The colored Tennessean., 1866-03-24
From the New Orleans Delta, March 3d
EXECUTION OF 4 C0LORED SOLDIER.

/
HE Ts-TwIcE HANGED-TERRTBLE SCENE
AT THE scAFFoLD.
Fortune Wright, of the 96th Color.
ed Infantry, yesterday paid the pen
atty of his crime with his life. Some
months ago, as Judge Scott and DR.
Octavius Trezevant were walking
along the street, in Carrolton, they
observed a negro soldier beating a
black woman, and reprimanded him
/ for his brutality.
The soldier, Fortune Wright, was
| under the influence of liquor, and as
the two gentlemen returned, he picked
quarrel with them, during the pro
| gress of which he stabbed DR.. Treze-
want with Bowie knife, from the eff
fects of which death ensued shortly.
The murderer, after trial by Militia
ry Commission, of which Col. Hart
well, of the 10th colored heavy artil-
lery, was president, was sentenced to
be hanged, and the findings, etc, were
approved by General Candy.
The officers of his regiment, how
ever, petitioned President Johnson
for reprieve, and Gen. Candy conse
quently postponed the execution. on
four different occasions, for number
of weeks. But word was recently re-
Gently received from the President
that he would in no way interfere, and
the carrying out Of the sentence could
no longer be delayed.
Fortune Wright was large and
very muscular negro, quite black, and
with by no means mild and gentle
expression. His selfpossession was
perfect, no traces of emotion being
visible at any stage of the proceedings.
He was led out upon drop by a
guard with fixed bayonets, the sold
iers being drawn up in the prison
yard, while the windows were crowded
with prisoners. He was cleanly at
tired in an undress United States uni
form. Major Jackson, when the pris-
oner had seated himself upon the
stool on the drop, read the court mar
tial order and the order for execu-
ton.
Father Dufau, of the Jesuit Church,
who had suspended crucifix around
the neck Of the prisoner, then offered
up a feryent appeal to Heaven for
mercy, and was followed in another
prayer. by Rev Elijah Guion, Chaplain
Of the lst New Orleans regiment
Major Jackson, at It's conclusion,
asked the prisoner if he had anything
to say, when he entered into long
rambling and disconnected explana-
tIOn OF MS CRIME.
AS the doomed man concluded, a
white cap was drawn over his face,
and the rope adjusted. He began
shouting g farewell friends" and was
still repeating these words when the
supporting ropes of the drop were
cut He fell some six or eight feet;
but the rope, not being properly
creased, the knot tailed to slip, so that
when the body rebounded, the knot
twisted around to MS forehead.
Surgeon Avery and Doctors Heber
Smith and Berthelot having examined
him and declared that he could not
die from the effects of this hanging,
the body was lowered, taken from the
rope, and carried up a second time to
the drop. The knot was re-tied and
the rope placed about his neck, the
body propped up and the stay ropes
again cut. The moose again failed to
slip, the rope being new and stiff and
not soaped, and the knot came around
to the back Of his head.
The rope remained under the chin,
however, Immediately strangllng the
before unconscious man, and after a
few conyulsive throbs the soul of For
tune Wright had fed to its last &C
count After hanging for nearly an |
hour, and being declared by the doe
tors dead beyond doubt, the body
was taken down and consigned to a
coffin. There were no friends or rel |
atives to claim the corpse, but it was
properly disposed OF by the Govern /
ment. 4e adt 60 5n9.e re