The New York herald., 1865-03-26
TIE HOTEL lNCENDlARlES.
Execution Of Robert Cobb
Kennedy.
~~~~--~--~>~~-~~~~~~~~~
Extraordinary Conduct OF the
Culprit.
LIE DIES SINGING A SONG.
SCENES AT THE sCArFOLD.
~~~-~
Ehe Bounty Jumpers Made to Wit
ness the Execution.
The Culprit Leaves a Written Confess
sion Of His Guilt,
&C., &C., &c.
LIZ DIES SINGING A SONG.
SCENES AT THE sCAEFOLD.
Ehe Bounty Jumpers Made to Wit
ness the Execution.


No execution Of Robert Cobb Kennedy the raider and
hotel incendinry who convicted hefers military
commission some weeks ago. took place yesterday At
Fort Lafayette in the presence Of several hnndred spec
tatsra The culprit exhibited mixture OF bravado and
Ssar dsng the ordeal and at intervals acted in very
"iDcoherentn Most people thought he was in
oe<t ated but those who knew him beet attributed his
sss6uct to insanity, and maintain that he
Desfectly sober in his last moments.
BIOGRAPHY OF THE oULpRIr.
Kennedy was a native Of Georgia. but was brought MP
h Louis He entered tho Military Academy at West
Point In 1854, but left II two years afterwards ard
tnrDng 70 his home In louisiana led the life OF planter
He among the first to enter the rcbal service
vhen the rebellion broke out He Of the chief
Ssnspirators in the attempt to fire the city last
tan and was detected in trying to burn Barnums Museum
At anhour when its destruction would have involved the
boss a q large number Of lives The incendiarys flight
% Canada in order 70 avoid arrest and his subsequent
return TO Detroit and there by the dcte tvee
TOO fresh the minds Of readers recap ula
tisa. Suffice to say that he brought to this city,
Afed before military commission, and condemned 10
De yesterday by order Of Mjor General Dix commander
f the Der Of the East In person the
about five feet eight nine inches high light build
With brown eyes, and hair and whiskcrs OF The same
his general air that Of educated and VIII brod
person
HIS INCARCERATION AT FORT LAFAYETTE.
DuEpg his confinement at Fort Lafayette Kennedy
assumed perfect devlmay- sort OF manner, and
would have his visitors believe that the government
would never have the to hang him, for fear Of
rstafatory measures on the part OF Jen. Davis Not
vhhstanding his faith in the confcderacy however, the
prisoner thought It would not be good plan trust Pres
dent lincoln too far and accordingly he conceived tho
t6ea of making his escape On Sunday last be dc
tected in the act Of trying to burn the lock Of his cell
81 by OF red hot poker The sentry who made the
discovery communicated the fact Colonel Burke the
eommandant Of the garrison, and the result that
guard kept in front Of his cell day and night render
ing any further effort to escape matter Of impossiby
almost
THE DAY BEFORE THE EXECUTION.
Sergeant Young, Of the detective squad, called upon
he prisoner the day before the execution and had an
Interview with him. Kennedy completely exonerated
Alhson and Mcdonald from any attempt to burn the
eity and said he hoped they would both be released.
During the conversation he intimated TO the detective
that he possession Of valuable information,
which he would agree TO divulge provided General Dix
would get him respted. But Mr.. Young could not
hold ont any hope TO tho culprt and so here tho
matter dropped.
Mo mother OF Mcdonald, when no st ated thai
her son WIS entirely innocent Of the charge
preferre against him The night spent
+ writing letters, and directing envelopes VIII ch
enclose his photographs when they arrived from New
York the next day. He pied in this manner
uuth near u, O'Clock, when he threw himself his
co., and obtained q few hours sleep.
THE MORNING or THE EXECUTION.
Kennedy from his bed about oclo k, appa
rsnuy but little refreshed by his sleep. The chaplain
ary In att ndance and unremitting in his efforts to
enGsrt the cuprt who was by no means resigned to
tAte The prayers for condemned prisoners according
tGe service Of the Protestant Episcopal rcl
rsad by the clergyman, and every eort was made 10
minister 10 the wants of the unhappy man.
HIS INTERVIEW WITH ms COUNSEL.
Colonel Stoughton, who acted as the prisoners CON
pei on the tr al, visited the condemned IN company
the prisoner much d iected nut he cheered up when
they spoke TO him, and tired 10 be lively the cir
cnlnsances OF case would peruait When cutting OF
lock Of his hair, however and handing 10 General
Beee be delivered TO his friends mcmento, he
broke down, and sh tears freely child. He beg
ge General lieale would remain with him until the
lust and upon receiv ng the affirmative
no seemed to regain his lost spr and was cheerful
again.
Cor the execution about e O'clock under
che pers superntendence of Colonel Burke and Mar
sha Murray. The scaiold-the one on which Bea was
hsngedwas erected IN the centre Of the yard baal
Non of the Seventeenth United States infantry formed
square, and Kept out all who not tally invited
~ be present the sCalold hcr none Of that
pushng aud confusion which Invariably happene
sas.ons OF this kind.
TUE BOUNTY BROKERS' AND JUMPERS,
70 the number OF one hundred and eghtyve w,re com
peied to the execution and It Is TO be hoped that
shc late OF Kennedy will warning 70 than
Que Of the GAM more villanous locking set OF ras
Gals collected together perhaps; but
they behaved themselves with remarkable propriey,
and showed that they were und proper subjection
for In their lives. The brokers were drawn in
end OF the yard and the Jumpers In another but TO
ehc Observer there was little dicr in the ap
pearance Of the squads They all looked scedy enough
md fslt win al ed
garrison and the spectaorske 30 many wild animals;
but they bore their misfortune with coming rssgna
Asn-
THE ExEcUTIoNER VISITS THE cULpRIr.
The executoncr visited the prisoners clduring the
tor noon for the purpose OF finding out his weight,
height &c, so that he might arrange the rallows ao
cordngy The hsngman tried to get the desired infor-
nation by little piece Of strategy, that the prs
oner's feelngs might not be hurt; but Ken
nedy was so grun with him that he
Thrown on his guard and unwitngy revealed the object
o. vnit kenn dy did not relish the executioners
Information IN regard " his weight and height saying
ne weighed about one hundred and thirty i've pounds
aud was about ve feet eight inches in ght The table
viii h the prisoner was strewn with writing mate
ras, books letters, &c The prisoner had also abun
dant supply OF tobacco on hand tn being less thn
four packages on The table, besides what he carried IN
hos pockets.
SCENE IN THE CONDEMNED CELL,
About O'Clock Colonel Burke, Marshal Murray
Brigadior General Bcale and Captain Wilson, followed 6y
the exccut oner scd the cell Of the condemned for
the purpose of preparing the prit for the sear "A
t-,n entering the cell the party met by the Rev
lr BUrec, the chaplain Of For. Hanton, who had been
clos ted with the prisoner since noon. Kennedy waa
st ing at a table, if no was Engaged writing, aud
to he Of the presence Of his visitors
k,ay clustered around the ~ table
Marshal rray, who headed tho PARTY, addressed the
prisoner briefly saying the ata hour bad arrived wd Ii
cssary for the cuprt 10 prepare himself for the
scaGod
81 know your crrand and am prepared for IT," re
piled Kennedy, In broken voice. and getting rp from
tho table he advanced towards the Of tho room,
apparently greatly agitatcd
@Arc you rcadyS" inquired the executionor who had
stepped forward and touched HIM on the shoulder
Kennedy quite dsconcercd at thl abruptncss Of
Ave inquiry, and, looking at tie eSccuoner With COZ
icmpL replied, "Who yuu2 don't know yoa.b
General Beac, who was conysrsng with The clergy