Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1866-01-22
RICHMOND WHIG.
MONDAY MoRNING..........JAN. %, 1866.
HANGING OF MARTHA GRINDER.
coNEESSloN OF HER GRIMES.

/
! PIrrsBURG, January l9.-To-day, Mrs. Martha
| Grinder, the " Borgia" of this city, expiated
her enormous crime by an ignominious death
on the gallows. There is strong repugnance
! in all civilized communities to the execution OF
women. But the persistent spirit OF murder
developed by this modern = Borgla mas, Ill
great measure, chilled the sympathy usually
/ manifested IN the cases of female criminals
/ She is the third woman on record that has been
| executed in Pennsylyania-the first one was
| Mary Twiggs, who was hung for murder at
Danville, Moutour county; the second was
| Charlotte Jones, who murdered her uncle, and
was executed in this city on the lst of FeDru-
AIRY, 1858.
The murder for which this woman pays the
/ death penalty, was committed IN Allegheny,ln
the latter part of July and beginning OF Au-
gust, 1865. Her victim was Mary Caroline Ca
Tuthers, wife of James S. CarutherS. She was
first taken sick on the evening of the 21th OF
| last June being affected with dizziness, nau-
sea. intense pains in the heart, &c. During her
| terrible sufferingS, none were more attentive
| than Mrs Grinder, who occupied the house ad-
| Joining the one in which Mrs. CarutherS dwelt.
! Mrs. CarutherS recovered from this first violent
attack. which was, however, followed by similar
symptoms, and the attending physician advised
\ her to go into the country for time. This ad-
vice was acted upon, and during her absence
from Pittsburg, Mrs. CarutherS enjoyed excel
lent health. :,
Soon after her return to this city, Mrs.
Grinder recommended her kind attentions Of
bringing food. &c, and Mrs. CarutherS was
again seized with the same symptoms as before.
! Her case was given up rs hopeless, and her
mother was sent Tor. That lady arrived on the
| 2Sth OF July, and, eating of the food furnished
| bv Mrs. Grinder she was seized with the same
| illness Us that which afflicted her daughter
| On the first day Of August, Mrs. CarutherS
died. During the preparations for the funeral,
none were more attentive and useful than the
murdereSs and she exhibited so much kind
ness and sympathy to the bereayed husband
aud mother OF the deceased, as to completely
diSarm all suspicion.
She next sent bowl ofpoiSOned soup to Mrs.
| Marguerite Smith, who resided within two
doors OF this monster. This family consisted OF
seven persons, Mrs. Smith and six children.
With one exception they ate Of the soup sent
them by Mrs. Grinder, and all who partook
were taken i'll, one of the children dying. Ihe
attending physician informed Mrs. Smith that
in his opinion the sickness OF her family was
occaSoned by poison. Mrs. Grinder, who was
present, reioined, sThat man is u fool"
Suspicion ut length attached itself to this
| selt-pOsSeSsed and hcartleSS murdereSS. Arti-
| cles of clothing which had belonged to Mrs.
| CarntherS were found in her possession. The
! body OF the murdered woman was cXhumed,
aud Il chemical analysis of the stomach by eX
pericnced chemists revealed large quantities
of arsenic aud antimOny, Mrs, Grinder was at
once arrested and brought to trial, and on the
| 2Sth of October she was found guilty OF murder
in the first degree. During her trial, and ut
| the rendition of the verdict, she exhibited the
utmost GOODNESS and compoSurc, seeming
careless spectator, rather than prisoner on
trial for her life.
Besides the crime of which she was con-
yicted, another case was brought to light, that
of Miss Jane A. Buchanan, employed as do
nestle in Mrs. Grinders family. She had ac-
cumuated Il little money. The first attempt to
poison her was made February 2jth 1864. On
February 2Sth she died. The body was cX-
humrd August 2Sth, 1865, and showed evidences
of poisoning. Another charge lodged against
the condemned is for the poisoning Of Samuel
Grinder, her brother-in-law. His body was
cXhumed and poison found therein.
THE EXECUTION.
At exactly fifteen minutes past one O'Clock
this afternoon, the Judges sentence, that she
be hung bv the neck until she be dead, was
executed. The scene was q sad, solemn and
deeply impressive one. The only person pres
ent who seemed to be not in the least affected
was the murdereSS herself.
Al .ua o'clock Sheriff Stewart, accompanied
by Deputy sAstiF Cluley, proceeded to the cell
of the doomed woman. and on entering, Mrs.
Grinder remarked Are yoE coming for
me ~ The Sheriff replied, fes. Mrs.
Grinder" She calmly arose and said My
Savior is coming for me-"
Mrs Grinder was dressed in brown alpaca
dress trimmed around the neck and down the
front with white Lace, lightly made Kid slippers
and white StocAings. She took Il seat provided
tor her on the Scatiold and reAiainGd entirely
unmuyed while prayer was being offered IN hef
behalf Her features Wore Il pleasant smile
from the time she left her cell until the fatal
white cap was drawn over her lace. MOI
muscle quivered; not IAN expression OF the
couutenauce escaped her that could by any pos
sibility be construed into either remorSe or fear
of death, mental agitation or any kindred emo
ton. There was nothing like a forced deter
mination TO appear calm and composed it was
evidently natural and entirely unaffected, while
/ words were being spoken to her by the Sheriff,
her Stif3tn.l adviser and others on the scattold,
even while the hO0sl YES being adjusted, she
bestowed on each u remarkably gr1cetul inclina-
ton Of the head, coupled with sweet smile.
In answer To the question whether she desired
to say anything, or have anything said to her,
She replied in Il mild and cheerful tone, her
nothing l,og2, hut before the cap was drawn
down over her face She glanced pleasantly
around at the spectators, and then cast her eX-
preSSve blue eyes upwards.
The fatal moment arrived, and still the cul-
prit stood like 4 statue. The staging was
cleared, when Sheriff Stewart touched with
his foot the spring Nhie4 controlled the up
right or support Of the drop, anR the ReM n
stnp, Mrs. Grinder was suspended in the air,
Il. a IL,
to the damp weather the GDDse did not work as
smoothly as it otherwise would have done, and
tie neck was not broken by the fall. She
struggled violently for several minutes, and at
one time har right band caught hold OF the
platform where 1t "'ted 10 the drop, IN SpaSmo-
ai. F:."rtS 10 relieve herself. =.
rhttq RJs4 siicht pulSation at the w.!N
time She was pronouneed, by the physlyia,. u.
charge, dead. After hanging for half an hour.
the body was cut down and placed in 4 neatly
painted collin, lined with white muslin; soon
I.;cr which the cap was removed, and, TO the
establishment of every person who saw 1t, the
] face w>re exactly the same placid, cheerful,
| smiling expression which characterized it on
! the ScaRoM. During the trial, and on all other
occasions, the face looked 2s though she might
he in q sweet sleep. There EaS 10 diSco!ora
| tiOn or Disagreement, save I red mark round
the left side OF the neck the eyes were closed,
but when the lids were pulled back they still
| looked bright and animated. Thus ended the
career of woman who was fully the peer, il
not the interior in crime, of the world-renowncd
] I.ucrctia Borga.
/ Had She been a titled lady, like her prede
! cesS0F, o. sysa walked in superior society, her
name would yet GgYI4 IL plays and romances.
| All accounts agree that hef rha.alter Is one ol
the most singular on record; for while. as will
! he seen below, she confessed to the horrible
crimes charged against her, still she had most .
abiding fifth in the future salvation, and al
/ Sa baS nad,
4 few hours b2eose rs4 eyecution she re-
marked to her counsel, d" knoY thp I an
great sinner, but still know that JESUS CHRIST
is a gseai SAVIOR" She lay on couch in her
cell, awaiting ths bo6T Of her execution, and
no child of four summers eOuld display more
simplicity or calmneSS, or apparent thought
lfSSne>S Of having committed crime. Shortly
before being led to execution, she desired to
have her head dressed and was very particular
IN her instructions to the woman in attendance