The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1869-08-26
9e(istellalteuns Artifle5,
Disgraceful Scene at an Execution.

A correspondent OF Lne OalllWofe ICWt
gives the following account of terrible
Scene at the execution Of Charles Ormc,
at Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania. He was
hung Oh Wednesday for the murder Of
Theodore Broadhead, at The Delaware
Gap about ten months since:
The prisoner was brought out for exc
cution. and on the scaffold made II speech,
which he closed by saying'
II never got change of clothing, OF
shirts or socks or anything of that kind,
and l got so covered with vermn that
the only way l could get rid of them was
by burning them with lighted candle"
Sheriff Merwine to the utter as:onish-
ment Of everybody, at this point inter
rupted the condemned man by asking,
"You mean that was before your trial %
eyes" replied Orme, whereupon ex-
Sheriff Henry, who was sheriff at tho
time referred to by the prisoner, advanc.
ed to the scaffold from the gathering of
spectators and asked him if he hadn't had
all the attention and all the change of
clothing he had desired while he had
charge of him. The prisoner said he had
not, and this led to debate between the
man on the scaffod and the ex-sherif
which lasted for several minutes, until
ended by citizen OF the place stepping
up to the latter and babe him desist. 1T
was now halfpast eleven o'clock, and the
prisoners spiritual advisers demanded
that the execution should b" nosponcd un-
il the arrival of the one, clock mail train,
(which might bring repricve," and after
another wrangle the sheriff agreed to
postponement, and so the prisoner was
taken down from the scatfold and recon
ductcd to his cell, while the spectators
adjourned to dinner
Tine mail train arrived at one o'clock,
but there was no news from Harrisburg
and so everybody who had managed to
gulp down his dinner and had pass 10
enter the Jail at once wended his way TO-
wards the scene of execution. At ten
minutes to two o'clock the cell was again
crowded and the prisoner brought out. He
ascended the scaffod rs firmly as he had
asccnded it before, and llnelt down while
the minister offered up Il prayer for him.
in which he ferventy joined. lie protcs-
ted that he never told Brooks to shoot
Theodore Brodhead, and repeated sevela
times, "God have mercy on me-
The bar and the drop fell with crash,
and at the same instant the rope above
the moose broke with snap like that of
whip, and Orme fell distance Of five
feet, striking heavily on tho hard floor Of
the prison. Ho would have fallen back
ward his full length had the drop not been
behind HIM as ire struck the ground, and
as it was, he lay for second stunned al
most to Inconsistencies, 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 that the spell that
bound the spectators had passed away
general rush was made toward the scat
fold. Orme was raised to his feet and
the can taken off his face. lie looked
wildly about and held his right hand up
to his neck, but said nothing, probably
because he was unable to spcak-untl be,
was again made to ascend the scaflold,
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 exclaim-
ed, ooh that this horrible work was
over" Finally the new moose was put
about his neck and the cap once more
drawn over his eyes while he continued
to utter, "God have mercy on me- The
sheriff pulled the bar and the drop fell.
The body fell about four feet and re
bounded slightly as the moose tightcncd
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 one. To add additional horror
to the scenc, 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 clung convul-
sivcly 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 platform, clutched it for several
seconds 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 ff-
teen minutes the poor fellow struggled
violently. and was not dead until twenty
FIVE minutes had elapsed from the time
he was swung off. When the body vas
cut down ii was placed in plain coffin
and inferred in a corner Of one Of the
town cemeteries. A more horrible exc
cution never took place in the United
States.
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