The Indianapolis daily herald., 1865-11-14
sp-eisl Corrsfpoudsnce 81 The H.tsI
Letter from Washington.
wAsnNcToN. November -. ~
ENTcUTIoN OF VIZ


ExrcurIo~ or wIRz
Tn finding. and sentence u the court hay-
ing been approved by the President and trsns-
miiie'i 20 Nj. Gen q. &. Augnr. an order was
ISSUED "Wednesday morning fixing the time and
place % execution. and Nlaj. q. d. Russell,
Provost Mar-hal, Department Il Washington.
wa charged with the execution Of the order.
The number q pas.e- being limited to ono hun
dnd. frantic ru.h was made At once for Maj.
Ru-scll'- office. but no passe. were issued on
"Wednesday and the rush Wa repeated ycster-
day with lurge rcinforcemcuts. The great de-
mand for place. at the execution may be taken
A. tho evidence n an almost universal desire
% see " irz hung. or q. an instance Of the nat
ural depratiiy az the human heart.
Upon arriving Il the Majors Office at about
4P.M.. / found tn stream ~ applicants fill
terime slowly through the deputies IN the outer
Office. each disappointed place-seeker indig-
nanily assuring himself and those around him
that if ~ could get 10 see the ~SIajor" all
would De- well. Ny name having preceded
me, and ms pas, being IN readiness and at
once forthcoming. M angry crowd scowled
bitterly upon me a. departed.
Meantime the efforts to secure reprieve
were not abandoned. though Mr.. schade found
little encouragement in them. and when he
was admitted Il an interview with the Presi-
dent he did not use as much language as might
have been expected from 20 valuable 4 cOun-
,eIor, but merely a-kel the Communication for
reasons which were submitted in writing and
lefi for inspection. President johnson prom
led 70 examined them. and from that slight
cause sprung NJ report that the execution
would not transpire. bat though extensively
circulated il oil tained no credit, The prisoner
was unmoved by il, and was in fact entirely
Indifferent 10 his fate. A. an evidence Of the
light character Of his thoughts which possess
cd his mind. be answered the letter advising
him TO make his peace with God, which he
had received from a stranger few days be-
fore, In sarcastic terms, and advised the
stranger 10 "judge not, that We be not judged"
This morning shone out radiantly beauti-
full, and the bright arms and uniforms Of the
prison guard, and the large number Of officers
in full uniform. whose equipments glittered in
the sunlight, gave the appearance of gala
day to the grim old Capitol Prison, till coming
to the prison yasd the full view OF the scafiold
dispelled the illusion. Across the open space,
wo walls of glis tcning bayonets formed the
prisoners destined passage way to his fate;
and a double line Of guards surrounded the
scafiold. distant from II about eight feet The
scailold was roughly constructed, but Of great
apparent strength, and arranged with the trap
in the center, so that the view Of the body
when il fell was very much DISTRACTED.
Pending the appearance Of the prisoner. a
collection Of Bohemians who had seated them
selve, on . flight Of wooden steps in a corner
of the yard opposite the gallows, were photo
graphed by an enterprising artist in attend
ance; and the somewhat painful silence Of the
waiting crowd was slightly broken by some
critical observations such rs " Rogers Gallery"
and " poor picture the last referring to the
impecunious condition common TO our frater-
nifty. The knights Of the quill were crowding
around the artist, when the prisoner entered
the enclosure, and he had passed to the foot Of
the gallows before we caught sight of BIN. At
that moment he walked without support but
he clung heavily to the railing Of the steps,
his lip, slightly parted and with a certain
wildness In his aspect, which was overcome
shortly after he was seated ON the drop, and
was not again manifest even az the last mo-
ment
The reading Of the finding and sentence by
Major Russell occupied some time, during
which Wirz preserved perfect composure and
gave slight attention to the reading through
out sometimes moving his head, and once
giving forth CHASTITY smile at some recital of
the findings against him. One Of the clergy
men in acceptance bent over him from time to
time, apparently striving 20 fix his attention
on the sacred emblem which he presented, but
the hardened man gave no sign Of repentance,
except TO hastily Kiss the cross and put it
away from him. When the reading finish
ed, and he was called on to speak, he rose up
calmly. and addressed iew words to those
upon the platform. which L could not hear
but which seemed no more than mere an
nouncement that lie bad nothing TO say, al
though he continued to speak % one another
of them till the hood was drawn down. The
ease Of his address was truly wonderful, in
view Of his poor health and dreadful impend-
ing fate Here stood one whom death had
marked out from men, and who was going
down into the grave, calmly taking leave of
those around him with rs much courtesy as
we might think he had ever possessed. Little
could be seen Of his dress-the black gown
covering it-but his worn shoes, uncut hair
and unshaven beard gave him very poor ap-
pearance. which strangely contrasted with his
quiet and almost disniied manner.
Wirz appeared upon the scedoid At 10 min
utes after 10, and at 20 minutes 10 IL, the
trap fell. few commissions only were seen,
and a breathless silence succeeded the disagree
able shouting outside the prison while the rope
was being drawn about his neck. The shout
ING was By no means general bui seYeral per-
sons joined Ia the cry Of "Aadersonville,N aud
some few taunting epithets were heard. At
Is minutes 10 IL the body was lowered, placed
upon a stretchcr and born into the prison, and
the company at once dispersed, except few
acquisilive individuals who appealed 10 the ex-
ecutioner for bits OF tie rope. or splinters Of
the scaiTold.
That Wirz died hardened criminal there is
no doubt; and though he listened to religious
admonition, TO the very last moment he was
disappearing, and only xious to die brayely.
lie slcp, an last night and ate his breakfast
this morning rs usual. and before the sun had
reached II, meridian height, he had passed be-
yond the judgment OF men.
But il i sad 70 reflect that while IL 4, efli-
ncntly fit and proper that the dread sentence
Of death should be carried out as il has been,
il cannot recall to their friends and homes the
thousands Of brave men for whose sufferinge
and death he has to-day made what etonement
was possible in this life. W.B.V.
Chivaisy Redivivus--An Old Time
Affair Of Honor.
Noble COrresPon 'euce y. =. Times.
Speaking Of newspapers, there was a duel