Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1869-08-18

Al ono O'Clock. but there was no news
from Harrisburg, and 40 everybody
who had managed 20 gulp down hie
dinner, and had a pass to enter the
ihil, nj once.wendcd his way towards
tho scene Of the execution. AZ ten
minutes TO two o'clock ths cell was
again crowded and the prisoner was
brought out Iic assembled tho scat
fold as firmly rs hc had assembled II
before, and knclt down while tho min
isler offered up prayer for him. IN
which he iervently joined. AS The
cap was about TO be drawn over his
face he bid good bye to the Sheriff,his
counsel aud several other persons,
and then, as the cap was fastened
over his head, muttered, al never told
Brooks to shoot Theodore Broadhead." F"
and repeated several times, Good
have mercy on me-" The Sheriff,
meanwhile, with his hat on, had bound
the culprits arms and legs with strips
of muslin and after ho had placed
the moose on the condemned mans
neck, exclaimiDg as he did so, 81 am
cutting this on as comfortably rs l
can, SO as not TO hurt you Charley"
he hurried down the steps, and seizing
hold Of the rope attached to the up
right which upheld the drop, with a
sudden jerk pulled the bar from its
slaco. The scene that folio we'd none
who Witnessed il can ever efface from
his memory. The bar and the drop
fell with a crash, and at the same in
slant the rope above the moose broke
with snap like that of a whip, and
Orme fell distance of Eve feet, stri-
king heavily on the hard floor of the
prison. IIe would have fallen back
ward his full length had the drop not
been behind him as he struck the
ground, and as it was he lay for u
second stunned almost TO unconscious
ness, with his head leaning against
the wall. For an instant everybody
seemed paralyzed with terror and no
one moved toward the unfortunate
man but the moment the spell that
bound the spectators had passed away
a general rush was made toward the
scaffold. Orme was raised to his feet
and the cap taken off his face. He
looked wildly about and held his right
hand up to his neck, but said nothing
probably because he was unable to
speak-until he was again made to
ascend the scafIold, while the bungling
sheriff prepared new moose. As-he
placed himself under the cross bar for
the third time, he turned towards his
spiritual advisers and exclaimed, "Oh!
that this horrible work was overw
Finally the new moose was put about
his neck and the cap once more drawa
over his eyes, while he continued to
utter, "God have mercy on me-" The
Sheriff pulled tho bar and the drop
fell. The body fell about four feet
and rebounded slightly as the moose
frightened about the neck. The rope
did not break, but the knot of the
moose struck the mans throat directly
under the chin, and his struggle with
death was consequently prolonged
Toadd additional horror TO the scene,
The muslin that bound his arms be-
hind 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
clung convulsively to the shirt bosom
near the throat. The left hand also,
as the body swung against the drop,
graspcd hold Of one side of the plat
form and clutched it for several sec
onds, and when it finally became
weakened and was compelled to relax
its hold it closed on the board so firmly
that the grating OF the finger nails
could be plainly heard all over the
hall. For fifteen minutes the poor
fellow struggled violently, and was
not dead until twenty five minutes had
elapsed IRON the time he was swung
off, When the body was cut down il
was placed in plain coffin and in
tered in corner Of one Of the town
cemeteries.
A more horrible execution never
took place in the United States. The
Sheriff did his work bunglingly from
beginning 10 end, aud had il not been
for the presence in the town of Judge
Barrett, who tried to bring order out
of chaos, there is no knowing what
additional horrors might not have
been added to the execution Of the
law"