The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-10-20
THE DEATH PENALTY
Execution Of Franz Fefrls,
the Wife Murderer.
SCENES AT THE GALLONS.
Ee Makes q Brief Farewell
Speech.

sensl,y Of the ia yesterday forenoon the yard Of
.she cey Prison. protesting his innocence to the last II
~ss supposed thst In view Of the positive nature OF the
evidence he would have made confession OF his
yuh rather xhsn denial, but he attempted TO justify
Ms oondu u the scanold and thereby lost the respect
IA symrAsby Of all those who assembled 10 wit
sess his dsa:h.
NIGHT BEFORE THE EXECUTION.
On Thursday afternoon the condemned expressed
desire 10 see his children, three in number who are
-, prescr charge OF Dr. Ives, at the Roman Catholic
Reformetory. Two of these children were
children OF his wife by former husband,
ont me third one, boy about i've years
old, the offspring of Ferris Tho request OF the
prisoner cheerfuly complied WITH and the children
arrived about He spent about two hours with
ther alternately chatting and teaching them In broken
english 10 repeat the Lords Prayer The time he spent
with The children seemed pass quickly and pleasantly,
remarked by the keepers that Ferris spirits
much better than they had been Tor several days.
STRANGE REQUEST
About o'clock, while conversing with the Sheriff,
which he was TO die He had heard the carpenters at
work all day, he said, ana, now that they had nnshsd
ne was m n o. wha 'ns aNs Of he
and felt strongly inclined TO refuse him, but so intent
Ferris seeing the instrument Of death that the
sheriff gave way and conducted him to the prison yard
TIE night clear and the moon lighted up the gaiows
thai the prisoner had full view Of the whole ar
Yancemcnt He examined the scafold very carefully,
learned from the Sheriff how IL worked and was not
satisfied until no bad everything fully explained to HIM
lhe gallows closely all the time, and then, expressing
himself fully satisfied with the arrangements for the
MORROW said he would return to his cell.
HIS CHILDREN.
The entire OF that dreary night was spent by Ferris in
sherifs smith, Coffee and Egan He manifested desire
tosIeep aud kept lido awake until daylight Ho smoked
Improper character and said he thought unjust to
die account OF her. About half past hve O'Clock
in his usual impressive manner minstered to the COM
font Of The unhappy wretch Rel sions services oeing
The % aesre near 20 az hand
and found themselves in the presence OF their
father for the last time earth Ferris who had eaten
little nothing for days. urged 10 take hearty
breakfast but beyond cup Of coffee his meal went un.
sasted The children had good appetite. however, and
sell with watching them He seemed to take great
pleasure in their society," and when reminded OF the
necessity Of parting with thcm he became quite
excited, and kissed them the most afeciionate
manner The parting scene between the father
and the poor innocent children is represented to have
pitful and calculated 10 elicit the synerssny
Of al who the sss y"sd himself into he
u Fathers Durunquef and McKenna, and devoted the
few remaining ho.rs Of bis lle 70 the worship OF his
parDg the wrcchcd man for death Sheriff Kelly with
AIS poss arrived a. the prison. and took charge Of The
for the approaching tragedy
cALLows
erected in angle of the court yard and WAS the
used eight days since for the execution Of Gene
and Gonzales. II in front of OF the wings OF
she female prison, with the roughly built enclosure Of
boards sdc and beside the place Of conceaiment
Of the Langnan little plot Of grass and miniature
Of Seats with plank serving desks for the repre-
seniatves ofthe press while an awning covered both
the apparatus and the reporters accommodations and
MeseT, ed the culpnt from tho heat of the sun.
THE ATTENDANCE
large, ard the department OF all in keeping with
she solem.iy Of the occasion. double r;...- -,h
police drawn up before tho gaiio.s :" wann
-sa parallel with the celia Ear as me his waT TO
Ssa,h Besides ne prisoner olcers Within pr : -.
eage Of some magnitude had gath.,eA @ obs
ssnsss sassss Of Stone hsa the
ssidsr ms poce Of w wss on uiv ssoywhere under
s saers Of captain Jourdan Quinn walsh
- the seyenleenlb i'rtcnct whose arrangements %
usual were f.'tess The spectators within and with
cut coDti.ued 10 increase In number until tho hour lxed
execution had arrived when the prison ward WAS
ned oy an impatient but silent and respectful gathering
CYL
III was quiet The prisoner engaged with Fathers
Dursuquet and Mckenna, and having at length, sban-
ssmsef for death As the hour fixed upon for tie exc.
.,ion was at hand, shern Kelly entered the ,enemen,
-~al duty required immediate discharge The doomed
man received the Official calmly and listened in silence
20 the reading of the death warrant. Then his hands
pinioned the black cap was placed upon hls head
and preceded and followed by the rep esenatvcs the
isw, Franz Ferris taking last look his cell crossed
its threshold and marched toward the aaiIows
TIN oclucK
~s srprorc ng, and as the hour drow the feln.
surek, clear and nrm voice heard coming from the
low corridor leading from the coll 10 the yard, and
rhanting thu verses OF . hymn. As the sounds grew
more and more distinct and the tread OF advancing
loos'sps ieached the crowd every head uncovered
ana every whisper hushod. The words became more
and more audible the cnlprt marched from bis cell
.insihg ralm in the Portuguese language hR native
shsrih Kelly, with Deputy Sheriff george Isaacs, then
me ds ned man supported on either side by Fathers
s%iane let and Mckenne, then OF deputies
clothed in black and hearing their slaves Of ofice.
@aSssh UP the rear Pale, CHASTITY pale, alfred IN
ssstnesi by his demeonor 10 walked under The beam
and voof facing the assenbage while singing Al the
~ Naltc Al fha lsol
away yhe aupr, aud his sptea advisers knelt and re-
seatedShs prayers for the dying found the ritual Of tho
and gayA utiesnce to the orson mos, earnest aud
impassossd tones The three then rose and 10.
shs condo pnsd wretch looked the spectators IL me face
oioned ur lack and proceeded to address his hearers
- fo.ows:--
He tsid--.Ay dear gentlemen. so 10 DIE. ! die in.
insocepi. havcs something else to say ba Tho sisters
end fataer Parsnsuet there, advise me TO say nothing
To the saerr, Nho approached him FOR she purpose OF
bicdipg hiJn fasrvril he ssid -" Good by am very
% S SssI nv, OF .s sS n s1a
tH 70 yon ali geDtenten Resris having uttered these
.sa Ss3sy o s aP rTHs the
eeI be- r.s 10 The rope S D.. sSSvs Of ih' oa
AZ iSsrASrs ,wsprsss
.sse. few seconds OF ~ek ann silence fcllosed he
lis Iess DC aspas y, ~ " ssn nl.i aad n shy
Slsneousy ith the fall OF the I'M already hslrn
animate body Of franz Ferris rsd Into ia air ara
swung 10 and FRO until tho dead wen mt OF the csy re-.
decd the centre piece o. the prtut - ~. ..'.-
usites few spssmodo hcaviA ~ q, ne ehes,,
si4hi tremor that shook L 10 hmoS and
w hAnss clasped and dressed pon ~ oo~m,
tno quickly changing from wl I've 70 o,ue,
he eotiSe hung mo,Oness Thirteen m 'natrt wen, ~
srt no pulse cssssd % beat Fifteen NH 'ntes and the
heart sas silent Dr. Noyna,. the physA rian attached
The Jombs drew The body and prono incec lie cx
,nc, Aer half hear had elapsed the mains were
lowered into a yarb.scd deal coffin when superficial
esan naIon noe Ted TO Tie belief that the srcbrne OF
nc netk had oecn dsoeated and that death had been
ipsthnnvsous me Coroners Jury having vie wed tho
corps ne 10 ~ tho coin, which bore on on Icorm
FRANCIS FERRIS
SpVp o t0ea