Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1862-1865, 1865-03-02

the defence aud service of my country"
Pa,r,w1rIoS rus TaE ExEourIoS -scErEs AT TUE
scAFpoup--rHG DEATH on EEAIL.
The execution of the sentence OF death uPon
John Y Beall the Rebel spy, recently coh,.o 'ou
by court martial duly took place Oh ~
Island Yesterday the oath OF February, to which
day he had been respited from Saturday ias',
had been originally fixed as the day oil eAecu''V"'
PREPARATIONS FoR THE EXECUTION.
Altbough according TO the terms OF the sentence,
n was MOI TO be carried into effect until between The
hours OF IL and O'Clock 4. M, the slght-seerS'
who were so fortunate as to'procnre PASSES pesHn
10 arrive in large numbers at 'Governors iSianu at
am early hour in the morning, and there was also
considerable throng who, to judge by their appear
auce had managed to pass the guards WithouSere-
dentials. BY 2 O'Clock upward 'Oi ooD spectators
had assembled, without including soldiers, oi Hhou
there we're several hundred. Between Tue hours "i
m and ~ o'clock United States Marshal Murray
uroceeled with file of soldiers, to the cell OF the
Condemned in order to convey him TO an apartment
hess remote from the scaifold, preparatory to tie
execution, which, il had been determined, was TO
take place shortly after O'CLOCK
ruE PRlsoSER IL his GILL.
Mai. 'Cogswell and other officers testified TO the
courageous bearing oil capt Dea' e'ei sue H's
hnenlent ON the island As we entered lhe cen oil
the-prisoner in company with Marshal Murray, a
leputy sheriff and another gentleman, We We're struck
by his singularly coorand confident men. lie was
sitting on chair by little table which stood Ia the
middle OF the CELL with the black cap OF death al
ready upon his head. Seeing as enter, he1mmedi-
atcly arose, and said 10 the marshal 49,, j
"A am AT your service. 1ou viii oblge ME ny
making this thing as short as possible
The marshal who had seen him frequently before,
did not at first recognize HIM, as the pack thIuan
hike nipbt-cap with lis long tasseled overlap some
What altered ms appearance. lie knew him to be
the same however, rs soon As he spoke, and pro
missed 10 comply with ms request
Captain Bcall was a handsome man About hve
feet nine inches in hight, dstrong, compactll pun
form light beard and moustache, and ycllowlSh
hair regular features indicative Ol culture ana IN
teHrctual trmutss and 4 clear, brilliant gray eye
these were the phySic chardcterlsticS OF tue
rebel spy. There was also sngulaS&fedom and
self possession in his manner OF move95ent aud al
dress.
Following Marshal Murray to the door of his
cell he marched between the guards, who were
awaiting him, towards The designated apartment,
needless of the curious gaze OF the knots oioung-
ers who had gathered To witness the scene. We for
got 10 mention that he was also accompanied by the
Rev ). Il. Weston, Chaplain of the 9TH regiment,
National Guard, who had been his constant com
panon for several hours each day.
TuE dAL1ows.
The galows was erected on.a pleasant LITTLE knoll
Of ground which soped gently 10 the waters of the
baV On the extremity of the island fronting the
Narrows. sThc structure Itself was simple enough.
There was no drop; but chair was placed directly
under The rope which ran through au aperture and
along groove, or series of pullics ia the beam
aboNr The other end falling into rude box or
shanty, where 1T had connection with heavy
weight, which the seyering of a subordinate line
would hngthc moose up, with swift Jerk, TO the
TOP the gillowS tree. and down, IN the int.
rinr al the Enclosure containing the weight, paced
the man whose business II was 10 cut the short line
al the signal, aud b, the action of the falling
s..l.t r.t lt4 .utn IFS "
burden ct flesh and blood. He was in fact the
hangman OF the occasion, deserter long confined
On the island, but who, we understood, was eNtem
loriZcd INTO An eNrcuiIoner gu the condition that
thereafter ms own past sins were TO be forgiven.
BY noon there was large crowd collected around
tins SPOT, eyeing the structure with morbid curl
oSity, and several patUonS Of troops we're march
ing and cuuntcr marching AROUND II, with full band
yla,iue ~ their head. Nearly all OF the press were
rrprtScuted and stood very near the scatold, with
Maj. Bumtord, the cOmInaudant of the post, and
several other officers belonging on The Island. As
the fatal hour drew near, the crowds OF spectators
became pressing that guard was detailed, which
quickly drove them back, while the troops were
formed in hollow square around the gallows, to
keep outsiders al distance.
rHE ARRIVAL or the PRISONER.
Just about / O'Clock the guard, with the prisoner
aud Mr. Weston in their midst, came filing do wn
the slope, and the crowd respectfully opened to let
them through.
The prisoner walked swiftly, and evidently with
out fear. His arms were pniOned by the elbows, be-
hind his back, which induced slight forward stoopa
as he walked, but there was something defiant and
free in his gait and bearing. There was something
grace fully romantic in his attire, especially in the
short dark cloak which he wore falling theatricalyt
down his Waist and cOnceang the hempen twist
round his uvck, aud oven his black cap added To-
this dramatic effect, being rolled up turban-iike
above his brows the baggy end falling on one sides
4 in frnS wind that lleNV i'm mi,
the sea. Otherwise, the prisoner was attired in
grav suit somewhat furnished from his long con-
hnement additional evidence ofwhch was also per-
ceptible in his paid and somewhat emaciate fea-
lures. " 4
READING TIE SENTENCE. n
We learn, and it is very probable, that the pr-
soner entertained, almost up to the hour Immediate
AZ preceding his death, confident hopes that the ex-
ecution wOuld not be carried into effect. These
hopes probably vanished before he started on his
last brief Journey tn the gallows indeed they must
have done so, for, the way, he looked up, gazed
steadily at the sun, which was shining in clear
hl1e sky, and pouring flood OF e1ulgence over his
pathway To the grave, and said 40 Mr.. Weston: 5
GLOW beautiful the sunlight is i never knew
what its splendor was till nov, when look upon
TOR the last time.''
Arriving at the gailows, the prisoner threw d
quick, curious glance upward, as though he had
never seen the structure before, although il lay
fully exposed TO his eyes during the several me-
msnts' march from his place Of confinement. New
ertheless, he seemed perfectly satisfied with it, on
closer inspection, and quietly stepped forward UNI
der the rope while the Adjutant proceeded TO read
the various findings OF the Cont, the order accom-
panying il and the desth-sentence While this was
gong on the quiet almost cheerful courage of tiIe
prisoner, won the respect OF all who saw HIM Hts
demeanor was, however, anything but that OLA
bravo it evlnced pure moral courage, an intellee
tual contempt for death. His face pale, but not
sorrowfdl and frequent smiles played across his hps
as he listened 20 the readng of the different spec-
fcations OF which he had been found guilty, and Ter
which lac was thereto meet has death. Especially
at the reading OF that specification, respecting the
Lake Erie piracy, where he had placed the innocent
passengers OF the captured steamer under durango
by force OF arms, he almost laughed, if the read
iny recalle some incident which had once partIcn-
larry amused him In all ct this carelessness hOS-