, 1870-08-01
TIE GALLOWs,
Hanging OF Joseph Myers nj Shc2-
hyvt1le, lfs.-StatcIurnt OF the 1Iur-
dcrCr-fnsenkc Excitement - kis-
Ernccf1t1 Scenes.

u
graceful Scenes.
Ffv1a The st. Louis Republican, July 50,
Jofenh Mycre, ycrtcssaar, suffered tho e1-
trcrae penalty OF the 1.w at Shelbsv,lle, Shell
l,y County, Ill. for the murder OF pts.siho
Calhoun. At Deck's Creek, fifteen miles from
*Shelbxvile. and in the southwestern part OF
Slielly County.
The Illinois Central llailroad Company aud
several land ow1lern owned \ considerable
tract OF land near the creek, and large gum
titles Of timber had hecn stolen from il, The
c~ncsr employed Calhoun 10 watch it, and he
succeeded III 4 great measure in putting a
ttn;, to the thcvilss l.y taking legal measures
asain-t the dcrrctators. Calhoun resided thers
On farm with hiH family. consisting OF 4
nife and three cl,ildron. lie was an Old man.
bus riroas a:'a v'Soro:ss. Ills visilance awak-
eard the ertniiy Of Anme parties and it was
determined 10 notify him that he must lsave
the refEhborhs.o1. Tsiu was iu March. IB,tJ.
n fex DAYS After Ills Calhoun met Tfit;u
tiEasa. farmer Is scars old, aui charged him
with Icing one Ut tl.ess parties. Ther ou,r-
relied and came to !'loss, aud shs upshot OF it
WAS thai Calhoun shot Grass in the arm. ii.
tIictine, however. un1y ncall wound. Tius
did not by anE ucasa lcsa sn the fculiug against
Calhoun. William G'ass. q sou, and joseph
Myers, son.iu-law Of Ilihp Grass, md one
or two otllcrs. hh con utatioa at Myc=s'
project WAS fos,n~,I asainet him. This was to
draw him out by burning building aud
shoot him. II Ma sot'a PIT into e1ecu.
tlon. Joseph Myen, Samuel Moore.
Wiliam Gran-, a:nl Hubbard Holder. With
four or Eve others, who are unknowp.
made up the attacking 1,nrty. The elder G.sss
was not in it, being euutincsi to bed, On the
1'ieht u tho llti OF .ap.il iL.. parts went to
he Calhoun llAce and ret :itr to fr3mo
.1h!d:rE used At stable, which VT. Allont
s!.ty yards from the innse. They weEe ar,nod
viii. sl,o!-;,ltr at4! r,:vnlvers. Will, Myers had
ft-ii, 4,ft. nil IL
To its not ilarin. 2n.cl we'll l.nltei and rain
failing. I1ls y.aTty "ittIteN without taking
aty o.itr Elfa-afr~. Atti MGht to ths farm Of ;
,.cf,ro named James tanel., about quarter OF
t,1lo distant. Several honts After-on the
1911, OF April tlev returned to Call,oun's
farm and raw that the bnildias WAS in blaze.
CALHOUN waa in 1lissf11 Ignorance Of The Arson,
ard son Of bunch WAS sent to wake him and
inform him that Lin ln,ilding WIS burning, He
then came out to cxtingui.h tho fire. While
lle --.s employed, the party laid in anbu,l,
behind some trees, arparentiy awziting an op-
tottun,ty to despatch him. Myers wzs the
iirrt Who fired. His shot took effect, and 1
frllet entered the body u the unfortunate
rlau. The other members OF the patty fred
Immediately after Myers. Calhoun fell to the
r.ound with two balls in him, and expirad i'm
medihtc1y. There Wa> tile usual Coroner'H i1l-
ouett, but it failed To cll:1t anything Of dat1-
nitc chnracte1 al 10 the criminals,
Time rolled un, and the ulut:.crcrA were not
discovered Int thero we're TOO many to kaap
their own council; for, just AS the outrage
who committed 1t begin TO speak lightly Of il,
and drop remarks as to the1r own acts. This
t.eclme matter OF public notoriety, and the
Eoard Of Supervisor. two years after the tnur-
der, offered a reward OF $50 each for the c1p-
iUTc Of the mnI3crer1.
William Grass, J.,saph 4Iyera, Philip Grass,
Hubbard Holder, and Samuel Myers werc at
tc>tet1 in March, Myers bal been 1iviug in
SCOT County, Missouri, and had returned to
I:cck's Creek. not experimenting any danger
::tnsc was allowed to tusn States evideuca.
The tlial Of tho acctirtsl commenced at tho
t'itcrit Court Of Slelt.vsitier tsefote Judge 4.
J. Gallagher. Oh tic :..1d u June last. Il was
re Of the ntltt imp0r1aut tri1lr wiic., ia.
ieen held in tho town. The circumstance.
which attended tie outrage. and the fact Of
ecvc.sl parties cing we'll known III tho Town,
Invested il with peculiar interest. The array
IT legal talent was formidable. Hon. =. ".
MoNlton- George II. Gh1Mec. aud ". H.
1E01n1.son, State Attorney. prosecuted. s'li1e
Judge lhorp'on, 4. T. Hall. Hun. Il. i. Wcnd'
ling, and John Il Eden defended
The pr1neiint part of tl,e testimony WAS that
given by Moore. ar S'&sc'- c.t1sBcc. This
wtue+s testified that lse ult.i Ju1.l IIyers atll
William Gtsss At tho l.ou e or the former, and
Holder at the hou-c II sir. Wo.l4rd. OH t1is
sundav before the killing. t;Eass and
astn e'. him ' to e s jim ,:anets: s4; ri,epe Teas
PARTIES we're present when the l,',1,ae wa, het
on 1ir.. They fuu,1 it lid na1 bae,l, aud
wen. away, euins l'at's IL l:t1scl', next morn
ing. They went ,!0Hit to within about s0raFlt
Of the place anil ll1lsHr sud M:csss shot Al
him, Myerh slint with ! ti:lc, anil Holder. hc
thought, three times. llo llcarl Calhoun SAY
'..Oll Lord tscsl -yDnr snnis." MYERS frs
talked atput the matter Of firing tlta hoase.
Evidence was given tn-'n,w t!at Pi1il,l, e;ras
was MI Accessory to tlt nurt1ct.
fvTx ~ f,rft Il,
tlt al Of coruiNratise evidence was a.l1ucod
The dcfetnfausa claiu1cd that tho hhootia;; .
Calhoun was si,nc il. self-dcfenee, but this wa
al surl enough on ite face.
Able szsun,c,,ts we're n,nds by cnr,nAei. Tht
evidence was t!amn,uE, hut it took q consider
allie time for the jury to ti1 Tie degrees d
Euilt Of the PARTIES They reliEei at live
ociock in the afternoon, and reported tlef
verdict At ten the fnlI"Minl; morning
Tie effect of tEcir finding was That Myert
and Holder were sentenced to suffer the OF
tScTe reNAMS Of tbs law Oh tho a9t!i Of Jul.
Philip Grass to Imprisonment in the Ieni
tentiary for life. and William Grass TO twelt,
years imprisonment.
There was evidence given ilnring the tria
which Appeared tn warrant the arrest OF a maj
t"dy on charge Of szson- Ills trial has no
get come on There re indictments sGains
tour OF tive other parties, bnt these haye no
lenN arrested.
A r,oi4. 1,ruxYai was entered III the caso O
More. i'll consideration Of iis having tlrue
After Philip and William Grass hal been re
moved to Joliet, there wcre left in tho Count
Jail Myers and Holder Do,h tAeao benentte
l,y the ministrations Of Kcv. ". H. Stesdna-
l:artis. minister. Myers raao confession
.t,nli,tiug tllAt he rhos Calhonu. bnt forme
tho llea III self-lcfcucc. Tho locumont VS.
,nale aY in pirt bs recital OF his Ss.erance
ngsiutt Calhoun. wli'l, we're such AZ two gu.
rclsonc farmers residing ucar each otht
nsish. he supposed 'c have. lie Fcfc-rGd \
the vitit II tho p1Ett-e to his Aonre. aid +
Writ to l,unchs aftrr tf!ey found that tho fl
would not lurn. lio raid that he took deii
eEate aim at Calhoun ARD slaot. aud tAat ait
that he saw lin comneucH to fall lie haa1
tue deceased ray. 'd-n thcm. ther have sl
Eae dead" 1ln1arr rl,at sl,reo times aftc
Wil.i,,n Graes three. aud Samuel 3EonEe tw
lie believed that l.ls life aud the life Of b
family we're III danger
Eulcr male q statement that he sliot h
revolver aitl ainletl st i tree. which tho 9th.
did also. lie thought they only wauied
eca.c him.
Final preparations for the execution we
nla,ie several days ago by sIcriH Moore.
Ekllows. constructed II light tin,l.css, with tt
t1rup about revcn feet from the gronnd. ".
erected It tho ride Of tho Jail. aud was .
!sosrle1 in except the top. Tho trap do
WAS mado larre enough for tl.e descent
two nlrn 1t Ore time, and it occupied tho spa
OF half the platform. 1t was worked hy
1eyer.
lmn,e,liatc'r after the sentencing OF Myc
aud lIn1cr, their attorncvs, who have be-
t;uccssinE in Efforts in their bshalf, sought
nltain Communication of the sentence to irupT
t.r.str rt far life. Letters were forwarded
Governor ra1mer by Colonel Kirk, Gene
l.oEat,, Jnlee Thornton, Judge Gallagher, c
crcl Harris and other Residents in the coun
representing there to be Cases wf,crc lie cot
fitly exercise his clcnencv. \ comulutatl
Nb- asked for llnlrr by some on tie grn,1
that he Lad fought fer hi+ country, while O
crs asked for Communication on tho gene
i;A.,ansa that hanging was OPPOSED to the sri
the l-1tef-, and on Wedncsl lay, Mr. WEI
l,n: went to Springfield to solicit I
i ard action of the Governor,
e.ts-c...l with him several hours. a
c.r.e aWay with netsc. to tic Sheriff that
wou'd commute the sentence of.liolder. $
clhl derpatriles were sent 10 him in behalf
the ftniaininE nlcH III tho Jail. On Thnrsd
In reply 10 them he rent the following:
~ ths fermentation 10 ,nsi's t. m mc asetEne.
'A'''e' ''e'' 'e'e ~ '''e s.JSo &. r.1xkK.
The ci.:zcnA we're considerably excisc'l at
t.iss oei:ion q Holder; case br the Cover
az: cia,nore! against linn and the defenaaz
ai,n,nrsr. 81 nl,,c!, go tl.t the latter sc1io
!. ;!H,ish, Of leaving tho town in anticipat
ii ns,1,-
The tlcmeanor Of these two mea wl1ile G
ti1..d in jail ias been exemplary. peaceful .
1;.ict, and m .EGed t,t every snb1nisslon to
jai!ur- Holder, a;l-f having lus sentence c'
mnted IN "Wednesday evening. ~as taken
Jcilrt tho same night, 10 ranlova him oui
via, might otherwise hare come nuier
j..1ie<.icsiou Of Judge Lynch. He had hci
rr;r..seL himself prepared to .ucc. ds..!a ,
l.Y:n.,cr. He went awar, though, from tlea
do. rejoicing. lie has wife AMI Child
ate uni r.,vided for.
sfrars Hid mt a1rtear TO be bad llof