, 1866-04-26

thing for Ills publisher, and put q stop to 50
much Of that reading which Is represented by !
the Rector to be oftentimcs worse than doing
nothing. Mr.. Carlyle wound up with trims
|at,on Of some verses from Goethe. Mr. Car.
lyle always appeared to me kind Of after
birth OF the cold, haugh,Iy, hcartlcss German
poet. JOIN DrLL, JUNIOR.
EXECUTION IS RICHMOND, Va.
Iiarsiu& OF United Stntcs Soldier
$1."ciinZ BIasphemy Oh the Scui.
fold.
From The Richmond Whig. april 21si.1
On the ed Of January last ThomGs Shields
and james Clarke deserted from the Fii1h
United States Artillery, stationed at Fortress
alontoe, and making their way up the river,
reached Williamsburg on The 2ith. They
there hired vehicle and two horses from Dr.
Sterling, q citizen, and employed Andrew
Taylor, white man, Ills employed, as driver.
They set out on the 25th arowedly for this
city, but on reaching Busl's 3f1ll, In James
City County, In accordance with plan pre-
vlously determined upon, they murdered fay.
lur with M IKE and threw his body into tie
mill pond.
Although it was rerpetrated from hope Of
gain, they got nothing Of vallv excep. the
horses aud vehicle, which were BROUGHT by
them 10 point below Richmond, then taken
across James River and carried to Petersburg
Is Shields, for the purpose Of making sale oi
them. Before he could do SO, however, lle
was arrested upon The information Of Clarke,
his accOmplsce, who rcmaincd at the house
Ut man named jordan, a short distance be-
low Richmond. Clarke, as soon as arrested,
made clean breast Of II to Detective Good
rich. and CHARGED Shields With being the prin-
eipal murderer. The latter. however, con-
That f1Nr1fA
himself.
On the 10Th day Of February they were tried
By a court martial in this city of which Major
iessell WIS President, md found guilty OF
murder In the first deerec. Clarke was sen.
fenced to the psnitentiary for life, uud Shields
IL afterwards assigned quarters in the State
renittntlary. Shields was confined in the
Libby to await the execution of his sentence.
PREPARATIONS FOR TIE EXECUTION.
By ten O'Clock crowd, consisting, pEinci-
paliy Of negroes OF both sexes, and boys, had
gathered Ut such available points as would
give them view OF the wiadow Of the con-
,ienntd mans cell, and from that time until
one o'clock. the hour Of execution, It coutin-
red to iucTcast. the colofeu element still
however. predemlnating.
at eleven O'Clock, company II, Eleventh
United States infantry, detailed rs guard,
M was drawn ur in trout Of tue Libby, when
IL
During its reading the most perfect silence
prevailed in the ranks:
"L1nnr rn1soS, -ltschlnons. va, Apr,l s0th.
ITO First Sergeant james saddlcr. Company II,
Eleventh IEied STATES Infantry:
"DEAH S1H-I take ihis, me Last opportunity
sha ever have to adseas yon few lines, TO return
my hta1,tet .hanks for the Kindness hare received
Will please, sr, 1esurn my thanks 10 all The men.
bone ny request. according to soHr promise, will
- ~ sfr ~ lsr ,,rch rcsonry rnyr al, s.,.,a
At an cnrly hour Shields dcspat clei the FOL
lowing letter 10 the military authorities, who
readily acceSca 10 his request. This seemed
very gratifying to Inn, US the idea Of his
mind more thun he was wilii:.s to admit.
Every once in d while, however, ii his inter
views with visitors, he would recur to this
sutjctt:
"L1DDY pR,:oS,
ARIcnM0SD. April II, 1867,
:" -NGtr t;fnf7ut fiFdngfr, Commanding DspaH
xafnt Of Firyinia:
"s,n: have The honor to 1e9aest that my body
ThId battalion Eleventh Cn!tfd States infantry to
be turned over 70 The Eey Dr. becker FOR int,rmca
which Request hope Will be complied with.
''1 anl, sir, very respectfully. yours, &c, :,
From II o'clock until !, persons holding
tickets were admitted and assigned p1accs OF
the second floor, where Shields and number
the spectators were the reporters OF the Rich
mond dailics and the Now York Herald un6
| Tribune. The guard had been prcyiousl,
stationed so as 10 keep the crowd from ar,
| proaching too near either to Shields cell O.
! llc trnp door through which he Was to fall
The Rev. DR.. Becker and Father II. Il
the morning, but their prayers an,
cilorts seemed rs uua.ailIng rs bcfor,
In bringing hin to repentance A
ten minutes to one he asked 10 sec Turner
and, In bidding him Il last farewell, wept-,
weakness We Ind mol deemed him capable oi
lie next sent for soldier named lIartly, cor
"cracking crib" Hartly and Shields wer
friends Of long. standing, but on partiu
neither displayed any great amount Of feeling
these intt rvtews being over, Shields kneli
and apparently joined Ills spiritual attendant
In psayer. Al one O'Clock Sergeant Clacke
and four of the guard went into his coil All
informed him that tue hour for
| THE EXECUTION
had arrived, Taking him firmly by the arms
they conducted him at rapid pace throus
the crowd, and then up l9lc sters to the thir
story. As he passed along Ills face We
the effects Of the stimulants which had bee
administered to him during tue morning
Recognizing an acquaintance, lie cried out, d
the pltch Of bis voice, ''t;ood bye, Jim l" 10
lowing quickly In tho same tone, "Iil dro
the s0n Of q b. that drops-mc!r
On reaching the third story he was place
on the lEopdoor which bad been made for til
| purrose- Here hc prayed briefly for Serqca1
CHECKER, nod said be would shake hands wit
: him but hts hands were tied. The S:rEea,
, tnok him by the wrist md bade him farewell
Ills Inst words were. ~ hope God will tire
, the son OF II b. that drops mc!'' 4 blae
cap was placed over his tacc, and the rop
winch had bccu attached to winalass
: The ioi.t CT the house, was adjust,
; around his neck. All then being reedy, Il
& signal WAS given ut five minutes past on
whca the fastening of the door up,
. which he stood being sprung. the DOOM
man fell a distance Of eight feet. After
n Curgsinr noise, and now and then spasmo6
c (which, at twenty-efght minutes pas n'clo
4 he was pronounced dead by Surgeons jar
!, way, ThoTmafp and Lindsey, who were In
= tendance. Ills body was taken down a
,, placed in plain pine con1D, and committe
e a. requested by Shields, 10 the charge of I
n Becker for intcslncnt. Thus closed t
i earthly career Of the most harden
= criminal that has been executed here Wit
In the recollection of the oldest citizc,
and We doubt whether exaggerated tra
tion furnishes a parallel case. From first
G last not A word OF contritiou or regret for
= bloody deed he committed ever escaped
= = lirs, and the only reason that he seemed
crave life was that he might satiatc Ills =,
P gennce l,y the shedding Of more blood. UE
N bis person, after death. however, was founs
v prayer, In Which he asked forgiveness OF
!, Maker and his fellow men for the many ,
deeds rcrretratcd by him while living. n
= IL was n request that it should not be reno,
4 from his pet6on.