Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1869-09-03
Disgraceful scene at an Execution.

S'Neo 'Ho ioiioWinS account OF q terrible
scene at the execution Of Charles Ormo, at
Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. He was hing
on Wednesday for tho murder Of Theodore
Broadhead, at the Delaware Gap, about ten
months since: 4
The prisoner was brought out for oxeou.
ton, and on the soaffold made a speech, which
no closed by saying:
- never got q change of, clothing, of
shirts or socks or anything of that kind, and
| got 80 covered with vcrmin that the only
way could get rid Of them was by burning
them with a lighted candle"
Sheriff Merwine to the utter sstonisbment
of everybody, at this point interrupted the
condemned man by asking, "You mean that
was before your trial ?" EYES," replied Or.
me, whereupon ex-ShcriF Henry, who was
sheriff at the time referred to by the prisoner,
advanced to the scaffold from the gathering
OF spectators and asked him if he hadn't had
all the attention and all tho change of
clothing no had desired while he had
charge of him. The prisoner said no
had not, andthis led to a debate between the
man on the scaffold and the ex.sherif which
lasted fos several minutes, until ended BY a
citizen of the place stepping up to the latter
and bade him dcsist. 1t was now half. past
eleven o'clock, and the prisoners's spiritual
advisers demanded that the execution should
be postponed until the arrival of one o'clock
mail train, (which might bring q reprieve,"
and after another wrangle the sheriff agreed
to postpontment, and so tho prisoner was Ia
ken down from the scafold and ]reconductcd
to his cell, while the spectators adjourned to
dinner. y
The mail train arrived at one o'clock,
but there was no news from Harrisburg, and
90 everybody who had managed to gulp down
his dinner aud had a pass to enter tho Jail at
once wendell his way towards the scene of
execution. AT ten minutes to two o'clock
the cell was again crowded and the prisoner
brought out. Ie assembled the scaffold as
firmly as he had assembled it before, and knelt
down while the minister offered up a PRAYER
for him, in which he forvently joined. lie
protested that he never told Brooks to shoot
Theodore Brodhead, and repeated several
times, Good have mercy on me-"
The bar and the drop fell with a crash,
and at tho same instant the ropo above tho
moose broke with q snap like that of q whip,
aud Orme fell a distance of Eve feet, striking
heavily on tho hard floor Of the prison. lie
would have fallen backward his full length
had the drop not been behind him as 10
atrnRk Tho Ornt1nA md On - ouoo h 1~- Gov q
second stunned almost to unoonsciousness,
with his head leaning against the wall. For
an instant everybody seemed paralyxed with
terror, and no one moved toward the %unfortu.
nate man !; but tho moment that tho spoil
that bound the spectators had passed away q
general rush was made toward the soafold.---
Orme was raised to bis feet and the cap taken
of his face. lie looked wildly about and
held his right hand up to his nook, but said
nothing, probably because he was unable to
speak--until he was sgain made to ascend
tho scafold, while the bungling sheriff pre-.
pared q now moose. As he placed himself
under the GROSS bar for the third time, he
turned towards his spiritual advisers and OF.
claimed, "Oh that this horrible work was
ovor." Finally the new moose was put about
his neck and tho cap once more drawn over
his eyes while ho continued to utter, "God
have mercy on me-" The sheriff pulled the
bar and tho drop fell.
The body fell about four feet aud roboun.
ded slightly as the moose frightened about the
neck. The rope did notbreak, but the knot
Of the moose struck the map's throat directly
Under the ohm, and bis struggle With death
was consequently q prolonged one. To add
additional horror to the scene, the muslin that
bound his arms behind him had not been tied
tight enough, and several times while the
body was dangling in the air, the right hand
was raised TO the neck and olung oonvuls;vc-
ly to tho shirt bosom near the throat. The
left hand also, as the body swung against tho
drop grasped hold of one side Of tho plat.
form, clusUhed itsfor several seconds, and
when it finally becs.no weakened and was
compelled to relax its hold, it closed on the
board 20 firmly that the grating Of the finger
nails could BIO piainly hedrd all over the hall.
For fifteen minutes che pepr fellow struggled
yiolenty,and was not dead until twenty-five
minutes had elaspad from tho time he was
swnngIM. when tho body was out downit
| was plaoed IN a plain coffin and Inferred in