The New York herald., 1869-08-25
T H E GALL0W S.
Double Execution at Memphis,
Tennessee.
WOMEN AND CHILDREN PRESENT
Widows Of the Murdered Men Wit
Messing the Execution.
lFrom the Memphis Appeal, August a.

The crlmnals have passed away. Death has
Srsas 10 ne they 50 deeply wronsed
BY the voice OF their fellow citizens Calvin white
ts cna ey we're hung ~ the until
they dead as the sentence is phrased, yester-
day petween one md TWO O'CLOCK IN Inc lsi yard IA
tlons and coIors. Not In elght Years before had
pubic execution taken place IN Memphis the sigat
was therefore novel ana new ana calculated TO draw
crowd "a perhaps nothing else would.
TO THE GALLows.
At an early hour yesterday the streets were
thronged by people, foot on horseback In CARTS IN
wagons In omnb,lses, In carriages, IN street cars
curiosity OF the sex was aroused. They the
hanging at the expense OF dinner OF course the
negro element I0utnumbered the white, and added the
aroma that assembled from sweating humanity The
pecnliar aroma denommated d'Airlque, whicn mas
tie it. Running and wsKing and riding, but all full
OF eagerness, and all canvassing the pluck OF Tue
beings poured along until In re vicinity OF the Jail
every houseop and shed and every foot OF available
50 many women among the most anxious Of TINS
vast crowd. Their curiosity was unbounded, and
not even look touch n she gaiiows or % an eXpia
pushed into the crowd and Witnessed the ordeal OF
hanging witAout = whimper: Are we better or
worse than other peope--We Of the nineteenth CEN
turyf M
There was no sympathy among these people
there never IN 9 crowd. A total want OF feeling
was manifested. Men olbowed women and women
shouldered men. Tney oontended with laugh and
jeer and Joke for the best places the sgnt 1t
was not death ilich they came laugh at only the
transltion-the passage from itie 1t was u sensa
ton they were there 10 enjoy. The hours wore ON.
Impotence was manifested IN many faces The
be reprlsvedr Gould It be possible that they wore
to be cheated Of the sight Of two souls launched into
for No rq avn
ts here" they cry and all eyes rest on the gaL0ws
TlieS were nottO be robbed. The execution would
take place. 1t was sham. The officers of the
law meant work. All was now eageiness for the
finale. We leave this cruel Indifferent almost IN
human crowd in their eagerness nnd turn back to
HOW THE PRISONERS PASSED THEIR LAST NIGHT.
smoked and engaged In cheerful coIverssnon with
the guards until nearly one O'Clock, when he re.
mattress and slept soundly until about hall past SIX
when he arose. breakfast was served him. OF which
Moody was singing and praying from eight O'Clock
until nearly Two O'clock when ne retired to rest and
slept well until after four O'Clock, when he awohe
and resumed his 1evotions The break kfas furnished
him was scarcely touched
GALvNis PARTING WITH HIS BROTHER
The only time That Calvin gave way from the
sentence until the drop fell was during his last IN.
,erview with his brother geren4al witch place
bsother WAS shown into The cell they iea into each
others arms and wept bitterly. For the nonce. the
strong, rude rough men became rs children, kisslng
one another passonately, ana sobbing aloud at tine
stern decree OF the law which was SO soon TO hurry
one Of them into eternity. A few hurried words
gasDed out between heart bursting Subs, claspfng
OF hands, and the brothers parted TO meet no more
on earth forever. Father OrBren arrived soon after
the departure Of Gaivn's brother, and shortly sue
ceede6 In quelina the discarded spirats Of the
condemned cells about half.pnst ten O'clock, he was
quietly and calmly listening to the comforting as
suranCes OF his spiritual adviser.
WHAT KNOWN CALVIN.
James Calvin was native Of ireland, was In his
tweny,ith year stood about i've feet eleven inches
borho0d OF l75 pounds when executed and was, IN
physical sense, fine looking man Tho only
his head-ferocity, recklessness and determination
ens easily M seaa s m ants % US
with steady gray eye that es&med MED T,sh snysns
ees se p, IN Payennors iowa ana ~ tas he has sister
somewhere IN Texas, but his persistent rencence In
regard to himself and family renders 1t almost I'm
possible to give anything like reliable information on
The % crime for which he suffered is fresh in the
minds Of readers. On ChrIstIn8s Day, 1867,
Calvin and some friends were drInkng at the Delta
saloon on Nam street, between winchester and
the saloon, become involved in some way In q
quarrel with the party. and called upon officer
arrest the assaiians. In the auempfthe oiioer was
severely beaten md otherwise very roughly handled
charge Of his duty, % When ne was red upon BY CAL
yln and mortaV wounded by The second shot the
on e s s
only O few days after being shot. Calvin was ar
rested aa and tried before Judge Bgeow acting crm
GaIvins pardon or reprieve. Calvin proved to be a
rough customer IN JAIL and once succeeded In get
ting ont. Police officers Farrell Scott ana WEIGH
captured him six months a1terward IN south Mem.
pms, where ne had place OF rendezvous. During
his enlargement he was shot at several tines Il IS
reported, and his presence Ia rural neighbor-
During mis- confinement in the county jai since
his return from Brownsville marked and decided
and speech were violent and reckless but 'is as his
time on earth grew short as his mind began to heed
hope Of pardon or even OF reprieye died away,
he began TO realize the awful fate which awaited
nm should he be ushered into the presence oil his
Maker unDreDniCd.
OF MIND Which he gave such fair evidences OF hay
who acted ms spiritual ADVISER, expressed him,
self confidently as 10 Galvin's state OF mind and
said he had doubt the poor fellow was thoroughly
ready to meet his fate aud leave tins world with a
strong hope OF redemption in the next.
During an Interview with him at ten o'clock CAL
vim said 70 the writer that several attempts had been
made to induce him to disclose certain facts with
which he was thought to be familiar, but that ne
had not dlvuged any thing, nor would he; he had
made his confession TO the holy father, and that
all he should ever say on the subject lie bade us
farewell cheerully and we lett am IN quite calm
and peaceful frame OF mind.
HIS last request OF sheriff Curry, when asked If
anything could De done for him. WAS that he might
oe shaved, which was, Of course. granted.
TiE PARAPHERNALfA OF DEATH,
Inc ropes. plnions and black caps were inspected
In the guard room during the morning. The ropes
were Of missouri watcr.rOtted hemp 'nye-eghths of
an inch IN diameter cable laid and would ha We mn
held weight of 1000 pounds ialng the same dis.
tance as did the bodies. ~
Tns nna pnons M dar the hands. elbows ankles and
proxement ON the old style bungIing ropes and |
Black muslia caps, with drawstrings behind, made
up the outfit Of the Sherlns assistant.
THE SPECTATORS INSIDE,
Despite the precautions 3i Colonel Curry a few |
roughs gained admittance through the gates into the
enclosure, but were promptly cauoked oat as soon |
as recognized. II was estimated there were inside
lie yard 300 men, women and Clldren--a u consider
ibie number oil the two last mentioned. We were |
todd that the WIDOWS OF Captain Perry and officer
fehton were among the number. Two respectabY |
dressed young women approached the foot OF the |
gailows after the body OF Gavin had been cut down.
abu, passing die guard, were shown by their escort
tIe Wodus 0zera,,dt OF the whole atIar--where the
man STOOD. how the trap was dk0d, what threw the |
SUPPORT from under the platform &C., In all OF which
,ney seemed to take quite lively inserest and fell
10 Tue front rank OF Spectators to thai the
eApiAnatlon v0uchsaied thesn was verified by the |
hhhRin2 ol Moody. Alas poor feminine CURIOSITY,
..,.. FINAL PREPAiATfoHs. ITIfr /
~ ioIv-nye minutes past twelve CAPTAIN Alice