The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-02-20

command. B. PARDIaoLR.
Rxscatlea 81 Whsl.n.
The large dailies Of Saturday have lengthy
details Of the execution, ON Friday of last week,
at Ottawa, Canada, Of Whelan. the man convict
ed Of the murder Of Darcy MCGEE. From q
detailed account in the Toronto Gls5e We extract
the following:
This morning. little before his execution,
Whelan adked for pipe; this was furnished
him and he smoked It to the bottom.
He then asked for cup Of the strongest tea
This also was given him and he drank it.
One of the priests and two nuns then entered
into his cell with him and prayed When he
came out, after drinking another cup of tea, he
rose and rushed into the wash-closet and, falling
on his knees, prayed with an intense agony; the
sweat rolled in great drops down his face as he
kept saying, "Lord, have mercy on my soul !"
Saviour OF the world, have mercy on my soul -
"Jesus, have mercy on my ssul; :" and for some
minutes was in An intense state of mental suf-
fering.
up and down the corridor.
When he was at the far end of the corridor,
the executioner made his appearance At the
sight of him WhslaR became perfectly petrifed,
and stood stock still for some minutes. After q
little he recovered himself, came forward and
| shook hands with all present; but every one felt
that he had lost all command of his muscles. His
HAND sold and clammy-as one said, it felt
like Hsn.
Wn-M speaking Of Lacroix ON Tuesday, he
| SAID: - Lsvroix is liar, for the man who shot
Mcttoe mad mask on him, and Lacroix said he
!, saw his face"
| Whean slept soundly for six hours till about
A. NJ, and about o'clock mass was celebrated
i'll the chapel of the prison. 1t WAS said that the
exercise was exceedingly touching, and Whelan
received the mass with every symptom Of fully
| approaching the swfulness Of his position and
the relation the ceremony bore to it.
| About z o'clock he partook of breakfast and
| prepared himself for his fate. He seems to have
now become rational being notwithstanding a
| great deal he has said before about making q
speech this morning, he has given up all notions
| Of doing 80.
so many people," said he, twill be in the
| crowd, and they differ 40 in their opinions that
were to make speech, more blood would be
| she'd"
| The morning dawned with violent snow
storm, and until o'clock there was nothing to
indicate that 80 unusual tragedy was to be per-
formed in the city. At o'clock a few strangers
were seen struggling in but at 10 the stream b..
came dense, and by half-past 10 about 5000 or
5000 people crowded the streets in front of the
jail We are sorry to say that many hundreds
| of respectable women mingled with the crowd
| About ha'f.past 10 the front doors were opened
| to those whs, by the kindness of Sheriff Powell,
were admitted to the interior Of the Jail, and
when they reached the lobby, entering on the
scaffold, the sea Of faces below was imposing.
| The corridor in which Whelan was confined
was Immediately adjoining the lobby, and the
reverend attendants were heard in earnest pray.
| er with the unfortunate man. The crowd, dur.
ing this time, We are sorry to say, did not behave
| themselves with that quietness which the sol.
| emnity of the circumstances demanded, and, at
| times, were excessively turbulent.
AT II o'clock exactly the sheriff came from the
corridor. Immediately behind was Whelan, who
had been pinioned . few moments before; along
with him were three priests in surplioes, one OF
| whom, Father O'Connor, read the usual service.
Whelan looked exceedingly pale and excited
The sweat stood in beads On his forehead, and
the flush of intense agony overspread his face
There was no faltering, however. With his
his place on the scsflold, responding in distinct
tones TO tho prayer, "God have mercy ON me-"
As he said it, it pierced the heart of every one
| who heard il.
After the pater noster had been repeated, he
said, {" beg pardon for any offence have COM
mitted. forgive all parties who have injured
me. AJAX forgiveness from any have injured.
God save Ireland, and God save my sosl" This
he recited with great frmness ne tl
Having stepped forward to the front of the
railing, when be had finished, be stepped back
again " the drop, the executioner fitted On him
the white cap, and drew it over his face; the rope
was then adjusted instantly; the rope was with.
drawn the dosr Jew open, and Whelsn hung by
the neck.
He had more sg0nising death than his vic.
tim. Fer four minutes he suffered mortal
agony. At first, his coutortions were thought
to be the result Of muscular action but ut the
end of four minutes he drew his last gasp ~
naturally as if he had died in his bed. He kick
cd his heels together twce--about two minutes
after he had dropped. Other physical symptoms
indicatcd tho awfulness of the mental agony
the poor thing had undergone prior to the fnal
moment Hn
Whelan, in his short speech, when no came to
God save Ireland, WAS we'll up and was about ~
launch out, when one of the priests pushed him
almost violently baok, and the last sentence, God
save my soul, WAS said in tones like . child un-
der the eye Of the schoolmaster. There was
howl arose from some parts Of the crowd ut the
Intervention. There WAS net tho slightest sym.
pathy exhibited in the crowd for the oulprit.
Some shouted that Darcy MCGEE had more
pleasant death than his murderer utter all.
The following is popular form OF petition To
the United States Congress-:
Hon. Josiah Onssemakx Dear SIR. wishing
/ L. T.