Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-04-17

History Ofthe Criminal and His Crime
-Particulars OF His Execution at
Death of the Condemned Mantle
Rope too LOng-Final Scenes I'm the
Tragedy.
Edward W. Green, formerly a post
master in the town of Maiden, Mass, was
executed at the jail in East Cambridge
last Friday, for the murder of a young lad
named Frank E. Converse, who at the
time was in temporary charge of the bank
in Maiden, on the 18th of December, 1868.
THE CRIME.
As already stated, Green was postmas-
ter of Maiden, and it might be added, an
honored and trusted citizen. By fast and
reckless living he got into debt, and when
the time came around for him to settle
his yearly accounts he was out of funds to
a considerable extent and knew not where
he could get them to settle with the gov
eminent. He was in debt, too, in other
quarters, and was constantly threatened
with suits by his creditors. This en-
barrassed state of affairs weighed
heavily upon his mind and worried
him fsarfully. The Maiden Bank,
is the next building to the Post Office.
Young Converse was often left alone in
the bank, and Green frequently went in
and chatted with him. On the morning
of December Is, 1868, Green was more
excited over his ~pecuniary embarrassment
than at any previous time. He went into
the bank dSring the early part of the fore
noon to get g bill changed. He went in
again a second time to get another bill
changed, and while there he saw a large
pile of money upon the counter,
and the temptation to be possessed of it
was more than he could resist. He went
back to the post Office, got his pistol and
loaded it, returned Immediately to the
bank, fred twice at Converse's head, plac-
ing the muzzle Of the pistol close TO the
temple ofthe youth, killing him instantly,
and then after robbing the bank of some
FIVE thousand dollars, returned Immediate
ly to the post Office
THE MURDERER APPEHENDED n AR
RESTED.
So quickly was the deed done that for a
time the perpetrator of the murder could
not be found or ever traced. In brief, no
clue whatever could be obtained of him.
A vigilance committee of towns people
/ was OARdulLCu, NAOzC u6t0A A4AAG0 pun tOoC
it was too seek every nook and corner of
the globe for the %cowardly assassin, and
bring him to justice.
Alter q considerable delay and by the
use of strategem the crime was fastened
upon Green, and he was arrested, tried
and sentenced to be hanged. The death
warrant was not signed by Governor An
drews during his term of office, hence the
delay in carrying out the sentence.
THE PERSONNEL OF THE CONDEMNED.
He was born in Maiden in October,
1881, and would have been t~wenty-nine
years of age the coming October. He was
married and had a wife and child, but the
former has not visited him for over a
year, and she has not yet been informed
of his execution. She is stopping with
some friends in Maiden, and all papers
containing any ~allusion TO the fate of her
wretched husband have been kept from
her.
his Asst HOURS.
During the afternoon of Thursday the
noise of the busy hammers Of the work
men engaged upon the erection of the gal
lows was waited to the ears of the con-
demned man, and the ominous sounds dis
PEELED aver the last glimmer of hope to
which he chung with Pertinacious tenacity
almost to the day appointed for his execu-
ton. The wretched man for the moment
gave way to the anguish that was in his
heart, and wept scalding tears.
BEFoRE THE GALLONS.
The time for the execution was ONE
where between the hours of ten and
twelve. The doors were thrown open at
nine o'clock, and the ti~cket-holders passed
through the Office into the yard, where
they remained until the scene was over.
The hands of the clock pointed to a
quarter to eleven when a procession was
| observed by the spectators issuing slowly
from the Jail. 1t was led off by Deputy
Sheriff Bancroft, of Lowell, who was fcl-
lowed by the High Sheriff and the pris-
oner, supported by his spiritual adviser,
Rev. MI. Adams, of Lowell, and followed
by three deputy sheriffs and the officers of
the jail.
Green was dressed in gray pants and
vest, a black cap and a light pair of slip
pers. With a firm step he walked up the
avenue to the scaffold, his eyes firmly fixed
upon the ground, apparently noticing no
one but the clergyman at his side. His
hands Were firmly bound with a leather
strap, and subsequently, his legs and feet
were bound together in the same way.
He walked up the fatal step to the scaffold
with the same firm step, and took position
upon the elevated trap through which he
was to fall. Rev. J. G.. Adams then said:
-"I have been requested to say for
Edward W. Green, that the crime
for which he is to suffer was not
committed in consequence of any premed-
itated malice against the one whose life
was taken; that he had no feelings of
malice, but is to die in reconciliation with
all men, and as he trusts, with his God"
The clergyman then read appropriate Sc
l~ections from the Scriptures, Green. in the
meantime, standing motionless upon the
drop, his eyes intently fxea upon the
ground. AT the conclusion of the Scrip
ture readings Rev. Mr.. Adams offered a
most fervent prayer for the soul of the
man about to die, saying that as sinful as
he might have been, as great as was the
enormity of his crime, and as deeply as
he may have transgressed, God was still
his judge, and he hoped TO receive mercy
from Him. At the close Of the prayer the
clergyman stepped forward and shook
hands with Green. Then Sheriff Kimball
stepped forward and read the warrant. Tor
the execution.
THE FALL OF THE PROP.
During the reading the deputies upon
the scatfold adjusted the rope round the
neck of the criminal, and placed the black
cap over his eys, shutting out the light of
this world forever. When Sheriff Kim
ball had finished reading the warrant he
stepped forward a little, and saying, ain
accordance with the instructions Of the
warrant l shall now execute the sentence
of death upon Edward W. Green" press
ed his foot upon the spring. The drop
fell, and an involuntary shudder ran
through the spectators at the terrible
sight of the body swaying to and fro in
the air. The fall was at least six feet
too far by a few inches for the height Of
the scsffold. The rope, being a new one,
stretched to such an extent that the feet
of the man touched the ground, and it was
a necessaryand painful duty of the deputy
draw the body up from the ground and
hold it thus suspended until he judged life
TO be extinct. 1t was q truly horrible
to those who witnessed it to see the
hanging man draw his legs up several &