Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1865-11-16
RUTLAND HERALD.
MONDAY, NOVEMBER Is, 1866.
NSirz.

For some unaceountable reason we
allied to receive in our teiegraphlc ais
a rs,ches of Saturday morning any &C
N eonnt of the execution OF this notorious
nersonage, which took place on Friday.
our New York exchanges contain very
mil particulars OF the tragic proceed
lngs, from which We condense the fol-
N lowing:
For the last twenty-tour hours OF his |
life he wrote almost tncessantly in his .
diary. taking stimulants Freely from his .
hottie of Kentucky ~hiskey, but not 10 |
i,toyication. lie finished the diary up /
10 the morning of his execution, and .
piaced it in the hands of his best friend, .
Mr.. Schade. About two hundred and
afty tickets of admission were issued,
and their holders together with a few
officers, comnriscd the spectators inside
! the yard but there was "A large con-
course, Of which not a few were women
,utside, and perched up~ buildings and
trees. Some ieers about the dead line
q -eferring to the rope by which the cul-
nrit was 10 meet his death, were heard,
AVtNe after ten O'Clock Capt. Walbridge
entered the cell of the prisoner, and in
formed him that the time dod come lie
Immediately arose, attended by Fathers
" Boyle and Wieget, who consoled him
with words and the sight of the cruel
u fx. In going out, he passed the door
of the room where Winder and Duncan
Il are confined, and was allowed to have a
last word with them.
Dick" he said to Winder, 81 am 60
ing YOU know. These stories they have
circulated about US are false. You will
probably be made to suffer for a portion
Of these crimes they lay to me; but you.
are no more guilty than !, though as much
Promise me, if you live, to do all in
YOUR power to wipe out this awful stain
upon my character. Make my name
and character stand as bright before the
world as it did when you first knew me.
Promise me you will do something to
assist my wife"
Tears ran down Winder's face as he
turned away, and chOkingly said, Cap
u tain, will"
u Wirz then passed down the stairs, out
between the files of men facing outward,
up to the scaffOld, showing something
IN his face aud step which in a better
man might have passed for heroism.
A strong military guard surrounded
the scatfold to which the prisoner was
attended by his spiritual comforters, who
lad administered to him the sacrament
before leaving the prison.
The War Department order founded
on the finding and sentence of the court
u martial in Wirz's case, with the Presi-
dents order approving the same and fix
ing the time of execution, were read
and in this and other necessary ceremo-
MES, about three-quarters of an hour
passed from the time the condemned ap-
peared under the gallows till the fatal
stroke and drop left him suspended be-
tween heaven and earth On the scaffoId
Wirz conversed with those near him
and was apparently selfpossessed, and
n continued to assert his innocence to the
last.
After remaining suspended about if
teen minutes the body was examined by
the surgeon, who pronounced it llfeless,
when it was Immediately taken down
and placed in the dead-house of the pris-
on, Father Boyle applied for the body,
but Gen, Augur refused, until author
ICED by the War Department.
II The following letter was written by
d Wirz Just before leaving the prison
III Old CAPITOL PRISON, Nov. 10, 1865.
III M. ScjlaRe-Dea; SU 1t is no doubt
the last time address myself to YOU.
What have said TO you often and often
| repeat; accept my thanks my sincere
u heartfelt thanks for all you have done
A lor me- May God reward you-T can
Il not. Still have something more to ask
4 OF you, and | am confident that you will
not refuse to receive my dying request.
Please help my poor wife-my dear wife
ana children. War, cruel war has swept
everything from me- and to-day nv
wife, my children are beggars. NV life
Is demanded as an atonement. / am
Wlilng 10 give 1t; and hope that after
awhile l will be judged differently from
II what am now. If any one ouobt tn
come to the relief Of my family il is the
people of the South, for whose sake 7
nave sacrificed all. | know YOU will ex-
cuse me for troubling you again. Fare
weil, dear sir. May God bless YOU.
Yours thankfully,
Fl. WrRz.
N Among the spectators present at the
Ae'utlon it is stated there was a man
ton Vermont, who alleged that he had
.taVeled post haste from his home in
'na' state for the express purpose of
Witnessing the death struggle of Wiz.
ne attracted considerable notice while
tne former was hung suspended by offer
lug an lmpromptu and not very reverent
petition to Heaven that: "To this end
Nnas all the Southern leaders come"
IL has been stated and appears to be
oeiieved, that Mrs. Wirz some time ago
astempted to poison her husband and