Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1866-04-16
THE MAIDEN MURDER,
Execution Of Green.


The Boston papers give the following details
OF the execution AZ East Cambridge lail. on
Friday, Of Edward W. Green, for the murder
setts:
1t viii be remembered that young Converse
was left alone in the Maiden Bank, in the fore
noon OF the 18th Of December, 1868. de was
last seen alive about n o'clock. Within three
quarters Of an hour thereafter he was found
uylng on the noor, and S5,COO OF the money OF
tne oank Were missing. At last suspicion rest
ed upon Green, and on the IN of Fehruary
lsei, ne made a full confession Of his guilt
oreen had been imprisoned in the Cambridge
.all httle upwaros Of e6 months. During the
hFst W year OF his confinement he was sangume
OF ccmmutation Of his sentence TO imprison-
@ ,neh' aho possibly pardon; but since that
uIne ne mas been in an extremely uncertain
and uncomfortable state of mind Dnring ~.
nrst year OF his career in Jail he was freauent-
ly visited by has wife, but tor several months
past, Tor reasons satisfactory to herself and her
friends, she has not visited him Tpon ain oc
casions when visited by his wife, Green rnsni-
tested the utmost respect for her. aad their in
terrlews were quite affecting to the officers Of
the prison who witnessed them. A great deal
of time was occupied by the prisoner in writing
letters TO his relatives and acquaintances and
IL is stated that during his Imprisonment his
correspondence was more extensive than thai
oI all the other prisoners combined.
Cir en- has made repeated attempts 20 obtain
he means OF destroying his own life, aud AZ is
que 20 he vigilance Oft he experimenting ofh-
ctfs oi The lail that he did not succeed. The
PlaH he adopted and sought Ia carry out was
'o secretly write and send letters from The iaiI
TO friend In Maiden, 10 whom he expressed
hls ceslTe 10 destroy himself and lmploTing
assistance 10 that end IN The form OF a deadly
drES. He described The manner in which the
poison should be sent 10 hIn, and at different
times. when he expected n and was disap-
pointed, he appeared unusually detected for
several succeeding days. The parties 20. whom
Green inirusted the letters gave them 10 The
lailCT IN nearly every Instance. No one SYM
pathIZed with the murderer an his intentions,
and be died more than probably without the
knowledge that these attempts had been ex-
posed.
Notwithstanding the issuing OF the warrant
by Gov. Bullock for the execution. ;he friends
OF Green persisted until almost the last mo-
ment 10 obtain a repTieye. On Tuesday his
counsel, together with Wendell Phillips, sew
eral cleTgymen ana others, appeared before
ms ENceliency and plead that the sentence
might be commuted. An evident change Of
feeling was produced in the mind OF the pris-
oner within twenty-fOUr hours pre- ceLluE his
death. Mr.. Redpath stated that when he first
shook hands with him early on Thursday,
there appeared TO he pulse an each finger,
but whe n he parted with him on Friday fore
noon, his nerves were as firm as those of anv
person. Green's last hours were signalized by
religions fervOr befirtinC the close OF life on
earth. The letters written TO the individuals
before named were indi;ed with a firm hand
ana the penmanship rs excellent All those
who were with Green during yesterday and
to-day speak OF his wonderful frmnpss
IL was about quarter 10 eleven when Green
was brought rom his cell 10 ascend the steps
"a tAsf Aattl SCdiOlu NJ eCsNOlu was the same
one upon which Webster, MCGEE and Hersey
were executed, and II was erected IN one cor
ner OF the Jail yard, completely obscurec from
the view OF all who We're not admitted within
the mcloSuTe. While the warrant was being
read the deputies upon the scaffold adjusted
the rope upon the neck of the unfortunate man,
and when the reading was finished. the Sheriff
said that in obedience 10 the instructions con-
tanned IN the document. he should proceed 10
execute the sentence Of death. He then put his
foot upon the fatal spring, the trap tell with a
hos h.
Green was suspended IN the air. He fell about
five feet. and the rope stretched 70 such an ex-
tent that his feet touched the ground, and il
was the necessary and palniuI duty OF the
deputies TO draw the body uD from the ground.
and hold N thus suspended until life was ex-
unct. While suspended IN TINS manner the
executed man drew his legs up several times
and moved his arms and fingers az intervals
Tor ffteer or twenty minutes. His neck WAS
not broken by the fall, and il appeared as il he
was literally choked TO death. In Justice 20
Sheriff kImball, At should be stated that this
misfortune was in consequence OF the extraor-
dinary stretching OF the rope, which was A new
one. and which had been as thoroughly tested
AID stretched previous 10 the execution as il
was possible for IL TO be. The knot which WAS
adjusted so as TO come under the left ear. got
tXIsieo III the fall IN such 4 manner as 20 come
upon the hack Of the neck, and the sufferings
OF the unfortunate man were thus made more
intense. HIS death was evidently a painfuI
one. After hanging about half an hour he was
examined by Drs. Hooker, Taylor and Hail.
who found a slight beating of the heart He
then hung about ten minutes when he was low
eTeo into his coffin and conveyed 10 the hospi-
tai, where he would remain until called for nv
his brother-in- law, Mr.. Chapman.