Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1867-09-05
tPrcm the Broolv;ile Republican,
Execution or Charles Chase.
Scenes at the scafbld--The Majesty OF the
Law Vindicatcd.

| NNhNnu"l NhO Solh uul vi august
1867, will be day long remembered
by the people OF Brookvillc, because
the case undor consideration was the
first that ever occurred in this place
and consequently the feelings of sym
pathy and anxiety, hatred and malice
were wrought up to The highest point
The crime for which Chase suffered
was the willful, deliberate and pre-
meditated murder, on the 10Th of Feb.
ruary last of Mrs Elizabeth McDon.
aid, in Washington township. The
trial lasted four days, and during that
time, the rendition of the verdict OF
the jury, the sentence of the court
and thereading Of the Death Warrant,
tho prisoner exhibited stolid indiffer-
ence, bearing upon every lneament
of his countenance the marks of the
hardened criminal This stoicism was
carried on successfully until last Fri
day, when spirit of meekness began
to manifest itself From that time
until the hour of execution he appear
ed to be cheerful and resigned, relying
on the merits of a Divine Saviour for
everlasting life and peace.
The motive for committing the mur-
der was simply gain. 1t was gener-
ally known that the victim had quite
an amount of gold and silver in her
possession, and coveting this, the man
who this day suffered the extreme
penalty of the law, in company with
Dean Graves, who is as yet at large,
visited the domicile of the old lady on
the night before mentioned, deliber-
ately and in cool blood murdered her,
robbed her money box and attempted
to escape. One was successful the
other has expiated his crime this day.
During the night of the 9th the
prisoner slept very soundly, and at
about four o'clock was awakened by
his spiritual adviser, who was pre-
pared to administer the Sacrament of
the Lords Supper and engage in mass.
Chase was cheerful and evinced a
spirit of mCekness which should be
found in others not like him, a con-
demned man, but members of The
Church of God. He expressed him
self happy and ready to suffer for his
crimes and atone to the offended law
for the terrible deed for which he
stood convicted.
At about eight o'clock, A. NJ, the
citizen police force, numbering about
fifty men, were deployed in and
around the jail, under the immediate
charge of Capt. w, S. Barr, superin-
tended by Harry Miller At the hour
above specified the guards took pos
session of all the roofs of houses and
barns which commanded an interior
view of the Jail yard f; some that had
been neglected by the chief were at
once supplied by private individuals.
This exhibits a spirit at once com
mendable and righteous, thereby de-
priving all but those absolutely re-
quired at the execution from seeing
sight horrible in the extreme, and
which once seen never TO be forgotten.
THE soAFFoLD.
The platform of this structure is
about eight feet square. The trap
three feet in width by eight in length
was fastened on the North side of the
platform, the whole supported by two
pieces of timber about ten inches in
thickness and sixteen feet in height,
the top supporting the cross beam on
which the slip moose was suspended
The moose, which is made OF hemp,
was let through the cross beam rest
ing on a pulley and fastened at the
side of the scaffold by means of wood
en- pins. The spring to the trap was
fixed at the rear of the platform, which
upon being trod upon caused the scat
fold to fall. The platform and trap
were carpeted and everything done
to strip the horrid instrument of its
grim looking vissage.
THE CoPFIN
was made of cherry in imitation of
black walnut. 1t was manufactured
at the establishment of Mr.. o. ii.
Brown. On the lid of the coffin in
silver bronze letters were inscribed
the following:
C. CHASE,