Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-03-29

pinioned arms listened respectfully, fre.
duently using white pocket handker-
chief with the difficult efforts Of his left
hand. A deadly silence prevailed, broken
only by the clear voice Of the clergyman,
q venerable man, who was visibly affected.
At the conclusion of the prayer, the
clergyman kneeled in front of the prison
er and offered thrilling plea in his bohalf.
Kennedy still standing, looked down upon
his spiritual guide and made no remark
until the end of the supplication.
Burke then shook Kennedy's hand,
bsde him farewell, and implored him TO
act as man and christian.
Kennedy bowed in response to this sp-
peal, and then, calling to Colonel Burke
said "Colonel send me drink before 1
goP
KENEEDY's LAST SPEECH AND HIS DYING
SONG.
The clergyman retiring, Kennedy again |
spoke in loud voice, as follows:
al consider this a Judicial, brutal and |
cowsrdly murder. There was no occasion |
for the United States Government to con-
demn me"
Pausing for moment, he again said;
GTell my friends" -
The sentence remained unfinished.
The executioner here came forward to
adjust the moose.
Kennedy then suddenly broke out with
the following verse, which he sang in
loud clear voice, in rollicking Irish aiI3
snd with touch of the brogue:
"Trust to luck trust TO Iucki
Stare Fate in the face;
Suie your heart will be Bisy,
II it's in the tight place -
The verse had hardly been finished when
| the signal was given, the cord was cut, the
weight fell, and Kennedy sprang into the
air, dying almost instantly - the sudden
violence of the shock having broken his
neck.
body was lowered, life was declared ex-
tinct, and the remains, placed in q common
stained pine coffin, were delivered to Ken
nedy's friends.
There was 8 general shudder of horror
among the spectators at the profane and
impenitent ending of this man. As he
stood under the gallows, he showed no
symptoms Of fear, but betrayed the effects
Of over-indulgence in stimulsnts. His
speech was thick and his gait unsteady.
The Tmos furnishes Kennedy's confes.
sion, as follows:
CONFESSION.
-, After my escape from Johnson's Island
I went direct to Canada, where l met q
number of Confederate officers. They
asked me if l was willing 10 90 on an ex-
! pedition. l said, ayes, if it is in the SER
vice of my country" 10 which they re-
piled, "Pts all right" but gave no intima-
tion as to its nature, nor did ask for any.
wss shortly after seLt to New York.
where I stsid some time. There wereeight
, of US in the party, and after we had been
In the city three weeks, we were told that
the object of the expedition was to retail.
late upon the atrocities of Sheridan in the
Shenandoah Valley. It was originally in.
) tended to set fire 70 the city on the night Of
3 the Presidential election, but as the phes
D phorus was not prepared it was postponed
: until the night Of the 25Eh of November
: Of the eight men who formed the origina
: party, two fed to Canada, leaving but six
t 1 was at first stopping at the Belmont
b House, in Fulton street, but aiterWard
! moved into Prince street I set fire to
= FoUR HOTELS,
or rather to Bsrnum's Museum, Loveioy'
I Hotel, Tammany Hotel, and the New
England House. The others only set fire
l 10 the house in which each was stopping
and then cut of. Had the entire eigh
l done as did, we would have set fire t.
thirty two hous and played big joke OF
|, the Fire Department.
? know that am to be hung for setting
> FIRE to Bsrnum's Museum, but the fact il
that that affair was simply reckless Joke
had no idea of doing it, but when VIZ
were in there, for the mere fun of tht
s thing, smptied q bottle of phosphorou
+ on the floor, Just to scare the people.
knew it wouldn't set FIRE to wood, for WI
had tried that before, and had at one tint
about concluded to give it up. There wa
: no fendishness about it. The Museum
was set on fire by merest accident, after
had been drinking, and just for the fun o
. q scare.
After setting fire to my four places,
: walked the street all night, until nea
morning, when 1 went to the Exchang
Hotel. There we all met the next morn
, ing and again at night. My friend and
had rooms there, but we sat most of tn,
day in the office reading the papers, Will,
: the detectives, who were thick, watched us
l expected then that should be caught
and if caught expected to die. Had
done so then it would have been sll right
: but think now it's rather rough.
escaped to Canada, as did all the rest, anC
l. very glad was to get safely across thu
bridge. was restless, however, anC
b wanted to rejoin my command. started
with my friend UiG Detroit. Just beforr
we reached the city he received an intima-
ton that the detectives were on the look
: out for us, and giving me q signal, h
J jumped from the cars 1 didn't notice thu
signal, but kept on and was arrested in tbt
! ! depot.
l wish TO say that the killing of women
and children was the last thing we thought
of. We wanted to let the people of thu
North understand and feel that there arr
two sides to this war, and that they cam
be rolling in wealth and comfort while VIZ
; at the South are bearing all the hsrdshipl
and priVations In retaliation for Sheri
dams atrocities in the Shenandoah we de-
sired to destroy property, not the lives oi
women and children, although that would