The New York herald., 1866-02-24
CRIME AND ITS RETRIBUTION.
The Confession and Dying Words of
the Condemned.
Capital Punishment Inflicted in
q Court Room.
THE SCENES AND INCIDENTS.
&c. DC. &c.

John Pearson, alias John Henderson alias John Hardy,
formerly soldier in the Southwestern army was hanged
BY the neck until dead in the very court room in which,
few months previous he had been convicted Of murder
in the first degree and sentenced to atone for the deed by
The sacrifice of his life. The fact of the Jail being unpro
vidcd with yard would have compelled the erection of
the galows in public square, and rather than be the
of Offering melodramatic spectacle to all the
iders the county SherG A. Dennston wisely ordered
that the execution should take place within the court
house The letter OF the LAW was quietly and effectively
carried ol, the arrangements being admirable and no
incident occurring to disturb the soemnity of the
casion.
THE MURDER AND RESULTS.
On the evening ofSunday, the cath day of September
last Pearson left his boarding house in Mddetown and
proceeded to the residence Of Walter Gregory, old
about sixty five years of age, who lived with his
wife the village of Van Burenvie, few miles dis
tan The visitor his arrival knocked at the door, his
victim opening to admit him After some parcy scule
ensued, during which Pearson drawing pistol, fired
four shots at Gregory of the bullets penetrating his
heart and another his right lung few seconds
elapsed and the murderer hearing wagon approaching,
fed leaving the old dead the threshold Of his
house The assassin made his way TO Shohola in Pike
county Pa where he taken in custody the LIST of
October last and conveyed Goshen On the 17th day
OF October the accused arragned to answer the
charge before the Court of Oyer and Tcminer presided
by Judge John A. Lou. Twelve hours later the
jury without adournng from the court room, rendered
a verdict of guilty and the magistrate sentenced the
prisoner to suffer the extreme penalty of the law
AWAITING DEATH.
John S Pearson confined in u small cell in the
village Jail As tho not destined to
modate those notorious criminals whom death
tence but with q irmer resolve TO regain their
freedom any cost, the prisoner secured to the
0or of his cell by iron chain four feet long rveed
about his left leg. One morning the turnkey entered
the place and found the inmate relieved of his bonds
which had sawed of during the night. Thencefor
ward he more closely watched, but his conduct
nnaliy became exemplary and his bearing respect
fui that he the sympathy OF the attaches Of the jail
who accorded him many little comforts unknown 10
most uniortunatcs in like prcdicament During the
past fortnight OF his three brothers has been daily
visitor cell HIS father aud mother who stll
side IN Indiana set out bid farewell bat sickncss
compelled their and continually postponed the
sad Journey until at length all that mortal OF their
son lay stark and stf under the galows. Of spiritual
comfort there lack. Pearson daily received con
ISOLATION and while listening 10 the kind words
OF the Rev Messrs Osbon and Browning OF the Mctho
dist Episcopal church. and their teachings endowed hn
resignation which characterized his dcmeanor
10 the Arriving The village in the afternoon the
visitors waited upon Mr. W. L. Baldwin, keeper Of The
prison In response their request that Official kindly
guided them the cell of the condemned be
robbed OF lie tenant
THE JAIL.
Passing through the corridor OF the Cour, House,
white building, pretaced by six Doric columns
wooden stairway led to yard in the within this
open space stood the Jail small quadrsngular sruc-
tur-. in height seemingly possessed Of little
accommodation, but In reality having In its keeping
puuber of less hardened criminals The tnfn.
hey, having unbotcd unbarred and unlocked an iron
door aud again grated gate. led the way into small
rccss scarcely feet by ten redolent with the prison
like odor familiar TO all who have crossed The
threshold Of brdewell and heated 10 sgnaca,un fiye
sted iron shutters surrounded the recess each bear
ing distinctive number beneath "a wicket. Thc glih.
dung open door and stepped into cell No IL, where y
the doomed man.
THE CELL AND IT'S TENANT.
The room occupied for the past lev weeks 10y The IN
fortunate man nowise different from the places
usually reserved for feons four feet oy nine With
window through which the sunbcams entered and tell
upon tie door in checkcred devices. stretched on "A
wooden pallet secured by chain rivctcd about his lcft
g and made fast 10 ring in thc'foor covered with
Tnass Of brown army blankets, wss the prisoner
the % waden .s,1v snd yohns es,sssS % , sa
2vo feet ten inches IN height, OF stout 0uid,
with straight light han, eombcd back, fair complexion,
aud a small and well shaped Roman uoso; 10 nuc Of
rather than Saxon cast OF features scrni-
circular plainly vrblc IN the centre OF hs tore
head hfting his blue and white cn,ton undcr-hrt
he pointed 20 the marks OF bullet wound, received
during the battle OF ohickamagga, whcrr rlfo halt
entered his abdomen and passed through hs body from
SIDE TO side The prisoner few words, gave akcch
OF his life He twenty -four ycsrs ~ age. and h ed
In Indiana where his father aud mother I'll reside
He had enlisted the Ninth rcgmcht OF that state and
served his time. subsequently, Joining Hancock torp
and deserving the flag the seventh ghih day OF
August last month later Le had committed tho crime
Tor which lac coon TO suffer the extreme pcralty
OF the law he had been kindly treated and hesft
l repentant Money been the cole TO the
desd he was confident OF salvation. aud trusted that
ns fate would prove warning 10 Others The lad for
s..ah he a Quio M la
las he manner asserting the trnthinness of his delar
on A. tho visitors turned To quit the cell be threw
Aself upon hts pallet and slumbcresi until iwo hours
tsforc the dawn Of the day upon which he Wss To
atone for hts crime. Previous 10 taking bs bric
however he had written out confession and ketch Of
hts he presence Of MS spiritual advisers A. be bad
bsen unable 10 receive the visit % any u his victims
sls,ves, whose forgiveness b. earnestly desired 70
Obtain he had resolved 10 make n confession be
requested the minister TO give TO the public The words
-rn'-
Ny nsme IS John Pearson vas born q Hamilton
hs,cd the ninth Indiana regiment AFTER me expira
ton of my three Year, term Of service ~ enlisted 10
abe Fir. army corps iif,h reeiment, from which
A~srrted the Tth or sih day Of August 1895 trs.
veed the country from New Haven Connecticut
The place where my regiment Wa stationed to csi-k,li
George Elliott Fearing detection dcscricr, because
OF presence in the neighborhood Of some member Of
nly corps. took passage on steamboat and csne TO
Newburg Thence walked to hddetosn. hsd ssnt 10
.ksw yors for pictures purposing 70 enmge 10 TIER
sae They arr we'd on Tuesday september W 90 the
sxame DIV wen, 70 Goshen TO procure license On
Wsdnesday returned 20 Mddetown, and remained an
ni~ht nj Mrs Mler's Tbursday night ] spent NJ fsir
f0ak. / sold out on Friday and stayed AZ Mrs hliers
over night, Friday, the 2d, re'eNed aSosher
iLt OF pictures and vent with them 10
Mount Hone I stayed there an night Saturday was
,speu 10 an unsuccessful aempt ~ ~ poe ~ nv s"ods
III rrturuotl 20 Middetown saturday q sht % sun
xay tbe 2lth. at about sn ociock ia the no'nng,
Charlie Miller and myself went oui INFO The woods sna
reurnei At about four O'Clock hfst .sw W 1fsgory
op Thursday the lfth of september, IN hs yard snd
sold him /, picture. never saw hin sgain un'i we
m o., M no 2ith I dd not see him then, a. ~ vas
roo dsrk IvasN the house. ADD went on hunuhg
sxcurson A. Mr. Gregory related in her tesmcny ont
Al MOI sae ur gregory ! ten Mrs hillers 40 nearly
A. can recoect between siI and seven O'Clock
t~cni for the puryose of obtaining money bnt most
soemny afirm that did no; intend 20 take ne TOOK
he straight road 20 the house dd not svoid the tol
l..t. 49, aIa I va