The Cleveland leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1865-1865, 1865-07-10

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The New York World of Saturday,
publishes a description of the hang
ing Of the four consprators SEN
fenced to death, at Washington on
Friday, from the pen of George
Alfred Townsend. Although it displays
q morbid tendency to regard brutality snd
crime as heroism, and to sentimentalize
where it ought to condemn, it is the most
graphic and readable account of the execu-
ton published, and We append a cOndensa-
ton from il:
WASHINGTON, July Z.
It was q long and dusty avenue, along
which rambled soldiers in bluishIy white
coats, cattle with their tongues out, stray
ing from the herd, and a few negroes max
ing for their cabins, which dotted the fiery
and vacant lots of the suburbs. At the
foot of this avenue, where q lUkewsrm
river holds between its dividing arms q
dreary ediiee of brick, the way was filed
with collected cabs and Glowing people,
abutting against 8 circle of sentinels who
kept the arsenal gate. The low, fat dusty
MAAs AcN41 W kA6 hi lElh HEI6 FsO lucA
with patrols and soldiers lying on the
ground in squads beside their stacked
muskets. Within these 8 second blue and
monotonous line extended. The drive
from the arsenal gate to the arsenAps high
and steel-spiked wall was beset by conn
psnies of exacting ssbel men, and all the
! river bank to the right was edged with
blue and bsyonets. The exhibition of war
was the prelude to a very CHASTITY but very
popular episode -sn execution. Three
men and q mi were to be led cut In
shAckles and hung to q beam. They had
conspired to take life, they had thrilled the
world with the partial contamination of
their plot they were to reach the LAST
eminence of sssAssins, on this psrched and
oppressive noon, by swinging in pinioned
arms and mufisd faces in the presence of
s thousand people.
THE PLACE OF DEATH.
I entered a large grassy ysrd, surround
ed by an exceedingly high wall On the
top Of this wall, soldiers, with mus
kets in their hands, were thick
ly planted. The yard below was
broken by irregular buildings of brick
I climbed by q flight of rickety outside
stairs TO the central buildings, where msny
oHiccrs wc-e reayed al the WIndoWs, and
looked awhile 81 the strange scene in the
grassy plazs. On the lett the long, barred
i~mpJegnable penitentiary rose.
THE GALLOws.
"A haam- rnachad horizoufsllz in tho
air, twenty feet from the ground; four
awkward ropes, at irregular intervals,
dabgied from it. each noosed at the end.
It was upheld by three props, one in the
centre and one at each end. These props
came all the way to the ground, where they
were noticed in heavy bars. Midway Of
them q floor was laid, twenty by twelve
feet, held in its position on the farther side
By shorter props Of which there were
many, and reached by fifteen creaking
steps, rallied on either side. But this floor
had no supports on the tides nearest the
eye, except two temporary rods, at the foot
of which two inclined beams pointed me-
nscingly, held in poise by ropes from the
gsllows floor.
And this floor was presently discovered
TO be cheat, a trap, q pitfalL.
Two hinges only held it to its frmer half.
These were TO give way al the fatal mo-
ment, and leave the shallow and unrelia-
bic air for the bound and smothering to
tread upon.
The traps were two, sustained by two
different props.
The nooses were on each side of the GEN.
trail support
WAITING FOR DEATH.
1t was s long waiting, and the roofof 3
high house outside the walls was seen to be
densely packed with people. Others kept
arriving. Moment by moment soldiers
were wondering when the swinging would
begin, and officers arguing that the four
folks observed it damn themP Gentle
men Of experience were telling owe the
number of such expistions they had wit
messed. Analytic people we're comparing
the various modes of shooting, garrOdng,
and guillotining. Cigars were sending up
spirsls of soothing smoke. There was q
good deal of covert fear that q reprieve
might be granted. Inquiries were many
and ingenious for whisky, and one or two
we're SO deeply exPectant that they fell
ssieep.
ENTER THE DYING.
Suddenly the wicket opens, the troops
spring to their Iee5 aHa st~-S at order
arms, the flags go up, the low order goes
from company TO company, the spectators
huddle g Iigtle nearer TO the scaff0ld, all the
writers for the press produce their pencils
and note books
~ MRS. sURRATT.
Firt came q m pinIoned.
A middle-sged woman, dressed in black,
bonnetted and yelled, walking between
two ~bsre-hesded priests.
One of these held sgsinst his breast q
cruoifix of let, and in the folds of his blue
fringed sash he carried an open breVisry,
while both of them muttered the service
for the dead.
-Four soldiers, with muskets st shoulder,
followed, and a captain lsd the way to the
gsllows.
ATzERoTT.
The second party escorted q small and
shambling German, whose head had a long
white cap upon it, rendering more filthy
his dull compilation, and upon whose feet
the chains clsnked as he slowly advanced,
preceded by two officers, aanked by q Lu-
theran clergyman, and followed, as his
predecessor, by an armed squad.
4" HAROLD.
The third, preacher and party clustered
sbeut q shabby boy, whose limbs tottered
IS he progressed.
PAYNE.
The fourth, walked in the shadow of 8
straight hign statue, whose tswny hair and
large blue ayes we're suggestive of the bar
bsriAn str1 kng in his conquerer's triumph,
rather than the assassin going to the gal
lows.
All these captives, priests, guards and
officers. nearly twenty in oil, climbed slow
upon four arm chairs, stretching across the
stage in the rear of the traps, sat the con-
demned with their spiritual attendants be.
hind them.
The findings and warrants we're imme-
distely read to the prisoners by General
Hsrtrsnt in q quiet and respectful tone,
an aid holding an umbrella over him mean
time. These having been already publish
ed, and being besides very uninteresting to
any body but the prisoners, were paid little
heed to, all thespectators interesting them.
selves in the prisoners.
APPEARANCE OF TEE CONDEMNED WOMAN.
She was not 80 pale that the clearne.s of
her complexion could not be seen, and the
brightness Of the sun made her vail quite
transparent. Her eyes were seen to be of
a soft gray her brown hair lay smoothly
upon q full, square forehead; the contour
OF her face was comedy, but her teeth had
the imperfectness Of those of most South
ern women, being few and irregular. In
I'll thu Inns ware opened she did not reveal
tnem- her ngure was not QuIIe UU
enough to be denominAted buYom VAT bad