Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1867-02-28
THE GALLoW s.
Execution Of Hanson Bumgard-
ner, the Murderer Of John
Thomas Ewbank, at
Marietta, Ohio.
INCIDENTS AND IAfERENcEs OF THE EVENT
Correspondence Cincinnati Commercial.

1
Correspondence Cincinnati Commercial.
MARIETTA, o., Friday Evening,l
February 10.
Marietta, eldest town of the State,
selected as the site upon which to
plant the first seeds of civilization in
the West. The spot honered by the
first industry of the revolutionary
heroes whoseA star of empire led
them toward the occident; romantic,
gray old city repesing in the lovely
valley, threaded by "the beautiful
river habitati0n of "names once
famed, now dubious or forgot" thy
task it was to crystalize the virtues
of revolutionary birth, and set the
example which all experience ap-
proves, that the golden rule is the
best, that to earn thy bread with the
sweat of thy brow is the only true
independence, and following the or
thodox teachings of noble sires with
works as well as faith, thou hast per-
formed a noble duty in the face of
the world and hanged murderer by
the neck until he was dead!
Life in this hill-shaded, happy
place is healthy in the strict sense;
the feverishness produced by COM
mercial attrition it is free from, and
general well to- do air pervades it.
Its society is excellent, for no crime
that mankind shudders at has ever
risen to its surface to tell of deprav-
ity beneath The "red, right hand"
of the murderer has never stained
the fair escutcheon of the city, in
the person of q single man born with
in its gates, and the promptness and
unfinching steadiness OF purpose to
expose and punish the awful crime
manifested by the Washington Coun-
ty representatives of the law, are the
very best assurances first, OF the
healthy tone Of public opinion, and
last, Of the virtue of the people.
The telegraph has already given
the readers of the Commercial an ae-
count of the principal features in the
execution of Hanson Bumgardner in
the jail yard of this city te-day, for
the murder of John Thomas Ewbank
A filing in of facts, and such rehec-
tions as they envoived are offered in
this correspondence.
TIE MURDERER.
Hanson Bumeardner was born in
Pendleton County, Western Virginia,
and was thirty eight years old when
the law took his life. 1t did not ap-
pear from his history" given on
the scaffold, that his life was event
full; on the contrary, it was ordinary
and uninteresting, and was marked
by successive immoral acts, trifing
at times, but occasionally amounting
to infrlngements which all Christian
people disapprove, and the law pun
ishes. Thus at the age of nineteen
he seduced, under the promise and
half formed purpose of marriage, a
young girl, and subsequently desert
ed her, and falling into course of
evil habits, he became the compan-
ion of horse thieves, the compound
ed alder and abettor Of counterfeit
ers. and murderer.
Bumgardner was powerfully built
man, weighing nearly 100 pounds,
and standing nearly six feet in his
socks. He was q fair specimen of
the heroic temperament described by
Bancroft, the historian, in his essay
on temperaments, and whether phys
iologically, phrenolegically censid-
cred, was brutal. Nature may have
intended him to wear the mark of
Cain, and gave him small sympathet-
ic nerve, a cold and sluggish blood
and powerful frame to win it, as did
be who slew his brother.
Uneducated to reason from enlight-
ened principle, his object in life was
to get, regardless of means and with
out toll, the possessions of his fel-
lows. Selfish and unscrupulous, he
permitted no consideration to bride
his desire, and his character was one
that brought fear and distrust wher-
ever he went.
His fiat Eead, knotted brow, tufted
with coarse hair and villainously
low" his deep-set, sinister eyes,
square bony face, repulsive animal
mouth and small hair-tufted chin,
combined to render his features any
thing but commendable index to
his character yet this being at
tracted the loves of three women,
two of whom bore him children for
whom he uttered a lie wi.h dying
lips, still breathing prayer.
HIS LAST HOURS
were curious study for all who wit
messed them drag their slow length
along.
Last night he sat reading his Bible,
and hearing it read by his faithful
spiritual attendant, Rev. William M.
Mullenix, of the Methodist Episco-
pal Church of this city. When deep.
ly moved by the appeals of religion
the culprit wept like a. child, and
prayed and wept again. At such
time confession was urged upon him,
but with a secretiyeness and .reti-
cence on the subject of the crime he
was doomed to expiate that aston
ished oil, considering the fact that
no single man entertained the slight
est doubt of his guilt, he would take
refuge in clumsy, general assevera-
items and declarations of his inno-
cence of Ewbank's murder. His
minister told him that he believed
him guilty, and he replied: "f l
am guilty of that murder, may God
burn my soul in hell"
At midnight he went to bed and
SILENT f;l1 ,oorrinu He arnsa he