Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1870-02-10
tFrom the Daily Commercial, Of Friday.l
DEATH BY HANGING!
TWO CRIMINALS EXECUTED!
Jones and Carpenter Hung at
New Castle, To-day.
Interviews with the Prisoners Be-
fore Death.
Full Particulars.

BY sentence OF tnc courts Oh luis county, Joeu-
ua Jones and Lewis Carpenter, two colored men.
were ordered TO be hanged, to-day, In the jail
yard at New Castle.
These men were convicted at the November
Term of rape committed on the person OF Mrs.
Mary Meredith married woman, over 40 years
of age, poor and respectable, living at the resi-
dence Of Henry McCrone, in New Castle Hd., as
housekeeper The offence was committed on
the evening OF September 18th, last, Mrs. Mere
dith being at the time in bedroom, putting two
Of her children to sleep. Jones there perpetrated
the crime, while Carpenter remained near at hand
The details of the affair ore, in themselves to-
tally unfit for general publication, and they have,
at any rate already been given in this paper, at
the time of the trial. with sufficient fullness.
The two men are farm hands, employed as day
laborers, and are rude and ignorant. One Of
them, Joshua Jones, can read little, but Carpen-
ter only knows his alphabet. They both confess
ed to engaging in the plot at the instance of
Joshua Jones, and were Joined by Henry Moore
who backed out after first attempt had failed,
and subsequently turned States evidence. The
testimony on the trial and their previous admis-
sions rendered their conviction unavoidable.
The prisoners after their trial which took place
on Thursday, Dec. ., were sentenced on Friday.
Dec. 8, to be hanged to-day, between tho hours
of 10 q. IN. and 3 p. III. Jones manifested consid-
cradle emotion but Carpenter received the SEN
tence apparently with stold indifference, or else
failed to realize his fate.
In i,il the conduct of the prisoners has been
yery satisfactory to the officers and they have
apparently listened with great and reverent in-
terest to the clergymen and others who have been
| aburDg with them with a view 10 their conVer-
sion and spiritual enlightenment.
Both profess to have received the assurance oil
pardon for their sins and Jones especially pro-
| iesses great Joy aud confidence at the prospect
before him. Rev. DIR. SpottswGod OF the Presby'
| terian church has been very attentive to them,
| and Rev. Mr.. Spencer OF the Episcopal church
has visited them quite frequently. Mr.. Turner,
tho Jail Commissioner, has also been very at.en'
| tive and has frequently prayed with Jones. Mos
| OF these gentlemen, we believe, consider tina
Carpenter is too weak-mindcd to give intelligen
attention To religious subjects or to be responsible
for his actions.
Liioits to obtain repreve, commutalion o
sentence or pardon, for Carpenter, have becl
made. The Sheriff the iailors, and all who hav'
been in frequent communication with him bcllev
that his mental condition is not much above tina
of an idiot and they have made strong represen
tions 10 Governor Salisbury, to That eiiecl
Sheriif Richardson feels very strongly that th
much above that OF the brute. On the othe
hand it is alleged that he is not so simple as b
Eow pretends to be- A number ot witnessc
were summoned, 1t Is alleged, TO prove his lHoe
oility, and the attorneys for the defence wer
afraid to call Them, fearing that their tcsimon
would damage rather than assist the prisoner
This is the view tnkeA by the prosecuting officer
both of whom refused to Join in the request ic
respite or pardon. The Chief Justice, we als
, learn joins inein in this opinion.
, 1 att in plnlU
i | Richardson. we visited the condemned men,
their cells. The Sheriff gave us admission witt
QUO ,ssis.,ioD, hnt previously spoke OF bis tiiol
| to obtain respite tor Carpenter, VINO, hc !, cor
! vinced Is almost an idiot.
He says he has watched him closely, and tina
e from the time OF his sentence, which he receive
j unmoved up To now he has never shown an
! evidence OF having realizing sense of his stu
4 tion.
a We first visited the cell Of Joshua Jones' "
2 found him sitting down, smoking cigar. II
received us pleasantly. seeming glad TO have son
= one to talk t., He says he is IL or II years oil
I but the Sheriff says he is nearer ls according
/, his mothers account. His mother is living
: this city. His father is dead.
A He is n small man OF muddy yellow compile.
:, ion, and quite boyi-h. His head is small but b
face does not have stupid appearance In al
/ swrr to questions he says he had / tile or no rel
\ gious training, while hoy, though he has occ
u sionaly been To church or Sunday school. I
8 spent his Sundays, generally, however, lonngin
v around gunnlng, fishing, or otherwise anu
!. ing himself. He can read little and display
I. considerable intelligence in conversation
a He speaks freclyo Of his crime, fully admits
guilt, and declares that he planned, or ralh
suggested ii, as there was no premeditatcd pla
n the idea first occurring to him when he suggest
n ''doiDg some devlment" His confession corro
. boraies Mrs. Meredith's evidence and is unfit
: publication. He declares with much feeling III
he alone is guilty and that Lewis Carpenter oue
q not to be hung. He says Carpenter stood on
stairs aud took no part in the act. He also 50
that Carpenter has not good sense and that
h believes II he had asked him to go cut somebod,
s throat he would have gone. After giving I
% details of the crime he says they all went TO I
n barn. They saw Mrs. Meredith escaping with
I children and he (Jones) supposed she was anotf
e woman and proposed tnat they should catch a
outrage her, but seeing who 1t was the suggest
y was not acted on. He processes TO be prepar
to die and even says he would rather die th
e live. He says "fm tired and want 10 CO. NJ
be II is Gods will was to go this way"
ar speaks with much kindness Of Rev. Dr. Spot
4 wood, of the Presbyterian church, who was vt
! devoted to him, and also OF Rev. Mr.. Spencer,
u the Episcopal church, who has also visited him
~ His demeanor is not what one would exp'
10 from q condemned prisoner, so near his dea
He appears absolutely cheerful, and speaks
to-days scene of horror without hesitation
s- apparent fear.
sitting Gu bench in II corner, the very picture
VI detection. He is a man of about the same >
rs Jones, but of much darker color. His il
| has Is queer twisted look and does not displ
h much intelligence, hut at the same time does
ii strike one as idioiic. He says he is twenty-o
of years old, and was born in Chandlerville, Ches
- county, Pa He was bound out when boy,
IL an apprentice to Spencer d. Eyes, from whom
D. subsequently ran away. He afterwards lived
De this city for soma time and while here attend
is 81. Andrews Sunday school. Subsequently
in lived with George Jones,a trucker, In West Phi
lul..l. IT,. ..axaf tn lhn ina nf xub nj n
er convicted he says he was led into IL BY Josh
VI Jones, and that he did not actively participate
the outrage. 1n talking about the affair with
Yesterday, he said he did not know at the u
ne what Joshua proposed doing, saving he thou!
as he said ''lcts go robbish" Mrs. Meredith meani
Z. to steal something This is entirely at variar
ty with his confession, and we believe with all
re- has hitherto said. When asked If he felt ready
III die, he said yes he was prepared, he had mi
q. his peace with God and with jesus but in
in ponse to the query "woud you like to live
u. the man looked up with an eager look OF inter
u and said he guessed he would. He says he d
nd not want to die. In regard to Jones,
he says he does not know him very we'll, o
he FIRST met him lnPhiladelphia. He said In respo
h to the query by the Sheriff that no one
~ - ever told him he was likely to be reprieved.
u cept one gentleman who promised to do all
We could for him. Our interview, however, c
nd vinced us that the prisoner has himself indul
the hope and that even then he did not exf
the sentence to be executed. He is not u mar
he Ordinary intelligence is very Ignorant and can
ny read. He is not, however, an idiot, and 10 ans
\! to our question, said he knew the deed In WI
IN he had participated was wrong. He also adj
N ted that he knew the penalty was death, but :
IRE scquently modified the statement and said he
ed not know II "was a hanging matter" until
90 before yesterday. The whole interview went
,at to convince us that he man is not so stupid al
ha seems.
no 10 The gallows was ereced yesterday. 1t
oo structure l6 feet gh and somewhat wider
ns, usual to adm. OF tae double execution.
1k. platform and drop on which the prisoners 81
ing Is 6 feet from the top of the gallows and s
for feet from the ground The drop is held In p
of by rope which passes over the top of the
VI lows and is tied TO one OF the posts. The Sh
I'm Nm cuts.ths rope with batchet, the drop falls.
"s the men fall about five feet and remain suspel
until dead.
nod TO-DA Y-THE EXECUTION.
led All expectation Of a reprieve was abard
lay last night, and the prisoners went to bed wit
fnl certainty OF death to-dny.
aie On opening their cell this morning the
| fnund than hnth auaka .Tnnre said ha ha1