Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1869-08-18


Their counsel carried their case TO
the Supreme Court, which sustained
the Court below, aad on Wednesday
last, at stroudsburg, 0rme paid the
penalty of a violated law.
We take the following from the
correspondent of the New York Her
aid, who was present at the horrible
scene
AN ESCAPE.
The prisoners, after the decision Of
the Supreme Court had been an
nounced, were confined, in the same
cell together, aud every precaution
was taken by tho keeper of the jail
to prevent anything like an escape.
On the morning of tae second of April,
they did escape, by Orme's inducing
the iaier to go into the cell and help
Brooks to bed, who had fallen into u
a fit. apparently. The jailer had no
sooner got in than they threw of
their irons, which he'd been previously
filed off for the occasion, and over
powered him. The prisoners then
locked him in the cell, and in passing
out of the jail building, in which the
keepers family lives, locked every
door after them. As soon as the jail
er succeeded in getting out of the coll
an alarm was raised by ringing the
fire bells in the town, and a party OF
men set out with a bloodhound in
pursuit of the fugitives Orme was
overhauled, but Brooks could not be
found, and it is supposed he perlshed
miserably from cold and hunger in
the mountains to which he had ned.
oRME's LAST DAYS.
Orme, after his capture, was heavily
chained and a guard night and day
kept watch over him. He conducted
himself very quietly, and up to Tues
day morning last it was generally
supposed that he had fully made up
his mind that his time had come.
The Sheriff, however, on Tuesday
morning entered his cell and told him
he wanted him to go into room op-
posite the cell he occupied, as it was
his intention 10 erect the scaffold IN
the cell. Orme at once stood up and,
to the surprise of the Sheriff, shook
off his irons, which he had again sue
ceeded in filing off He laughed hear
tily at the officials astonishment, and
going towards the iron-barred window
and pointing 10 two Of the bars which
were nearly fed in twain, remarked,
"Well. YOU came near having another
hunt after me" On Tuesday night
he was visited by a gentleman who
had been very kind to him during bis
imprisonment, and after conversing
with him little while on his future
state, he asked the visitor if il would
be n sin for him to commit suicidc.
The gentleman answered that IL would
be very great sin, whereupon Orme
handed him a package containing six
grains Of morphine, which he said he
had intended TO have taken that night.
Whom asked us to how he had come
by it he said that he had "saved it by
bits" from prescriptions that were
given him during his Imprisonment.
REMARKABLE SCENE.
The soafIold was erected in the cell
opposite TO that of the prisoner and
consisted simply of two upright beams,
a cross-piece for the rope and plat
form that worked on hinges, and
which was supported on the outer
edge by an upright piece of wood. AT
eleven O'Clock on Wednesday, after
having prayed very earnestly with
the Rev. Mr. Ridgway, his spiritual
adviser, he was conducted to the scaf-
fold. There was about fifty persons
in the cell where the scafiold was and
Orme as he walked up the steps, ap-
peared to be tho most unconcerned
man in the place. Ho was seated in
chair while the death warrant was
being read, and at the close OF tho
reading, when the Sheriff asked him
If he had anything to say, he called
for a glass of water, and, remaining
seated, delivered a rambling speech,
tho pith OF which was that he had
been unfairly tried and convicted on
false evidence. He closed by saying
"I never got a change of clothing, of
shirts, socks or anything Of that Kind,
and ! got so covered with vermin
that the only way could get rid of
them was by burning them with a
lighted candle"
cL..;y Mo.,,;no 20 ,na uffor a ocfon
ishInent of everybody, at this point
interrupted the condemned man by
asking: "You mean that was before
your trial Z" ayes" replied Orme
whereupon ex-Sheriff Henry, who
was Sheriff at the time referred TO by
the prisoner, advanced TO the scaffold
from the gathering OF spectators, and
asked him if he hadn't had all the at
tention and all the change of clothing
he had desired while he had charge of
him. The prisoner said that he had
not had alt he had desired, and this
led to debate between the man on
the scafTold and the cx.Sheriff which
lasted for several inmates, and would
still have continued had not a well
known citizen of the place stepped up
10 the latter and bado him desist.
This most disgraeeful scene, which
Sheriff Merwine did nothing TO put
an end to, for the simple reason, prob
ably, that he had put the first touches
on II himself, as matter of course,
left the prisoner in anything but
proper state ofmind- But there was
worse to follow. 1t was now half.
past eleven o'clock, aud the prisoners
spiritual advisers demanded that the
execution should be postponed until
after the arrival of the one o'clock
mail train, (which might bring re-
prieve' they suggested. The Sheriff
was at first unwilling to yield 10 the
demand, but the suggestion Of the
minister had its effect upon Orme, and
he begged n postpoDement as "last
favor" For minute or so there was
a wranglc, and the spectators looked
I - .,., ...rstn. 4. lf...lr op,o,Arurnt