The New York herald., 1869-12-08
THE; GCAFEOLD.
pyo Executions In Pennsylvania
yesterday.
Execution OF John Fields at winIamspor,.


rne crime OF murder fs always calculated .,
awaken feelings OF horror and canse shock 10 tht
moral ssnsibllities. But Notwithstanding its enor
ty and the severe penalty OF the law it seems thai
rerrlble tragedies involving tns most shocking
scenes OF blood. are alarmingly on the increase
Tbe death penalty is always unpleasant to copten-
Mate however deserving OF punishment the culpril
NAV be In moral sense; but while the law remains
nm the statute book 1t must DO enforced when crimes
of THIS Kind are committed. 1t Is one OF the great
safeguards OF society.
The crime for which John Fields yielded up his
NE to-day, at Wulamsport, was peculiarly atrociors
IN the manner OF lis commission, ana for cooness,
brutality and absolute dlaDolisn stands almost
without parallel.
r1s1oRY or FIELDS AND MS VICTIM.
yohn Fields and George Matthews we're brothers.
inlaw, he having married the sister Of the latter
goth were Engshmen oy birth; Fields having been
born IN London on the 29th OF February, 1921. on
the 18Th Of November, Is51 Ire was married TO Eliza
petn Matthews by Rev. samuel L. Day in tho city
OF Bristol lie emigrated TO america IN 1852 and
alter residing in various places fnally settled in
Lycoming county, Pa., in 1857 and engaged IL iarm
ing He was a miner by occupation.
soon after coming to this country he made show
OF religion attached himself to the Methodist Epls
copal Church and took On active Part N sunday
Schools but fell rom grace. He had seven ehil-
drcn, four girls ana three bows.
He was very passionate man, cruel and over
bearing and was looked upon as dangerous by his
neighbors and stunned as much as possible. He
was very Industrious, however, ana worked hard to
acquire little homo for himself and family
George Matthews had farm within q nile and
half Of where Fields lived. Neither OF them were
very successful as farmers, although they worked
hard.
THE ALTERCATroN-THE gURDEE.
Fields and Matthews, early IN the spring or 1869,
secured a contract to supply the railroad company
wisn ties for which they were 10 receive stipulated
price. Fields did most OF the haunng and Matthews
collected the pay. About middle Nay Fields sent
ms wife to collect his portion OF the money from her
brother VINO, 1t is alleged sent word that he would
como over and SETTLE on the afternoon of the 18th
of May 1859, agretaby TO promise, he came over to
Fields, house. They met apparently in friendly
manner and commenced talking over their business.
Mrs, Fields, who present engaged IN her house
hold duties, did not observe anything unusual in
Shor conduct towards each other. After talking for
some time Fields suddenly became terribly enraged,
and In tne twinkling OF an eye seized o double
blted axe and struck Matthews fearful blow on
the head before he was aware, almost OF any i'm
pending dancer. The blow GANG with sucn tie-
mendous force that he was felied Ike an OK.
A TERRIBLE SCENE OF BLOOD.
So sudden and unexpected was the fatal tragedy
enacted that Mrs. Fields was completely DUN
founded and could scarcely for some minutes
what had been done. On seeing the PROSTATE form
OF her brother, and the blood flowing copiousy from
o terrible wound in his head, her nrst Impulse was
to rush out OF the house and call for Mr. Batesman
neghbor, who was work in an adjoining aeld.
Her exclamation 10 MIN was, "For Gods sake,
come out for John has kihed my brother y ON
tn ~ not 1vfn
his lace Win MS hand up to MS head, and beedlng
pro.usely.
Mr. Batesman Immediately set about caring for the
wounded man, who Was insensibe anl apparently
In q dying condition. During this time Fields, With
o acoolness almost una2IsLsled M under such tryina
circumstances, was quietly engaged III preparing
rntatoes f6r plaEnngi ana eVlneeo no sign or wa
hneess .e Sll sne unoftcaa.z it-.A " ~ ~ ~ ~ Ise.
iIkOCiFf And LEurAL CoApuCE - - 49, = - ~
Noticing his singular conduct Mr. Batsslnan re
Oars9d 10 him, '0h, John, What dld you 10 ~
iorYT Fields saYageiy repliei ihat ne should shut
NJ or he would esFyc him n me same manner
Payingno furthafattentiol 10 Fields Mr Batesnaa
then lIied Matthews up and managed 70 carry hlal
10 GONE logs O snort distance from where he nad
iaen and l9id llm down. he then called TO Fields
ehldfen, WHO Wefe planting potatoes near ~, 10
come and assist him. on hearing this Fields care
TO the and said that II they LETT theiE Work 'he
would chop their bloody neaas ol.h
The inhuma IN monster neither ran away nor onefel
70 assist in caring for the bleeding and dying mani
but, acting tae Tart OF q hardened lepd, Terenl1-
toriiy ordered MT. Ratesnan wnile engaged in ms
ibat tn ~ 'sA'- - y
by this time Matthews he'd partially recovered his
CONSCIOUSNESS, and seeming 10 fully comprehend his
condition, looked up into EatesEan's face and feeby
excalmed, ION, take me away out Of thla.'' His
attendant then managed 10 carry INN some twelve
yards further ana lad him down. Matthew'S then
fad ne would die, ana pitfuiy exclaimed, s'0h, my
poor wife and children /; Hearing this Mrs FieIds
III tue agony of her sorrow, exclaimed, "Oh, Is he
dead ~ Ihs pitfu exclamation attracted The atten-
tlon or tteds-who still renamed in the house and
WHO was the cause OF this terrible caamlty-and he
came TO the door again and sayagely called 10 his
Wlie, who was mourning over her stricken brother
t.Corne In. you bloody bugger. and tell me wha
George Matthews said, or IN chop your bloody heaC
OIL u,
II may be proper 10 add In this connection tina
a these terrible threats are embraced the swort
testimony VI Bateslnan on the trial. ana are quote
MATTHEW'S REMOVED TO MS HOME.
U1deterred by the Ierocious threats and inhumal
conIuct Of Fields Baesmau dld not for one momea
abandon the helpless man, but aided, as best n
coGld, IN binding up the gaping wound n hi
mead. This done, preparations were then made
remove MIN to his home, which was about one an
ahaf miles distant. AwagOn having been secured
he was carefully placed on 1t and taken home TO die
They arrived ABOUT eight O'Clock In the evening
6rs. Fields accompanied Them but her husband rs
mained behind.
TIE PHYSICIAN ARRIvEs-pEscRIPrIoS OF TEl
WOUND.
As they lived In n sparsey settled portion or tn
country, ana no physician being within some twent
miles II seven O'Clock the next morning befor
DIR. Lyon arrived. When he came he found Matthew
suffering from wound as slated 10 his sworn test
mony, on the left side OF the head about fiye and
half inches IN length, commencing az the fronts
bone, running back over the left paretal bone, an
extending back 70 the occpital bone in tne back
the mead, Dn Introducing probe the wound wa
found TO be one and half inches deep and Gu
Through the dura mater ard also the pia mater int
the substance OF the brain. The iuclsion was fou
and halt inches above tho mastoid process OF lii
temporal bone behind the ear.
DEATH OF gATTHEWS-Hts DYING DEcLAR ATOMS
When the physician examined tire wound he wa
satisfied II would prove fatal Everything, however
mat was possible was done for hun he lngere
nntl the Sst OF May, 1863, when he died. having sul
vtved the fearful stroke just two weeks During thi