The Elk advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Elk Co., Pa.) 186?-1868, 1865-11-25
Execution of Wirz.

q CLOCK tillS morning. On the EallOWS
he declared his innocence, and died
without exhibiting any signs of fear
The prisoner was asked by lady to.
day whether he had hope as to another
world. lie replied: "Madamc, have
hope. The greatest sinner has hope,
and why should not--fccling myself
innocent of the charges for which have
to suffer ~
The following letter was written by
Wirz before mounting the gallows;
OLD CAPITOL PRIsoN, Nov, 10, '65.
Mr.. SCHADE-Dear Sir: 1t is no
doubt the lat time address myself to
you. What have said to you often
and often | repeat. Accept my thanks,
my sincere, heartfelt thanks, for all you
have done for me. May God reward
you'll cannot Still l have something
more to ask of you, and am confident
that you will not refuse my dying re
quest. Please help my poor family,
my dear vile and children. War, cruel
war, has swept everything from me,
and to day my wife and children are
beggars. My life is demanded as an
atonemert. l am willing to give it,
and | hope that after awhile | will be
judged differently from what am now.
If any one ought to come to the relet
Of my family, it is the people of the
South, for whose sake | have sacrificed
all. | know you will exc1se me for
troubling you again. Farewell, Dear
Sir, May God bless you Your thank
full II. WIRX.
AN ATTEMPT AT SUICIDE.
the startling fact in connection with
Wirz's Imprisonment, has been given to
the public. This is no less than an at
tempt to poison Wirz, which, but for the
quickncss of the officer present, would
have been successful.
When Mrs. Wirz came on to Wash
ington it was the desire of tho Govern.
ment to give her every facility for enjoy
ing interviews with her husband, with
only such precautions as were indispen.
SADLY necessary. The Secretary of War
therefore requested Gen. j. &. Baker
to arrange for such interviews aud to
be present at them.
The first interview of Mrs. Wirz with
her husband was in his cell just after
the commencement of his trial. Their
meeting was not at all of the character
that would be expected between man
and wife under such circumstances.
There was oappearance of tenderness,
no embrace or kiss, no tears and nc ap-
parent emotion of any kind on the part
of either. The lady's first words we're,
How are you Wirz 2 Well he an
swered in a gloomy voice. Il am get.
ting along pretty we'll She looked at
him a moment, and her next words
were; when did you haze on clean
shirt last? | never saw you look so
dirty in my life Wirz replied that he
had had one on within the last week,
and began to complain Of his misfor-
tunes. Their conversation throughout
was cold and fippant,
The third interview was on Sunday !
Oct. 20. The two exchanged common |
place salutations as before, and INDUCED !
in common place conversation. Gen,
Baker saw Mrs. Wirz draw of her
glove and saw again a nervous motion
Of her hand as though moving some
thing in it which she desired to con.
ceal. As she rose to 90 she stepped mp
to Wirz and for the first time made a
to kiss him.
Gen. Baker stood at their side where
he could see the meeting of ;heir lips.
twas not a quick, passionate kiss, but
Gen. Baker noticed that they were occu.
pied longer time than necessary, and
that the movements Of their lips we're
rather peculiar for kissing. AS their
lips parted Gen. Baker was convinced
hat she had passed something from her
mouth into his, and that he was about
% swallow it. He sprang toward Wirz
md caught him by the throat, partly
'hoking him for the instant. Gen. Ba.
;er commanded him to open his mouth,
md, as he did so he spit out little ball
which he had partly crushed aud which
fen. Baker picked up. 1t was some-
What smaller than an acorn, and was
sccrtaned to be strychnine, enclosed in
lied silk, and coated with hcorice. 1t
) now in Gen, Bakers possession. In
Getting mp Mrs. Wirz had, probably, !
lexterously conveyed it to his mouth. In :
n instant more Wirz would have swal
owed it, and as soon as the outside coat l
ng had dissolved in his stomach it S
Tould have caused his immediate
cath.
Mrs. Wir2 was not again allowed to
isit the cell. She left the city nearly
wo weeks ago, not waiting either to
ear her husbands sentence, or to see 4
! ~, ar,.,;r, bcf,-o Jo,.b |