Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-04-13

OF THE PRISONERS-PAINFUL
SCENE IN COURT.

llIO COuI oh uCouoy auu
20 be hung, and Ziba Plumley was
to prison for life, and Fred
erick Plumley to twenty years i'm
prisonment. The scene in court was
most painful, and we copy from the
report in the Rutland Herald:
The clerk called upon Horace R.
PIumley to stand up, and said to him:
Horace R. Plumley, have you any
thing to say why the sentence of the
law should not now be pronounced
against you ?"
The prisoner arose, and with much
emotion answered:
~ have a little to say. have been
wrongfully convicted. think it hard
for me to be taken away from my
family and lay down my life for my
enemies"
In answer to the same inquiry, Ziba
Plumley said:
Il have a few words to say to the
court and spectators. | shall be SO
years old day after tomorrow. have
lived in Shrewsbury fifty-four years,
and have raised a large family. have
always known John Gilman, Jr., since
he was born. We never had any
trouble with each other before the 1st
day of August last. He never laid a
straw in my way, nor in his. have
but few days at most to travel in
Vermont, even if | were set at liberty.
| have been prosecuted for the last
fifteen years by my enemies, and the
authorities of Shrewsbury have turn
ed deaf ear to my complaints. |
have been cripple for the last three
years by the rough hand of Isaac Fl.
Balch. And now | am overtakcn by
my enemies. hope my downfall will
be the means of my enemies salvation
[ hope the court will have mercy on
me and my son Frederick"
In answer to a similar inquiry by
the clerk, Frederick z. Plumley said
in substance:
Il hope the court will have mercy
on me, and | should like to have q
minister come in and see me before
leave, and have prayers"
Horace R, Plumley then received
the sentence of the court as follows
Judge Steele reading the same from {
written memorandum
Horace R. Plumley. you, having beer
duly tried by an impartial jury, anC
convicted of the awful crime of muir
der, it has now become the duty of
the court to pronounce the sentence
of the law upon you, which sentence
is,
That on the 29th day of September
in the year OF our Lord one Thousand
eight hundred and seventy, between
the hours of ten o'clock in the fore
noon and two o'clock in the afternoon
you will be taken from your place Of
confinement, to the pace Of execution
and there be hung by the neck unit
you he dead, pursuant to a warran
to be issued as provided by law, an,
that you be imprisoned in solitar
confinement, in the State Prison, a
| tNin1Snr iY,t h. Tonntxr Of XN1nIzo,
until such punishment shall be infict
ed.
As the Judge was pronouncing tn
sentence, and the room was hushe
and still, not even a breath bein
heard, when he reached the part wher
he said, " and there be hung 6y tn
neck until you be dead the wife
mother and sister, and other femal
relatives of Horace in court, uttere
a long loud wall of distress, so 5tron
and continued that the voice of th
Judge was drowned by its power
The remainder of the sentence wa
read amidst the moaning of wome
and the sobbing of children. Th
scene was one to affect the stronges
hearts, and scarcely an eye but wa
filled with tears of sympathy for tn
families of the condemned men.
The Herald of Wednesday morr
, ing in commenting upon this scene
, says:
The scene in the court yesterda
, was a sad one, an aged wife and mott
; er listening to the sentence of the Law
, booming son to execution, and
husband and another son to virtuf
, separation from her for life-a youn
| wife, hearing the awful sentence o
her companion to be hanged unit
dead, and a daughter and sister hea
. ing the judgement which separated he
r from father and brothers, almost j
one short moment mourning Chi
dren, almost too young to comprehen
the tenor of the passing scene, whic
CONDEMNED father to the ignominy o
the gallows. Such scene has rarel
! if ever, been witnessed, and God 70
;, bid that it ever may be witnesse
again, in our community.