The daily mountaineer. (Dalles, Or.) 1861-1866, 1866-05-17
nxECuTIoN OF THos. SMITH.


List Thursday was the day appointed for
the execution of Thomas Smith, convicted of
the murder of his brother, Sidney Smith, and
his sster-ln' law, .Barbary Smith. The time
set for the execution was between the hours
of 10 o'clock A. NJ. and p M Long De-
fore ten o'clock crowds of people were
thronging the streets and sidewalks-on foot,
on horseback, and in wagons, bugges and
carriages-old men and young boys of every
age-Inaids aud marons-mothers with in
fan,s n their arms-all burryiug to witness
guilty fellow-creature suffer death by the
halter. Before O'Clock crowd had collect
ed at the gallows variousv estimated ut from
i've TO seven thousand At IL O'clock precise
ly, the prisoner WAS taken from the room in
the Court House, where he had been confined,
and conducted by the Sheriff and his deputies
to a carriage, aud, followed by au immense
throng, they proceeded to the galows, about
one half mile west of town. The prisoner ns-
cended the scaffold with the same calous il
difference that he exhibited during his trial
and confinement. The Sheriff then read TO
the spectators u statement dictated and sign
ed by prisoner, declaring that any confession
published on that day and attributed to him
was " not his confession" and that ii there
was any such confession written or published
it was " without his knowledge or consent"
The prisoner then advanced to the front of
the scatfold aud spoke as follows:
Ladies and Gentlemen You all know wi b
what am charged. confess to the deed
and say that my punishment is just. COM
mitted the murder / have nothing to say
against the sentence. l have been tres Q with
respect by the Sheriff and his Deputies. The
Sheritf's wife aud some other ladies of Albany
have visited me and treated me with respect,
and thank them. have read the Bible II
good deal since have been in jail and shall
die happy. ! don't fear death. have feared
it and since have been in Jail have suffer-
ed death twenty times, think. l feel now
that shall die happy.
He was led to a seat on the opposite side OF
the scatfold, and the Rev. j. b. Galloway
knelt with him and engaged in prayer for a
few minutes, after which the Sheriff again
conducted the prisoner to the side of the
scatfo!d, and he spoke again as follows.
One more word Ladies and Gentlemen
have been charged with having money hid
or put away. do not know where there is q
single dollar. God knows l do not know
where there is sing dollar OF Sidney Smith:
money. The man who don't believe this is q
bad man, thibk. If knew where there wa,
any money would tell. God knows l wout
not take one dollar from those children
They will get what have, aud | am glad o
it.. This is all have to say. Twill now biz
you all goodbye.
| When he had finished speaking he was con
Quoted by the Sheriff to chair placed on th
drop. He maintained his stoical composure
though he became weak while addressing tn
crowd and his voice husky and he faltered cou
siderably. After being seated over the droI
the rope was Immediately put upon his nee
and adjusted, and at twenty minutes before on
clock the drop was let fall, and Thoma
Smith, guilty before God of one the deepe'
dyed and most atrocious murders to be toun
on the criminal record, was ushered into ele
nifty. Two or three spasmodc jerks of I'll
feet were all the motions made by the bod.
Everything was arranged in the most con
pete manner about the scaffold. Sheri
Richardson is deserving of great credit fl
the quiet, orderly and perfect manner vii
which everything relating to the execute
was conducted. The most depl0rable sig
connected with the whole transaction was
see so many persons Of every age, conditic
and sex present 10 witness II human being d
an ignominious death. OF this feature of Il
affair we shall speak ereafter.-Aibany Jou
NAL
e Death OF VETERAN PRINTER.-Tbe Bal