Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-02-10

bic in his frame. He owned 10 us that he
took the morphine, enough tokill five men,
aboutten clock Wednesday eve, Just afteI
the departure of Father Gallagher; that he
began to feel its effects Immediately, but
that, having partaken largely Of oyster
soup, the milk acted as an antidote to the
poison. Ho expressed himself annoyed at
the result. He had desired to die an easy
death, and, by self-murder, avoid the igno-
miny of dying on the seafiold.
While sitting there he spoke feelingly Of
his boy, and hoped the citizens of Cleve-
land would receive his wife and child kind
ly on their return (he had recently sent for
them to come here, he said), and not treat
them harshly, because the husband and
father was a murderer.
He had written his epitaph, he said, and,
with manaoles en- his wrists, wrote it out for
us in q beautiful firm hand. 1t runs as fol-
lows4
DR.. HuaHEs' EPuArR-
Lei wavering Hope,
Bearing life on its hut ring wing,
Heraids the sad note Death to bring;
An ~ III kEODd
For fraternity.
The Grave, when the unseen hand
leads on to the spi IT land
With Soul TO eIope
ThrO' kteInIty.
TIE scAFFoLD.
The machine of death used for the execu-
ton of DR.. Hughes was that on,which James
Parks, alias James Dickinson, met his ig-
nominious death, June Let, 1855, for the
murder of William Beatson, at Cuyahoga
Falls, April 18th, 1883. 1t was brought from
its long retirement amid county lumber in
Akron, Summit county, and erected in the
northeast corridor Of the jail, the identical
spot on which it stood on the former coca
sion. 1t consists of two upright posts of
pine, united at the top by a heavy pine bar,
through tho center of which was driven q
large iron staple, to which the rope was
fastened. Immediately below and back OF
this e~ross-piece was the trap, which was
newly constructed and fashioned like
double doors, hinged at either side to the
platform, and kept in place by a lever which
was secured by an iron bolt. The drawing
of this bolt oeused the lever to give way'
and the t~raP-doors to open downward. The
drop or trap was four feet six inches wide.
Behind it was constructed a platform eight
feet our inches in length and about six feet
in width. 1t was reached by a flight of
twelve steps. Tho rope was one inch in
diameter and three inches in circumference.
1t was securely fastened to the cross piece,
which was pierced by the iron staple afore-
said, and gave a fall Of six feet two inches.
The moose was formed by the regular chang
mans knot" and tho lower portion of the
rope was 5lushed with soap so thoroughly
that a pressure OF five pounds caused the
moose TO perform the function designed. An
arm, attached to the lever under the drop,
rose about six inches above the platform.
4 slight pressure on this raises the lever
and draws the pin, when the trap Instantly
falls.
THE CLOSING soENE.
At 1885 P. n, the prisoner mounted the
scaffold, with firm step, preceded by Sheriff
Nicola, and followed by Deputy Sheriff
Ridgway, Rev. J. A. Thome, Mr.. Smith, the
turnkey of the Jail, and ex- Sheriff Spangler.
DR.. Hughes stepped at once upon the trap,
and faltered, when he turned to Rev. Mr..
Thoms and saidi
won't you pray FIRST: lean't say anything
till you pray"
PRAYER BIT Mr.. THoME.
Oh God Our Father who art in Heaven,
hallowed be Thy name. We bow to Thy
-. Ill TU.sL MI Il ..-. 6 nsE.
Thou hast given US human life we are fear
fully and won @erfully made-made by Thy
hand and stamped with tho image Of our
Heavenly Maker. Thou asst hedged about
this human life in Thy care and wisdom.
all this priceless worth, with safeguards both
of divine and human law. And now, oh
Lord, we are brought to the verge of the
life of a fellow being, and We have come to
speak to Thee humbly, suppl;cating Thy
mercy for him who is soon to be no more in
the land of the living. For 4 deed Of fear
full crime is this fellow being OF brought
to this verge of earthly life. His hand have
been imbued in the blood of a fellow crea-
ture, and now must he expiate this high
crime by yielding up his own life. Oh
God we know that Thou regardest
thy creatures upon this earth with great
compassion, even though they be among
the chief of sinners. And now, with all his
sins and vices and crimes upon this our
brother man, we plead with Thee, in Jesus
Christ, our Mediator and his Mediator, that
Thou wilt have mercy upon him, through
the blood of Christ, which eleanses from
all unrighteousness-cleanses his heart
of those bloody sins OF which we trust
he has been p~enitent and sorry in the
depths of his heart. And do Thou
graciously forgive our brother. Forgive
him though his sins are great, and grant
that he may be prepared, through the blood
of Jesus Christ, by faith in the blood shed
for the remission Of sin, to stand before
Thee on that great day. Grant that his
spirit may 20 10 the bosom of God who gave
it. We humbly beseech Thee hat Thou
will remember the wife and child that are
now to be left desolats by this event Of to
day. Remember them in their dis
tant home. Shield them with the kind
ness and care Of q Heavenly Father.
Be with hat boy who bears the name OF
him who is about to expiate his guilt upon
the gallows. May he grow up to be a good
man and do thou effaee from his memory
whatever mark or stain may be left upon
his young life by this sad event. May he
live to be a man Of influence in life, and as
far as It is possible vindicate the name that
has been 50 stained by his father.
VI SOug IA moASg 0ON ASaA dAA
answer in mercy the prayer we offer before
Thee, and have mercy upon the spirit OF
him who is about to appear before Thee
through our Lord Jesus Christ, and save
him, and to the Father, Son. and Holy
Ghost be everlasting praise, forever and
ever, Amen.
The Reverend gentleman laid his hand
on the head of DR.. Hughes, when the latter
offered the following
PRAYBR OF DIR. HUGHES.
Our Father, Thou the great God, forgive
me, a miserable sinner, and in Thy mercy
show to human wisdom the folly of the diff
ferent ways they have TO approach Thee.
Oh, God, grant the enlightenment of the
human race, and may it soon appear to all
our different sects of religion who have
their different ways TO come TO Thee that
they knowest them all. Oh, have mercy.
Look on me, a sinner. In a few mo
ments I will be with Thee, and VIII
know the great secret of futurity. On God
then Thou would impart 10 humanity what
is q great secret. Have mercy upon those
that see me. Have mercy upon all thatknow
me-upon all hat have known my fate,an
grant that it may be in word, and that it
may be in conscience great example to all.
1 would ask all for the Mediator's sake.
Amen
Mr.. Thome-And now may the grace of
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and the
blessings of the Holy Spirit be with US and
this our friend. Amen.
During the prayer, the rer, who, with
his adviser, had knee IN the trap,