Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1869-08-03
Horrible Scene at an Execution.

The St. Louis Republican of Saturday gives
the following details of the horrible scene at
the hanging of negro. William Edwards,
for the murder of Louis Wilson. in that city
on Friday last. The frequency of such shame
ful incidents of late shows either the most
wanton carelessness or equally culpable ig-
nOrance in officials entrusted with the execu-
tion of the final penalty of the law. This
matter needs everywhere strict attention. as
in such hands the gailows becomes instru-
ment of fearful torture instead Of Just pun
ishmcnt. The execution took place at two
o'clock P. NJ. Edwards before his death
made short speech laying the blame Of his
crimes upon his wife. The Rrpn6l'caA then
says:
With his head enveloped in the white cap
and the rope round his neck, Edwards ex-
tended his hands towards the minister's who
grasped them, and his last words were, My
brothers, farewell"
While the moose was being arranged, all
were startled by the falling Of shed in the
Jail yard y crowd had covered every inch
of the roof Of it, and it gave way, taking the
men and boys with it. no one was seriously
hurt, but the laughter which followed was an
insult to decency
Everything on the gallows was now ready.
Mr. Brooks told the condemned man to put
his trust in God, and the County Marshal
bent down to cut the string which held the
spring suppOrtin" the drop He severed it,
turned round With shudder from the sight
which. otherwise, would have met his gaze,
and William Edwards, with the noise and din
CT falling bricks and timbers, and the shock
ing curses and no less shocking laughter OF
rabble ringing in hs ears, passed through the
portals of death.
The rope was too long and the knot had
slipped to the front Of the ear instead of be-
ing behind it. Death was not instantaneous
by any means it was long. lingering one,
aud the struggle of the unfortunate man was
frghuul Edwards body swayed too aud
fro. turned round, and, horrible to relate his
toes touched the ground the rope length>
ened out. His suferings no one can tell. but
as if he wished to put an end 20 the awful
affair. his legs doubled up for an instant, and
it was only very seldom that lie touched the
ground Whether this Was done consciously,
We, of course. cannot say. lie struggled in
this manner several minutes. Those on the
plailurm looked down at the dying nlaa
through the hole through which his body had
passed, and those in the yard pressed forward
to it. There was great excitement, and one
person actually proposed to pull the man up
and throw him duwa Every one seemed to
have an anxiety that his torture should be
ended. Those underneath thc plutfurn hal
luoed to those abnve to pull the rope up and
thus get him quite clear of TIE ground -
Those appealed to felt thei! flesh creep at the
idea bat it had to be done. and one or two
officers did it.
O1c got hold of tic rope bstween the ring
in the cross beam and the upright beam around
which the rope was fastened. and applied all
his strength aud weight in pulling ut it, An
other got hold of the rope about Eve feet
above the dying man S neck and shortened it
TO some extent. Edwards feet were now
some distance from the ground. and his strug
giles diminished as he becnme exhausted-
Still he stretched ont his hands as if he wanted
to catch at something. and at one time he
nearly touched the hanging trap-donr. As
he wos being hauled up. to be clear Of the
ground. some person at the Bottom caught
mold IF his legs. It appeared to those above
that he intended to break the neck Of the
cHprit by giving him powerful jerk. and
the volunteer was ordered to desist. AS his
hpIh ih"Seueo the OOuJ swung ih'O us lOIiue'
position.
The sentence that William Edwards '.be
hanged by the neck until he was dead" was
carried out; for after hanging thirteen min
utes, his spirit passed into the presence Of his
Maker. While he was suspended Dr. Ling
fielder physician of the county Jail. DR. Spies
gelhalter DR. p. S O'Reilly. Dr Anderson
and Dr. Coleman watched narrorly for the
extinction Of the last spark of life. They
found that his pulse ceased to beat in eight
minutes and his heart in thirteen minutes
the same time. it is stated, in which Pete
Chrisnan died, when hung in 1867. Ed
wards was then pronounced to be dead
While Edwards was struggling in the ago
nes of death. with his head thrown back and
face upwards, the perspiraion went through
the white cap. saturating it completely
When the body was in the coffin this cap was
thrown back for an instant. and those near
scanned the features. The mouth was partly
open. showing the white teeth, but the eyes
were closed. DR.. Spiegelhalter stated that
the neck was broken at the second YER
tehrae The features we're natural.
One of his hands was clenched tight and
the other partially open.
After life wa extinct. and while the body
was suspended the distance from the mans
feet to the ground was only an inch and a
half
VERY SINGJLAR.-From Bells Station,
Tenn. come the particulars of most sngu>
lar nhenomenon. William Ro1ell was struck