The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1868-03-24

Tim EXECUTION OF WARp John War,
alias Jerome Layigne, was hung
Windsor on Friday, for the murder q
Mrs. Griswold Al Williston, Chttendu
County, in 1865 Mrs. Griewold. +
hard work some years before IN Caliiof
MIA, had amassed about $4,000 will
which she returned TO Vermont aut
erected handsome mansion IN Wiiss
ton She took great uilense hecausi
her adopted daughter married d worth
less fellow named Charles Potter. ant
threatened to disinherit her AT which
Potter and bis wife were much onraqed
On tho 9th Of August, 1865, Mrs Girls
void was murdered in her house. tba
rest OF the family being absent from
home at the time, pools Of blood IN iii,
house and the mangled body Of Mrs
GTlswold in a calf.pen near by told Ia,
sad story, and showed TINT she hat
made most determined, though futileE
resistance For some days the murdeil
was a complete mystery, but by degreesl
the facts came to light, and Potter. with
the man Ward, who has now been hung
were arrested The trial tended TO show|
that Ward, a professional criminal, was
hunted ont OF the dons Of New York
and hirod for so many dollars and centsI
to commit the murder; but Potters'
completely with the affair was not plain
" shown, and he also got clear on q flaw
in the indictment Ward said That hid
Ward did not murder Mrs. Griswoldl
but he knew who did, that tho man|
closely resembled him, and that, when|
arrested, he was on his way to receiye|
the money for the crime but from
whom he would not say He also said
BIS name Was neither Ward nor La
yinge, but would not Tell what ii VAS,
because lie said he didn't wish to haye
his respectable rcufiyes know 81 lis 10
nominous death. On the eeallold he
said: "What was done at Wilhston II
participated in; but usvor st uck the
the old lady or injured her in any way.
/ feel as If her blood was not on nav
hands, although / knew it was going to
be done, and III fact partly assisted. III
this be murder, then am murderer. !"
He alsosalluded "to a full and truthful
statement which he said he had writ
ten ont, and which ii said to implicate
Potter and unfold other crimes Of a
startling character
Ward was very cool and self -possess-
ed on tie scailold until his legs and
arms had been pinioned and the moose
had been adjusted about bis neck.
Then, for tho first time, he apparently
realized his terrible situation. His
strength seemed TO fail him. his eyes
became bloodshot, bis hands and arms
trenibled, and his whole body shook.
Before the cap was drawn over biz eyes.
he took leave Of all the officers with
whom he had been connected during
his long term Of confinement, shaking
each by the hand, and saying good
by. This scene being concluded, tho
officer, after announcing that il was
now his duty 10 execute the extreme
penalty OF the law, at 20 minutes 10 2
o'clocis touched tho fatal spring with
his foot Ward fell about four feet.
aud died almost without struggle
There we're few bpasmodic motions Of
the limbs directly after the fall, but ho
evidently died with aa little agony as
any man can experience who dies up
on the seaffold At tho expiration Of
abont twenty minutes life was pro-
nounred extinct, when the body was
taken down, placed in plain pine
wood coffin, and inferred in the burial
ground connected with tho prison yard.