Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1868-07-10
THE sCAFFOLD.
Horrible Scene at the Execution
Of Rufss Ludwig.

Of Rufus Ludwig.
| 80 h.lnIlu1
A man named Rufus Ludwig was hung
at Salisbury, North Carolina, on the
26th ult., for the murder Of bis wife, 10
whom be had been married only eleven
days. The following scenes at the scaf-
fold arc described by a correspondent Of
| the New York Herald:
Mr.. Rumple, the Presbyterian minis
ter, then made some appropriate re-
marks, and offered fervent prayer for
the prisoner. The crowd generally stood
mp and uncovered their heads during the
prayer, though the sun shone warm
through thin veil Of clouds. The pris-
oner remaiBed scared, and appeared
rather inattentive to the prayer. He by
no means engaged fervcntly in devotions,
and in the midst of the most solemn in.
vocations of the minister called man
sos1e steps from him and asked for q
chew of tobacco, which he took and put
in his mouth He was continually look
ing about, one Of his legs hanging over
the side of the wagon.body careessly.
At the close Of the prayer he was told
that heicould now make any remarks he
chose He at once began in low voice,
FIRST requesting that his neighbors would
draw near so that they might hear him
especially. His object was apparent
afterwards. But there was very little
change of position in the attendant
crowd. Perfect quiet and order was OBJ
served s3t a N ~.
He said he was about TO be hung for a
crime not committed by him, but by
9th ers not there, but away somewhere
else that they had done the deed and
packed it off on him that these parties
were his mother and his sister Jane; that
they had killed his wife, and he had no
hand in It. He said that he was saddling
his horse the next morning after his wife's
leaving home for the purpose Of going to
her mothers to see about her that some
thing seemed to tell him that all was not
right about her abst nee, though he said
had started to vi. vt her mother the
day before; that about the time he was
his horse, his mother and SIS
ter came out and told hiL not to go, Tor
he would not find her at he Z mothers, for
that they themselves had' killed her.
This, he said, they told him hen, and it
was the first that he knew about the
crime; that he was not at the XII. ling, and
knew g nothing about the hour nor the
minute when it was done" He laid he
never saw his wife after she left home to
20, as he thought, to her mothers, and
hat he never saw her dead body. de
laid they told him they shot her and cut
Ter throat, aud then they threw her IN
he water course. This lis the entife sub
tance of his statement arranged much |
more systematically than he made it, and
Mostly in different words, for he was SO |
incorrect and ungrammatical
n his use of language that verbal copy |
If what be said would scarcely convey
.nlidea when put on pc per. This state-
nent he repeated over and over in dis
ointed way, saying the same words often,
md representing the came ideas under
undry different points Of view. He
losed his first speech by asking the
sheriff to let him speak again after an
,ther prayer, should bc offered by Mr..
'illinghast, an Episcspa minister,
rho was also one of his two clerical at
sndants.a This minister then spent a
lonyent of private cow ersation with tine
-imi val respecting the state of his mind,
nd CO included by reading the prayer of
at de, nomination for criminals about to
execn ted. l9 E
After /. his prayer he was asked by the
inisters if he felt that his peace was
ade with God. He simply said: Yes
e then as ked them to sing the hymn
ginning Hnrki from the tomb
,leful sound" The hymn was sung,
part of the people joining In
lging, even to / he distant verge OF the
owd. But the dc .meanor of tire prisoner
IS one of great nattention to the sing,
z. he called tx o or three pers ons, ana
Bversed with hem on uuim ioortant
bjecis, and seen ned to be thinking OF
me idea of his own apart from what
s being said sor done, and he frs-
emily was seen to look anxiously at
} crowd, sur,,eyi ug it in different direc-
ms. After ,e hymn, he asked how
" the time yet was, and was told II
s very short He asked that they sing
other HYMN. " Alasl and did my Sa-
" bleed" III Ie ministers sang II, but
talked at ra, ldom meanwhile to sun
, persons. an paid no attention to
Singing. Bu hohr " SAs |
: reference TO iis guilt or i1noeence.
ier this hymn b again asked that his
ghbors might b sallowed to come up
/ see him. II le iuinisters then ex-
ted him to dro p al care about ,ne
.irs Of this wor ID, "a make up ms
i'd to the fate imi Mediate. y Impending
! he showed the nturost anxley 70
d something goir " on So as TO gam
e and postpone lhe fai al me- nen1 Hs
9 as possible. A glI.ss o. iced lemon,
was given him, v hi ch he drsnN; :
tied % say that s.H .e time before eils M ]
Sheriff had, at k,s reque. Z cut The
OF his wrists, and he was to 'slly un-
nd. The Sheriff did this be. ore he !
ke the first time, the marked calm
Of Che prisoner ap pearing 10 r. aaer J
confinement usele sS
he sheriff now beg an TO get up eIo :
wagon. LndEig arose from his .e ~ :
began another speech, which v, MG-
E repetition Of his former one. 'ue