Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1869-04-09

The SENTENCE OF THE SHREWSBURY MURDER
ERs.-We Wednesday morning, by special tele-
gram, announced the sentence Of the Shrews.
bury murderers by Judge Benjamin H. Steele,
in the Rutland County Court, and below give q
description o. the scene in the court room while
the prisoners were hearing their fate from the
lips of the stern administrator of justice, as
taken from the Rutland Herald of Thursday
morning;
The scene in the court yesterday was a sad
one, an aged wife and mother listenin to the
| sentence of the law, booming a son to execution,
and husband and another son TO virtual separa-
ton from her for life-a young wife, hearing
/ the awful sentence Of her companion TO be hanged
until dead, and a daughter and sister hearing
the Judgment which separated her from father
and brothers, almost in one short moment
mourning children, almost too young TO compre-
bend the tenor Of the passing scene, which con-
/ demned father to the ignominy Of the gallows.
Such a scene has rarely, if ever been witnessed,
and God forbid that it may ever be witnessed
| again III our community.
| The prisoner, Horace R. Plumley, was ordered
/ by the clerk to stand up, when the question
was asked him
=. Horace R. Plumley, have you anything to
say why the sentence Of the law should not now
be pronounced against you
The prisoner arose, and with much emotion
answered:
Il have a little to say. have been wrong
fully 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, Zba Plumley
said
&" have a few words to say to the court and
SPECTATORS. | shall be 90 years old day after To-
morrow I have lived in Shrewsbury fifty-four
years, and have raised large family. | have
always known John Gilman, Jr., ever since be
was born We never had any trouble with each
other before the 1T day Of August last. He
never laid straw in my way, nor in his
have but few days at most 10 travel in Yer
mont, even if | were set at liberty. | have been
rer-ecutcd for the last fifteen years by my enc
mics, and the authorities Of Shrewsbury have
turned a deaf ear 10 my complaints. have
been crippled for the last three years By the rough
hand Of l. lac H. Balch. And now am overtaken
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 Ere
derrick"
In answer to a similar inquiry by the clerk.
Frederick T. Plumey said, in substance
." hope the court will have mercy on me,
and should BIKE TO have a minister come in and
see me before | leave, and have prayers
Horace K. Plumley then received the sentence
Of the court, as follows Judge Steele reading the
same from written memorandum,
Horace K Plumley, you. having been duly
tried BY an imp trtial jury, and convicted Of tie
awful crime Of murder, it has now become the
fEr hp ttf
the law upon You, which sentence Is
That on the 18th day Of September, in the
year Of our Lord one thousand eight hundred
and seventy, between the hours Of ten O'Clock IN
the forenoon and two O'Clock in the afternoon,
you he taken from your place Of confinement, to
the place Of execution, and there be hung by
the neck until You be dead, pursu ant 70 war
rant TO be issued as provided by law, and that
you be imprisoned in solitary confinement, in
the State Prison, at Windsor, in the County Of
Windsor, until such punishment shall be iuhict-
Ell.
As the Judge was pronouncing the sentence,
and the room was hushed and still, not even
breath being heard, when he reached the part
where he said, - and there be hung by the neck
until you be dead - the wife, mother and sister,
and other female relatives Of Horace in court,
uttered long, loud wall Of distress, SO strong
anu cuhuhuet tuai tue voice OF the . uuee was /
drowned by its power. The remainder Of the
sentence was read amidst the moaning Of wom-
en- and the sobbing Of children. The scene was
one to affect the strongest hearts, and scarcely
an eye but was filed with tears Of sympathy
for the families Of the condemned men.
Ziba Pumley was then sentenced TO hard Ia I
Dor IN the States Prison during his natural life,
and Frederick z. Pumley for the term Of twenty /
years In fixing the sentence Of Frederick the .
Judge remarked that they had Disseminated in /
his favor for the sole reason that he was weak in
intellect