The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-04-21


patch, our friends along the railroad routes can
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THE EXECUTION OF THOMAS SHIELDS.
1t will be remembered that in January last
two men, named Clark and Shields, were ar.
rested upon the charge of numbering n man
named Taylor, near Bush's Mills, in James
City county, on the 25th of January. The pri-
soners were tried on the 10th of February by 4
military court martial, of which Major Bishell
was President by which Shields was SEN
fenced to death and Clark to Imprisonment for
life.
From the time of his condemnation to death,
Shields was confined in cell prepared for him
at the Libby prison, and his conduct was uni
form in the stern hardihood and indifference
which it displayed. As the time for his exc
Gu ton drew nigh, he was visited by Bishop
McGill, and he was regularly attended by
that Preiate or Rev. DR.. Becker until the day
of his death.
All the arrangements for the hanging were
left in the hands of the prison authorities. On
the third floor of the Libby is large wind
lass, and to this the halter was attached. I'm
mediately under the windlass a trap-door was
cut, opening downwards to the second story.
The second floor was crowded with the guard
and about fifty spectators, who were not per-
mitted to 60 in the third story, which was
empty until the arrival OF the guard with the
prisoner.
At little after daybreak on yesterday
morning, 4 crowd of negroes and soldiers as
sembled in front of the Libby to see Shields,
who frequently appeared at the window of his
a,gt tIn hn .hrn
n ring to a person in the crowd, to be convey
ed to his sister. Although every preparation
was being made for his death, Shields showed
no evidence of trepdation. On Thursday
night he had long Interview with Dick Tur-
ner, and the rest of his time he spent in drink
ing and smoking. Early on yesterday morn
ing he rose in a perfectly calm manner and
wrote the following letter, which was read to
company H at IL o'clock:
"LIBBY PRISON, April 20, 1866.
/" To Sergeant james SGdler, Orderly Sergeant COM
pany II, Eterenh United States Infantry:
Dear Sir,-I take this, the last opportu-
nifty l shall ever have to address you few
lines to return my heartfelt thanks for the
kindness have received from you and all the
men of your company. You will please, sir,
return my thanks to all the men. I hope my
request, according to your promise, will be
COmpllcu WIN.
81 am, sir, with much respect, your old
friend, THOMAS Shields
The request referred to was one conveyed in
a letter to General Granger that he would
have Shelds's body delivered to Sergeant Sad
for interment.
The condemned prisoner was perfectly cal
lous in appearance, and blasphemed and cursed
in manner which was due, perhaps, in some
degree, TO the .stimulants which were admins
tered to him. While with his confessor he
was comparatively calm and patient; he did
not appear to be wilfully obdurate or hard
hearted, but the desire of seeming brave to
the last, and the influence of strong drink,
caused him to remain externally unmoved TO
nearly the last moment Of his existence. At
his request, Dick Turner was carried into his
cell at about half past ~, TO bid him goodbye,
and man named Hartley, who is confined for
house breaking and desertion, was also per-
mitted to see him.
One o'clock was the hour appointed for the
execution, and q few minutes before that time
a file Of soldiers entered Shelds's cell lie
was securely pinioned, and at l O'Clock he
was led between two soldiers rapidly along
the second story, on his way to the scaffold.
His face was bright and flushed, his eyes
burning with fever; and as he passed through
the crowd he called out repeatedly, Good
bye gents. The - that drops me will drop
dead" He was then taken up to the third
story, and there he repeated the same remarks.
The black cap was then drawn over his face,
and he then, in IN apparently contrite man
ner, prayed that the Almighty would pardon
his sins, still ending with an imprecation
upon the man that should draw the bolt.
At five minutes past o'clock the bolt was
drawn by some unseen person in the second
cell on the second story. There was fall, a
dull H,,,d, and at twenty-eight minutes past
/, Thomas Shields had ceased to live. BY his
own request, the fall had been made about
eight feet and death or insensibiity must
have been instantaneous, as only slight and
momentary twitching of the limbs after the
trap fell gave any evidence Of life. The Rev.
DR.. Becker and Rev. Mr.. Andrews remained
with Shields to the last.
Shields, at the time of his execution, was
dressed in blue pants and greenish coat.
His hands were securely bandaged behind his
back, and his legs were strapped together at
the knee and ankle While the body was still
hanging, sJalneu pine coHln was pIousuI o"'
and placed near it, and after the usual time had
elapsed, the body of Shields was cut down
and placed in the coffin. Later in the day, 1t
was delivered to Dr. Becker, rs had been re-
quested.
sHIELDs's LIFE AND DEATH.
Thomas Shields, who is about five feet nine
inches in height, was born in New Orleans in
1888. He remained there until he was seven
years old, when he went to Charleston, s. G.,
where he kept the Palmetto House, and after.
wards bar room. When the war broke out,
he was in Washington, ID. c.; and in the
course of 1861 he came to this city and joined
Major Norton's Eighteenth Virginia bat
TALON. Subsequently he was transferred to
the Twenty sixth South Carolina regiment,
Colonel Smith. He was taken prisoner at
pineyille station, near Charleston, s. g., on
February 30, 1865, and was kept in prison until
April lst, 1865.
On the 7th of April, shortly after being re-
leased, he went TO New York and joined the
One Hundredth and Twenty New
York regiment, and afterwards joined the
Fifty seventh New York regiment, out OF