Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1867-11-21
EXECUTION OF LIMA MILLER


The advocates Of capital punish
ishment, for the first time iu the bis
tory ofour county, on Wednesday, th,
q 18th, "6nished one of their jobs" upor
one OF the frailest Of their race-,
wOman-although the opportunity
had presented itself four or five time,
before. According TO our recollection
six murders have been committed in
this county within the past twenty
years Brother shot brother again,
brother shot brother; husband shot
wife; mother destroyed child; neigh
Dor shot neighbor; and wife poisoned
husband. According to law, all should
have suffered death yet but one has
paid that penalty. No other law on
our statute book is so miserably exc.
cuted, or falls so far short of its object
Were we an advocate of capital pun
ishment-this relic of barbarism-we
would be ashamed OF the manner in
which the law and the rights of com.
munity have been outraged in this
county. But enough on this feature
OF the subject for the present. The
facts to which we alude are known
10 ala woman hung one conviction
and suicide, and four escapes, is the
resut There is not much in this, we
fhnk, either to terrify or protect So
ciety-two vital points claimed by
the advocates of capital punishment
THE GALLows.
The gallows was erected within the
walls of the jail-yard, by Mr.. George
Ihorn, and in design and construction
was a magnificent piece of workman
ship. We in our time have seen at
least four Of these ornaments of bar
barism in this country. Had we found
|them among barbarians or halfcivil-
lied beings, they might have escaped
our notice; but when constructed in
the midst of church steeples, they al
ways attracted our attention very
much hence we can say that for
workmanship and design this "relic of
barbarism" far exceeds anything of
the kind we have ever seen.
The prisoner was very much annoy
ed and agitated while the workmen
were putting up the structure, and
gave the Sheriff no peace until he
Uniformed her what the "hammering
and noise meant in the jail-yard." /
|Aiter some hesitation, he told her
She at once demanded privilege to
see the "fxin." He remarked that
she would get to see it soon enough.
and started to leave, whereupon she
became excited and exclaimed, "for
Gods sake, let me see it." The Sher.
'iff withdrew, but soon returned with
% friend, and took her down into the
yard to see the "fixin." She stood in
Silence for some time gazing at the
structure, and then said, at looks
nice" and commenced shaking it ITO
see whether it is stout enough" She
then ascended the steps to the plat
form to "try it," and requested the
Sheriff to show her chow it works"
He ascended to the platform and ex-
planned its operations; after which
she passed down the steps, remarking,
al guess it win do,' and voluntarily
started for her cell, as coolly as ever
she passed to her kitchen, with the
additional remark to the Sheriff, in
tcne of pleasantly, that 81 am ready
whenever you are"
In passing along the hall she no.
ticed the coffin in one of the cells, {
which she demanded to see. The 6
Sheriff told her to go in and examine q
it. After giving it minute inspec-
ton, she remarked that il was entirely d
too large, but otherwise sit is very {
NICE" and passed to her cell. {
THE EXECUTION. v
For what transpired at the exeeu.
lion, we reproduce the statement of
Mr. Row, which is as follows: '
"At nine o'clock, the spiritual ad- !,
visers of the prisoner were admitted
to her cell, aud continued with her
nearly the whole time until the exc. I,
,Huion She was dressed with a long s
black dress, with a piece of white Il
oambric neatly folded and pinned y !,
lround her neck She had slept but u
little the night previous, and ate but q
little for her breakfast. Sheappeared i
perfectly calm and selfpossessed, Il
thougl her face presented rather 6
saddened aud downcast expression,
md there was observable slight .
hervOusness during the iorenoon) 81
Nhich She relieved by smoking. She Sc
Donversed but little, and seemed rath- OF
b absorbed in her own meditations, =,
b full realization Of her condition. =
phe, however, answered promptly all 81
|nostions and firmly maintained her W
'rust in the mercy Of God and her fo
Willingness to die. About IL O'Clock n
bowl of oysters was brought TO her
Pc ate about half and said she "could
6ot eat any p,nrn - A. o,,.,.to- ~