Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1866-02-17


with oil present. In conversation with us,
be said he had had the advantages Of
wealth, culture and refncmen', and expert.
enced all'the joys and sorrows Of prosperity,
poverty and crime, end had INDUCED all
the tastes Of his nature to their fullest
extent, and would now like 10 be - situated
as to be able TO atone 10 part for his crimes,
ny the use of the powers and ability given
him, for the benefit of his fellow men
AT an early hour in the day the populace
assembled in twos, thrces and by the dczen,
on The streets near the Jail, so that by
noon, The hour fixed for the execution,
several thousands bad got together. The
amor at the "a es for admission was fierce,
ou, the Sheriff had only Issued some fifty
'ickets OF admission, and these, together
win The offcers Of the county aud court,
Inc police, etc, were all who could gain
entrance.
AT y: so hearsc, under charge of Mr..
iiowland, undertaken, drove into the Jail
yard 1t was supplied with q coffin, finely
ornamented, which was furnished at the
expense of the Mona Benevolent Society,
nh organization composed of his country
men. Mnnxmen A delegation from the
Society visited him 10 The Jail and took
h ave Of him and received his thanks for
Their attention. He gave his body to them
o Ie deposited in a vault for time and to
be removed thence 10 o place Of burial.
The gnlows was erected in the north
end OF the south corridor Of the Jail, and
he tim5ers we're the same which had been
| uSp1 IA ha atl,,u,e l. L. ID. II.
was executed in 1855 The platform was
four by eighr feet, at an elevation Of eight
feet from The floor. The drop was so ar.
ranged as to make fall of six feet and six
inches
While mp TO within few days, Hughes
bad expressed firm belief in the leading
features Of the Christian religion, during
his last hours he avowtd himself a spiritu
ais. not 10 accordance with the popular
belief Of that doctrine, but insomuch us te
believed his spirit would not leave the world
after ii had been forced from the body.
Soon after IL o'clock Sheriff Nicola re.
qne>ted the crowd 10 the corridor 10 front
of tie gal'Ows to move back, und the peo
pie who occupied that position, as we'll as
those who were on the balconies in front of
rhc upper cells. looked anxiously for the
appearance OF the prisoner upon tie plat.
form. The preparations for the closing
scene were soon made. The rope was
sonped aud the moose properly adjusted
The prisoner took one more walk around
in the jill, selecting acquaintances and
bidding them goodbye. telling them that
John w. Hughes would die like man,
and 6nally ascended to the upper balcony
where for about three minutes he gazed
inteutly through the window, for the las,
time on earth, upon the blue heavens above,
aud upon The crowd assembled in the streets
Soon he made his appearance upon The
>cnf Id, accompanied by Sheriff Nicola,
MIR. Thome and Deputy Sheriff Ridgeway.
Stepping forward upon the trap he re-
moved his hat aud handed il to the Sheriff
Alter passing his hand over his forehe ad
u few times, as il troubled 10 thought, he
turned 10 Mr.. Thome aud said: Please
pray-l cauuot now s,y anything.
Mr. Thome aud the prisoner then knel
Together upon the trap. and Me. Thorn,
ode ed most appealing aud searching
p'ayes, alluding u: Que time 10 the sou u
he prisoner, which drew tears to his eyes
The prisoner held one hand before his face,
aud manifested very little emotion. When
Mr.. Thome closed his prayer, Hughes fol
low I'd him with another. in which he com
mended himself TO the mercy If Supreme
being aud asked that there might be estab
Isted system of worship consistent with
human philosophy, in which NIL men could
engage. without doubt as 10 its ,fliracy.-
Mr. ThJme followed With O beuediclon,
when they arose TO their feet, and the
prisoner proceeded to address those pres
INT.
The address partook more OF the nature
of criticism upon civil law and it's injustice
than Of the confession of peniteut crimi
nal Indeed, the only allusion he made to
the crime for which he was about TO be
hanged was, that he did not remember, uT
10 that hoir, Of having shot the pisto
which K lied he person for whose murde,
he was to die He had great deal TO say
against the injustice of bis punishment. aud
" bile lie ridculed the law which was about
to hand hin, he exonerated its officers from
all blame ia The execution of il. He claimed
that The death peuul'y was pernicious, ant
hat all The examples Of the kind would no.
exercise the least Influence over any mar
who committed o crime under the sam'
circums auces that il was committed by
him. The address was, in fact, anythiul
but such production as might be expected
to come from one who was about 10 die
aud. TO our mind, exhibited not only
wicked aud rebelIious disposition. but
nature at once aud forever depraved an'
beyond reformation, IL was disgusting Il
many who aad before sympalbized with th,
prisoner, aud if he intended it TO exercise
an influence 10 his favor, bis object failed,
lie contiuued TO talk until the Sheriff
indicated TO him that no further time woul(
be allowed him, when be Immediately stop
ped and dives cd himself Of his shirt cola
aud cravat, which be threw down TO lb'
people below him, and turning down bi
coat collar be barred bis neck for the rope
During this time his nerve did not for
sake him. He announced himself ready
with a smile, aud standing frwly before hi
auditors he exclaimed, Oh death, wher
is Thy sting oh grave, where is 'h
victory go.
Soon the moose was adjusted, bis leg
and arms pinioned, the cap drawn over hi
face, The trigger OF the gallows sprang. an