis. A despe-
rate attempt was made by him to escape by
Earning the lock eff from his cell door with q
red hot poker, but this being discovered, a
guard was kept in front OF his cell day and
night, rendering escape impossible.
The procession started from the condemned
cell about five minutes past one O'Clock, ana
marched to the scanold, the culprit stepping
and WITH
q chair on reaching the gallows, not oniy sHt
on il for few seconds. Upon rising ne look
the orc und with a feeling Of perfect contempt
for all around him. To person unacq TAINTED
with Kennedy's manner, one would suppose
that he,vas intoxicated, but those who knew
MIN best attributed his conduct to nervous in.
sanity and maintain that he was perfectly sol
Der in his last moments.
The clergyman hav wing concluded his PRAYER,
Kennedy addressed the crowd as follows: s.Let
me make q statement here. l consider this a
judicial and cowardly murder. The govern
ment Of the United States had no need to con-
denim me-"
HE then turned, shook General Beale warm
~ by the hand, and allowed the executoner to
nan then proceeded to adjust the rope, when
the uDfortunateman, on the brink OF eternity,
as il were, gave way to his feelings, and in a
pIainbve voice commenced to sing:
Trust to luck, trust to luck,
Stare fate in the face,
For your heart will be easy
lifts in the right place.
The spectators had scarcely recovered from
the shock produced by the effect of the above
lines, when Lieutenant Samuel Nd. Black gave
the signal to the executloner, the axe fell with
heavy thug, and instantaneously the body
Of the culprit was dangling in the air. The
execution took place at sixteen minutes past
the body OF the cuiprit was lowered and placed
IN a rude ccfin, and conveyed to the soldiers
burying ground at Fort Hamilton.
dressed to Marshal Murray, which is said to
nave contained full confession of his guilt in
setting IRE to the hotels in this city. Whether
the deceased implicated others In the affair we
do not know; but the presumption is that he
did not
The following is the confession of Kennedy
made On Friday evening, in the presence OF
Col. Burke and others:
'.After my escape from Johnson's Island,
went direct 70 Canada, where met number
was willing to 60 an an expedition, / said yes,
II IL was in the service of my country To
which they replied, ITS all right but gave no
intimation as to its nature, nor did l ask for
any. j was shortly after sent to New York,
where stayed for some time. There were
eight Of Us in the party, and after we had been
III hAc CITY tflIec weeks we W6Ec tOId THAT the
object of the expedition was to retaliate upon
the North for the atrocities of Sheridan In tn
shenandoah Valley. 1t was originally nten-
dsd to set fire TO the city on the night of the
Presidential election. but as the PHOSPHORUS
was not prepared, it was postponed until the
night OF the 25th of November. OF he eight
Canada leaving but six. was at first stop
ping at the Belmont House, in Fulton street,
bnt afterward moved into Prince street. set
IRE TO four hotels, or rather to Barnum's
Museum, Lovejoy's Hotel, Tammany Hotel,
and the New England House. The others only
set IRE 70 the house in which each was stop.
done as did, we Would have set fire to thirty
Two houses and played big joke on the fire
department
know that l am to be hanged for setting
are to Barnums Museum, but the fact is that
that affair was simply a reckless Joke. had
no idea Of doing it. bat when we were in there,
Of phosphorous on the floor Just to scare the
people. knew it wouldn't set Ore to wood,
Tor we had tried that before, and had had at
one time about concluded TO give it up. There
was NO hendshness about it. The Museum
was set on IRE by merest accident, after had
been drinking, and just for the fun OF a scare.
After setting fire to my four places, walked
the streets all night, until near morning, when
1 went TO the Exchange Hotel. There we all
net the next morning and again at night. Ny
friend and had rooms there, but we sat most
Of the day in the office, reading the papers,
while the detectives, who were thick, watch ed
as. expected that should be caught, and il
caught expected to die. Had l done SO it
would have been all right, but think now it's
rather rough. escaped to Canada, as did all
The rest, and very glad / was to get safel y
across the bridge. i was restless, however,
and wanted 70 reJoin my command. / started
with my friend via Detroit. Just before we
reached the city he received intimation that the
detectives were on the lookout fer us, and
giving me sign al he jumped from the cars.
didn't notice the signal, but kept on, and was
arrested in the depot.
wish u say that the killing OF wome and
children was the last thing we thought of. We
wanted the people Of the North understand and
feel that there are two sides to this war, and
mat they can { be rolling in wealth and COM
forts while at the South are bearing all the
Aardships and privations. In retaliation for
Sherldan's atrocities ia the Shenandoah we
desired TO destroy property, not the lives OF
women and children, although that would of
sourse have followed In the train.
The following is Statement of kennedy's
antecedent:
Kennedy was born in Louisiana, was libe-
rally educated, was two years at West Point,
Lived al home until the rebellion. He and his
brother then entered the rebel army. Some or
Al OF his brothers have been killed In battle
Robert, after several captures and releases,
was retaken and sent as prisoner OF war to
Johnson's Island, where he made his escape
and FED 10 Can ada He there met the Confed-
crate agents, ana was supper ted by their means.
he was regarded as wholly useless I'm plan
ming or executing matters req uiring caution or
seheaey OF manipulation, but as the best man
Of the force for anything reckless, devilish or
foolish. The original intention was to have
eurneC New York on the night OF the election
November S-but owing to the non arrival Of
chemist from Canada, who had agreed to
prostitute his scientific requirements to the
basest Of uses for consideration. the plot could
not be perfected by that time, and il was post
poned until Friday, the 25th. The paruss en-
Williams, CneYnaalt, LJngmeyer, ard three
others, one OF whom was released from Fort
Lafayette on Thursday, a. which time ne
sneerfully took the oath OF allegiance.
Financial.