The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1865-12-30
tFron The New York NeHs.l
THE EXECUTION OF WIRZ...
HORRIBLE AND DISGUSTING
seen rs.
YAsuryoToS. Nov. 10. 1865.


WAsu1SGToS, Nov 10. 1865.
The scenes at the execution to-day,
which was witnessed by twelve hundred
people, were horrible The walls of the
prison, the adjoining housc-tops and wiu-
dows. and the trees in the Capitol grounds
were black with men and women, most OF
the latter coarse and repulsive looking
creatures. who joined the men in making
loud and vulgar eutcries. The women,
denied passes to the Enclosures, stood ON
the roof Of shed, shaking their fists at the
dying man. The same galIows had beon
used before for the execution Of seven
persons; it was twenty y-two feet high The
leNecutioner was private soldier, but wore
a black coat over his uniform, and black
kid gloFes. Captain Wirz appeared on
the scaffoll with his whole person envel-
oped in a loose, black, muslin bag He
was suffering excruoiating agony from his
arm. which vas supperating, another piece
Of the decayed bone having come out His
last words were g / am innocent Of the
charges brought against me. Il am going
before God, who will Judge Between me
and my accasers" lie then kissed the
crucifx, whereupon the crowd shouted
and heoted, and the soldiers Knocked him
and cried loudly, You'll never starve
any more Union prisoners. RememheE
Andersonviie" Others in the crowd
cried: Hang tie scoundrel quick"
When the hood was pulled over his head
the crowd cheered. and some exclaimed,
:; Down with him; let him dropp When
the drop fell wild chorus Of cheers and
shouts arose from the crowd. Such dis.
graceful scene has never been witnessed
in this country at any execution. An ar
tist was on hand with his apparatus and
took view Of the dangling corpse. When
the body was cut down the rope was cut
in pieces, and the crowd fought and strug-
gled for the fragments. The post mor-
tenn disclosed that the neck had been
br9ken.
This morning Father BoIye admins
tered the sacrament to Capt. Wirz, and
Father Wigget, also of the Roman Cath
olic Church, then placed upon the prison.
er the black cambrie robe. and remarked
as he did so, 3 hope this will be turned
into white one in the other world
At twenty minutes past ten o'clock
Capt. Wirz came from his cell in the Old
Capitol Prison, accompanied By ProvoA
Marshal Russell aud otbaas
Fathers Boyle
between the 1e49sfsssEss -ssn3
the seafold .ras .s,,s,tso,1 sqs % s1s
cd The scafoiais isSas Ssaa s. ss..s, ,aIaaos. sq1
and twenty two feet 10 the top beam. with
trap twelve feet from the ground. Theirs
were several hundred spectators besides
the military, civilians having been adInits
ted on special passes. Amid profound ST.
lenee, Provost Marshal Russell proceeded
to read the order Of the War Department,
founded on the verdict of the court mar
tinl which tried the prisoner. The order
concludes as follows:
And the Court do therefore sentence
him, Henry Wirz, to be hanged By the
meek until he be dead, at such time and.
place as the President Of the United
States may direct, two-thirds of the men,
bers of the Court concurring therein.
The proceeding, finding and sentence
in the foregoing case having been sub
mitted to the President of the United
States, the following are his orders:
ExKcur1vE MAsslos. Nov. 3, 1865.
The proceedings, findings and sentence of
the Court in the within case are approved, and
it is ordered that the sentence be carried into
execution by the fiser commanding the De,
parim mt of Washington, on Friday, the tenth
day Of November, 1865, between the hours Of
six clock in the morning and twelve Q cock
noon. ANDREW JoHNsoN,
President Of the United States.
When the reading Of the order was
completed, Wirz conyersed with those on
the platform with seeming calmness and
self possession, and it was remarked that
he had a smiling conntenance. To his
spiritual advisers he said
=. I am innocent. ] have to die; but
can die ike man. ] have hope in the
future- / have hope in the future, ]
have nothing more to say
His legs and hands were tied, the noose
passed around his neck, and the black
cap placed over his face he stood erect
without faltering, evidently having nerv-
ed himself for the solemn event. After
a few moments Of profound quiet the drop
at preconcerted signal fell The sound
thus occasioncd, having reached the ears
of the promiscuous crowd outside of the
Old Capitol grounds, but who were not
privileged to view the execution, was re-
sponded to by repeated shouts Of appro-
baton. The victim directly after falling,
was considerably convulsed In his legs,
but the agony was soon over. He hung
about fifteen minutes, and then was cut
down His body was laid upon a stretchs
er and conveyed to the prison, where it
was placed In coffin and transferred to
Father Boyle for internent. His neck
was broken By the fall.
All the proceedings occupied about
three-fourths of an hour.
BURIAL OF wIRz.
The body of Capt Wirz was directed
by the President to be inferred Id tho
Penitentiary yard arsenal ground where
Payne and others were buried. Wirz,s
grave is the southern one Of row of Eve
in the following order Mrs Surratt,
Payne, Harold, Atzerodt, Wirs.
WHY wIRz DID NOT coMMIT SUICIDE.
Captain Wirz, in his ineomplete diary:
under date of Oct. /, says that 4 man was
at the time placed in his cell to prevent
any attempt he might make to take his
own life, but the man fell asleep: He
writes that the reason why be did not put
an end to his existence was because what
he suffered was the will Of God, and il
the second place he owed it to hi1nself,
his family, his relatives, and to the world
at large, to prove his innocence.
Since the Burroughs murder the sale al