The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1865-03-30

y AenNeOy (tuITHu& u Sn0 OmCeTS(-
"All right! l am prepared for this
thing. Bind my arms"
Kennedy then turned to one Of the
reporters, and begged him to do full jus.
ticc to his memory.
lie then said farewell to Captain VIII
son, requested him to give his pipe to
General Beale to forward to his mother.
Turning to the company: Kennedy
then spoke as follows:
This is hard for you d Yankees
to treat me this way. 1have been regu-
lar soldier
The executiones now began to bind
Kennedy's arms. While this was in
progress, Kennedy asked General Beale
for handkerchief, and used it. When
the black cap was placed upon his head,
he asked, Gam going to wear this
thing to the gallows ?" The answer
eyes"
The preparations being now complete,
the procession formed in line, and as it
passed out Of the cell door, Kennedy
turned to General Beale, with the re-
mark: "This is a cowardly murder"
About five minutes past / o'clock the
procession marched to the gallows,
Chaplain Burke and Lieutenant Black,
officer of the day, walking first, fol-
lowed by Kenned3 and General Beale.
The guard brought up the rear. The
garrison of the sort Seventeenth regi-
ment of regulars) stood in two lines on
either side of the scaffold. One hun
dred and ninety bounty,jumpers and
brokers, previously marched out of4heir
cells, occupied the background, the
brokers separated by short interval
from their victims. A dozen newspaper
reporters stood near the gallows.
= The first act under the gallows was
the reading of the findings and sentence
of the court-martial which convicted
Kennedy, with the order of General
Dix confirming the sentence. During
this ceremony, which was performed by
Captain French, the prisoner preserved
his composure, occasionally smiling or
breaking out into such expressions as
these: "a d. lie!" (referring to the
charge of being a spy. "That isn't
crime, is it ?" (referring to the charge of
being in the rebel army.)
The. reading of the death sentence
having been concluded, Kennedy said,
in loud voice: Gentlemen, this is
murder"
At the conclusion of the prayer, the
clergyman kneeled III front of the pri-
soner and offered touching plea in his
behalf. Kennedy, still standing, looked
down upon his spiritual guide and made
no remark until the end of the supplica.
ton.
DR.. Burke then shook Kennedy's hand,
babe him farewell, and implored him to
act as man and Christian.
Kennedy bowed in response to this
appeal, and then calling Colonel Burke,
said: "Colonel, send me drink before
CO."
The clergyman. retiring, Kennedy
@gain spoke in loud voice, as follows:
II consider this a judicial, brutal,
;owardly murder. There was no occa-
sion for the United States Government
o condemn me-"
Pausing for a moment, he again said i
"Tell my friends --"
The sentence remained unfinished.
The executioner here came forward to |
adjust the moose.
Turning to Colonel Burke; he said:
Colonel, come here, please"
Marshal Murray stepped up to Ken
ledy, laid his hand upon his shoulder,
nd remarked, "One moment" checked |
him, while the attending clergyman |
'pened the Book of Common PRAYER and |
'egan to read the service for the CON-
lcmncd.
Kennedy, standing bareheadod and |
With pinioned arms. listened respectful
y, frequently using a white pocket
with difficult efforts of his
eft hand. A deathly silence prevailed,
'roken only by the clear voice of the
clergyman, venerable man, who was
isibly affected. |
Kennedy then Suddenly broke out
With the following verse, which he sang
n loud, clear voice to q rollicking hish
ir, and with touch of the brogue:
"Trust to luck. trust to luck!
Stare fate in the face;
For your heart will be aisy,
If it's in the right place."
The verse had hardly been finished,
7hen the signal was given and the cordf
vas cut, the weight fell, and Kennedy
prang into the air, dying almost in
family, the sudden violence of the
hook having broken his neck.
After hanging for twenty minutes, the
ody was lowered, life was declared ex-I
met, and the remains, placed in = CON-
,on stained pine coffin, were delivered
0 Kennedy's friends.
.YESTUFFS.