The Indianapolis daily herald., 1865-11-11
THE HANGING OF CAPTAIN WIRz
FEARLESsNEss on THE ScAFFoLL
He DECLARES HIS INNOCENCE.

WAsnISoroS. Nov. 10 Capt. Wirz vas hung
between 10 aud IL O'Clock this morning. On the
galows he declared his innocence. lie died with
out exhibiting any symptoms OF fear.
THIS morning Father Boyle administered the
sacrament 10 Capt Wifz. and Father Wiggett.
also OF the Roman Catholic Church. then placed
upon the prisoner the black cambria, remar king
a. he did so. aope this will be turned into .
white one in another world.
AT 20 minutes past 10 O'Clock Captain Wirz
came from his cell 10 Old Capitol Prison. accom-.
panied by Provost Marshal Russell aud other
officers, and by Fathers Boyle aud Wiggett,
and passing between the military guard. they as
cended the scaffold. The prisoner was then
seated The scsffod was twelve feet square and
twenty feet to the top OF the beam. with the trap
twelve feet from the ground. The guard con.
sisted OF the ly5th Pennsyl vania Volunteers and
three detachments Of the Veteran Reserve Corps,
under command OF Capt. Walbridge, Military
Superintendent of the Old Capitol Prison. There
we're several hundred spectators present besides
the military, civilians being admitted on special
passes.
Amid profound silence Provost Marshal Rus
sell proceeded 10 read the order Of the War De-
partment, founded on the verdict of the court
martial which tried the prisoner. DE was charged
aud convicted of combining confederating and
conspiring with Jefferson Davis, j. A. Seldom.
Howell Cobb. John II. Winder, Richard u. Win
der Isaac White, w. s. Winder, w. Shelby,
Rev. X K. Stevenson, $. p. Moore, Kerr, late
hospital steward at Andersonvile, James Dun
can, Wesley Turner, Benjamin Harris, and
others, whose names are unknown, and who
were then engaged 10 armed rebellion against the
United States, maliciously, traitorously, and in
violation OF the laws of war. TO impair and in
jure the heath and destroy the lives, by subjectng
TO torture and great suffering; by conhning in
unhealthy aud unwholesome quarters; by expos
ing to the inclemeney OF the weather and 10 the
dews and burning sun OF summer; by compelling
the use of impure water, and by furnishing in
sufficient aud UNIV wholesome food. of large
number of Federal prisoners. to-wit: the number
OF ABOUT forty-6ve thousand. held as prisoners OF
war at Andersonville, within the lines of the go
called Confederate States, on or before the 27th
March, 1864, and At divers times between that
day and the 10Th of April, 1865, to the end that
he United States armies nigh be weakened and
impaired, and that insurgents engaged in armed
rebellion against the United States might be
aided and comferted, etc, etc. The order also
states that the prisoner was found guilty of the
second charge, namely, murder, in violation of
the laws and customs of war, and guilty of all
the specifications excepting the fourth. tenth and
thirteenth, which there set forth that be killed a
he ordered sentinel TO fire on him with a revolt
yer; aud that be shot another with revolver that
be died The order concludes as follows:
The court do therefore sentence him, Henry
Wirz, TO be hanged by the neck until he be dead,
at such time and place as the President OF the U.
) may direct; two thirds of the members of the
Court concurring herein. and the court also find
the prisoner, Henry Wirz, guilty of having caused
the death, in the manner as alleged in specihca-
ton eleventh, charge second, by means of dogs,
of three prisoners of war in his custody and sol
diers OF the United States; one occurring on or
about the llth day OF July. 1864; and another
occurring on or about the LIT day of September.
1864, but which finding, as here expressed, has
not and did not enter into the sentence OF the
Court as above st sted. Second, the proceedings,
findings and sentence in the foregoing case have
been submitted to the President of the U. s.
The following are his orders:
EXECUTIVE MANSION, Nov. 3, 1865.
The proceedings. findings and sentence of the
Court in the within cases are approved, and it is
ordered that the sentence be carried into execu-
ton by the officer commanding the Department
of Washington, on Friday, the 10Th day OF Nov,
1865, between the hours of o'clock in the
morning and IL o'clock noon.
ANDREW JoHNsoN,
President of the United States.
Third. Major General G @. Augur, command
ing the Department of Washington, is command
ed to cause the foregoing sentence in the case of
Henry Wirz to be duly executed, in accordance
with the Presidents order
Fourth. The Military Commission, of which
Major General L. Wallace, United States Vol
unteers, il President and hereby dissolved.
By command of the President of the United
States.
f. d. TOWNSEND, A. A. @.
When the reading of the order was completed,
Wirz conversed with those on the platform with
seeming confidence and self-possession, and it
was remarked be had smiling countenance. To
his spiritual adviser be said: al am innocent;
have TO die, but | can die like a man; l have
hope in the future | have nothing more to
say"
His legs and hands were tied, the moose was pass
ed around his neck, aud the black cap placed
over bis face; he stood erect without faltering,
evidently having nerved himself to the solemn
event. Those on the platform retired to the
railing, leaving the doomed man in the centre
of the structure. After a few moments of quiet
the drop. at a preconcerted signal, fell. The
sound thus occasioned having reached the ears
of the promscuous crowd outside of the Old
Capitol grounds, who were not privileged to
view the execution, was responded to by repeated
shouts of appreciation. The convict. directly
after falling, was considerab convulsed in his
legs, but his agony was soon over. He hung
about fifteen minutes. and then was cut down.
His body was laid upon a stretcher and conveyed
to prison, where it was placed in a coffin and
transferred to Father Boyle for interment. His
neck was broken by the fall The proceedings
occupied about three-quarters OF an hour.