The Iowa transcript. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1858-1866, 1865-03-09
NO 8


from he Governor. fixing the l7,h
'ns ant for if,uexecui n.
When the prisoner was advised eff.
cialy tthe time lie rs on all eccasie us
received !, calmly ard indifferen,lvs
SAYING nothing, and seemingly caring
nothing abon, =.
THE EXECUTION
Tie morning of the l7th Of February
,he day appointed for the cxriatirn of
The great crime, was cloudy and snow
re moderately. The streets we're We.
anl unpleascn; f,r colomo,ion. 4 mi.i
itary company from kirkyille arrived
at an ea'ly hour, and with accompanies 4
and = Of this .l.cc, repaired T. the
Cont House to &C. as guard. Up 10
ten o ciock the number Of strangers in
town vas considerable, Lut but no,
noiiceably large" About that time,
however, people began to arrive more
freely INIT, a. twelve the crowd pro
baby numbered two thousand.
The Mayor Of the city had issued his
p' oc'am .tlon, requiring all the saloons.
- be closed, and the order was uniyer.
sally respected 50 far as is known. Il
was wise p-ecan'ion to preserve orac~
The following twelve persons com.
posed the ja:y summoned BY the
Sheriff, according t. law, 10 witness the
execution: 4 H. Stiles, r. w. Boyd.
$. W. MgGllsson, Charles Dudley.
Thomas Foster, A Melick, B. D. Baker.
John Newman, VIM A. Nye, NJ j..
Williams, T. J. Z,llsrs and Thomas.C.
| .la,kins.
The prisoner DID not sleep well tho.
night before the execution, as he had
not for several nights r-eivoua. r.,
was cheerful however, az lie has been
generally, aarl7g lis Imprisonment. II.
par,oek Of food in tie r,orninc modes.
a'ely Abent nine o'clock. Rev. Father
hreckle, Ga,hoi'n p.,ve; Of this city,
with clerical assistance frem abroad,
abroad, attended in tie rrsonot's cell
TO prepare him according to the ri,es
oftbe church, for the great change
about to take pvaee.
The gallows was erected durirg.,he
right, in the wcs. end Of the hall III front
OF the els the platform raised abou.
five fee, from the ground. About III
O'Clock the jury were sworn and pro-
ceeicd to the place of execution. No
other persons were. admitted, except
the guard, clo-gymen, physicians Doc.
tors Williamson and Hinsey, aud .wo
or three representatives Of the press.
The hour Of twelve drew near. The
officiating priests were still engaged
with the prisoner in his cell, he still
appearing calm and collected.
The clergyman left the cell, and The
Sheriff, assisted By Deputy Reed, pro.
cecded 70 robe tie prisoner for the *.
ecu'ion. While this process was going
on, McCemb remarked to Reed. "Bir
Id make good priest
At precisely Il o'clock allowance
being made for difference Of time. pieces,
McComb, accompanied by Rev. Fathers
Kleckle and McCailiy, Sheriff and De.
pnty Sheriff Reed, came from the cell.
He walked with : firm step. Al tho
foot Of the gallows = pause Of few
minutes was made, while the Priest
offered prayers, the prisoner responded.
At the conclusion cf the exercises the
prisoner walked quickly back acroA
The length Of the hall, to the cells Of his
fell w prisoners. of whom he ioek
leave: returning towards the gallows,
through the dense crowd, be
he shook hanbs with such persons as
he knew, pausing few moments and
speaking in lew voice 10 Judge
'rr;mble. lie then asccndei III scsffo.d
walking steadily aad firmly, aud at
once deliberately took hold of the ropo
apparently testing its strength. Being
called upon by the Sheriff, he stepped
forward near the front Of The pla,tosm
and spoke ss follows:
THE CLOSING scKNR-His SPEECH pro-
CLAIMS Ills INNurENcE-sAYsH lie HAS
NENER MADE ANY coNFEssIox--Is
SURF oY GOING v0 HIAvEh.
You have come TO eco an inno:ent mAs
hung. an here upon the galows With
buta very few minutes to live, and | say 10
you, am "a innocent man. want you to
recolect that am about to alffer sn fYlss
tssm.iony. My life has been sworn away
There is no other S4ate where souli have
been convicted upon this evidence, but the
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