The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-08-12

troyersy with the condemned man even "A the rome
was dangling over his head lost hignt " in the gen.
but there was no news ron Asrrisbure and 50
everybody who had m:nagSd "a gulp down his din.
ner and had pas 20 enter the jail at once wendell
pi1ites TO two O'Clock the cell was again crowded
and the prisoner brought out He assembled the
scalfold as firmly as he had assembled 1t before and
knelt down while the minister offered up o prayer
for MIN, in which he ferventiy joined. AS the cap
about to be drawn 0veI as lace ne DID
sons, and them as the cap was fastened over his
head muttered, "a never told Brooks to shoot
e eS Save n,ercy on me" The Sheriff meanWhe,
with his hat on had bound the cuprit's arms and
the moose on the condemned mans neck, exclaim
Ing as he did SO, "Pm putting this on as comforta
bly, as can so as not to hurt yoI Charley J" he hur
tached to the upright which upheld the drop, with
sudden jerk pulled the bar from its place. The scene
eIace ZION rom his memory: The bar and the
drop fell with crash, and At the sr, same instant
snap ike S that Of whip, and Qrme fell distance OF
i've iaet, striking heavily on the hard noor Of the
na Ms Mould aqoa s nt Sasa esSNS
struck the ground, and as 1t was he lay for second
stunned almost to Inconsistencies, with his head
ss sa f VIII Wilt IN o gSSsS
toward the unfortunate man; but the moment the
spell that bound the Spectators had passed away
was raised to his feet and the cap taken or his face
He looked wildly about ana held his right hand
up to his neck, but said nothing, probably
because he was unable to speak-untl he was again
made to ascend the scafr0ld, while the Dangling
sheriff prepared new moose. AS he placed himself
under the bar for the third time he turned to-
wards his spiritual advisers and exclaimed, ''Oh
that this horrible work was over" Finally the new
moose was put about his neck and the cap once
drawn over his eyes, while he continued to utter
"God have mercy on NO." The sheriff pulled the
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 hs struggle with death was conse.
quently 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 Cir, the
right hand was raised TO the neck and chung convu
sivey to the shirt BOSOM near the throat. The left
hand also, as the body swung against the drop
grasped hold Of one side OF the platform and
cutched II Tor several seconds, and when 1t finally
became weakened and was compelled to relax its
the grating Of the finger nails could be
plainly heard all over the hail. For fifteen
minutes the poor fellow struggled violently, and was
not dead until twenty-five minutes had elapsed from
the time he was swung of. When the body was
cut down 1t was placed In plain coffin and Inferred
in corner OF one Of the town cemeteries.
more horrible execution never took place IN the
United States. The Sheriff did his work bunglingly
from beginning to end and had 1t not been Tor the
presence in the town OF Judge Barrett, VINO 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 r'