The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-12-01
whiehalIke many another. he .fsilsdl

! enough, and probably would hav
4 AavaiIed the prisoner, but little G!eve
4 had the law, instead sof closing hi
mouth, permitted him to tell his ew
story. AS it was, there was nothin
ito perpleN the jury. They 'migh
have rendered their verdict withou
leaving the box, though they did 1eay
lit, for form S sake, 1t was "GuiHy,
of course. ',. = NE 3' - i'4'.- 81
On the morning of the executio,
we attended in ~ body, the sherii
having given us tickets of admission
4 We took an ehecting leave ftof tn
lprisoner-1ess affecting, perhaps, thar
lit would have been, had we not known
how soon we'wefe to meet again e :.
On the scaffold our man Behaved
admirably In fact, we were quit.
proud of him. He listened to .tht
death warrant with respectful atten
ton; joined devoutly in the prayer,
OF the clergyman; made a neat little
speech, protesting his innocence and
thanking his frit n1s-here he looked
at Charley, Ned, and 'myself-and
Ethen told the sheriff he was ready. y
The moose was adjusted, the cap
drawn down; the bolt drawn and with
heavy Nfhud'4I believe that is the
reporters word-the trap door and
its burden fell 81. a. in - as7 81. H.
In less than an hour we had "eome
into our property" which Tim. dump
ed from a sack on tonthe dissection
table we had improvised in the Doe
tors back office, while the crowd
were following a rough coffin filed
with brick-bats and old newspapers
to its last unhonoretl restiug-place.
"Now for the battery ~ cried
harly, eager to begin. iNi'a
=. The plates were immersed, the wires
attached, the circuit completed
whereof the body formed a part--and
the acid began to sig "a. zar, a-..,e
The effect was electrical in more
than one sense, The subject" open
ed its eyes drew several quick, convul-
sive breaths, -s'rnck out; brislly with
its legs and arms, and finally kicking
over the apparatus. spralg to its feet
1t is not going too far to- say it was
the liveliest kind of a corpse al g..s
Z Il tel you, gentlemen" it began.
Finn. blessing himself the while. and.
the rest OF us staring in amazement.
I'm rot guilty of this murder, but /
think i know who is" aid s.-....t.f, &
The fellow was evidently laboring
under the delusion that he was still
alive, and addressing the spectators
from the. scafiold, far which the. table
Oh which he stood might well have
been mistaken. s.,- ,,-,. L.. t-,.
= Just before the drop fell; the pris.
Dner, We remembered, had made 4
movement as though there was some
hing more he desired to say but the
Sheriff, in his trepidations, had failed
10 observe it, and at that instant the
rap gave way. The gentleman was
disposed to embrace the
PRESENT opportunity to resume the
bread Of his discourse. a77nI bHH ="
II think know who Is guilty" he
continued. "It's my solemn belief, !
md these are my dying words, that 4
is no other than Bob Rickey, the
murdered mans nephew, who fell heir
o his property" ,. -.,5-5... .
Electricity we knew could work
wonders. Charley Barker believed
was the vital principle itself, which
vas the reason why people were sol
wickedo But even he could
lardly give IT credit for all tn,
PRESENT phenomena. The fact was
9th as we were to admit it, the man |
rad come TO life and put in claim to
lis own carcass. s-<a5 -y-.- ..oi- sHt
p. What TO DO with him was the next |
uestion. His exact legal status was
knotty point. Had the law further
iaims upon him, or would the sher-
ifs return that he had hanged the
risoner by the neck till his body was
cad, operate as an estoppsl. +;--. at
At last we concluded it could do no
arm to wait till night, and try the
fleet on Bob Hickey. whose compile
ty in his uncle's murder had been by
lany more than suspectad, of q ruSe
uggested nv Ned Williams, the de-
ails of which were soon settled. |
About bedtime we repaired with our
friend, "accoutred as he
Tas,' and properly instructed, to tn /
ouse in which Rickey, who was
lived alone. ,. f
r Charley accompanied the late, de-
eased to the door, and when it opened
4 response to the bell, stood aside
nd allowed his companion to enter
1lus. a..f .-., ..- -...g |
Ned Williams and myself took k-our |
ito which Hickey conducted his. yisi-
Or, and in which a light was burning
The outside shutters were closed, but
he sash curtains were up and We
ad no difficulty in hearing and see |
lg, through the open Stats, all that
assed within go .-a <z...f ....s - 4
Once fairly in the light, our con-
,1erat- threw aside the cloaek that
nveloped him.. and stood revealed AS
e had come to our hands out of Tins
ack-hIs arms pimoned, the uusightl
p cap on his head, and the rope dang
ng from his neck! - sag Hi p-i- autl
Hickey uttered a loud shrek, and
to the wall. The best act
+ that ever played Hamlet never, in
he ghost scene, pictured terror as we
len beheldc H.sihThe poor wretch
1iyered like one in an agne, and !
lrough his chattering teeth begged, |
rayed, conjdred,i nild confessed, till
iere was no Longer. a doubt Il left that
ie wrong man had been hanged! ,sb4t
The dpshot OF the matter Sas, that