Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1870-09-08
The suspended Execution ut EIIsron..

LATE ARRIVAL. OF THE EsPrTE-PREPARATIoNs FOR
TIE HANGING ALL MADE--THE PRISONER A Ma
TIVE OF NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. SKETCH OF HIS
LIFE AND THE CRIsIE.
The COMMERCIAL was briefly advised by tele-
graph on Friday, that George Harris who was on
that day to have been hung, at Elkton, for the
murder of Alexander Russum, had been respited
after all preparations for his execution had been
made, and the hour appointed for his death had
almost arrived. The Elkton papers of Saturday
come 10 iis with full reports of the affair.
The Democrat gives lengthy history of the
commission of the crime and the arrest of Har-
ris and lis accomplice, their trial and con-
viction, together with an interesting personal
sketch of Harris, from which we gather the fol-
lowing:
George Harris was born in Delaware, in this
New Castle) county, near Blackbird, about the
wear 1927 Although he is therefore about 43
wears of age, and has lived dissolute life, he
does not appear to be over thirty-fve. While
mere boy he removed to Bohemia ferry, kept by
his brother John, which was afterwards the rem
devious of the infamous gang Of cutthroats, who
perpetrated the famous Cosden murder, twenty
wears ago. Immediately after that event he dis
appeared from the neighborhood, and was
gone several years. 1t was at the time suspect
ed that he knew more of that bloody affair than
he cared to tell. After his return to the county
his residence aternated between Elkton and
Back Greek, and he was employed as farm
laborer and hostler until about month before
the murder, when he commenced keeping a low
groggeiy at Buck Creek. Though for long
| time regarded AZ desperate and suspicious
| character he had never been arraigned before a
| Court of Justice until his late trial. His accom-
| plice in crime was his nephew, Ben Thompson,
| alias Ben Bolt, aged about thirty, vicious and
ruilianly half-witted fellow, who was once before
tried for murder, escaping on mere techmcality.
| The VICTIM Russum, was shiftless drunken
character, but not violent, against whom Harris
| for some reason conceived bitter hatred, and
who, after repeated threats, that he would muir
| der he did with the assistance of Ben Bolt saw
agely attack and stab to the heart in front of his
| CHarrisD own groggery. The two men were in
| dicted and arraigned before the Cecil Court, and
at their own request their cases were transferred
to the Hartford County Court, where, after. a
protracted trial, Bolt WIS convicted of murder
| in the second degree and sentenced to eighteen
| wears imprisonment, and Harris of murder Ill the
| first degree and sentenced to be hung.
| Last Friday (Sept y was fixed for the day of
| his execution. and the Governor resolutely re-
fused to interfere until almost the last moment,
| when on Thursday last, he, at the urgent soci-
tation of the prisoners counsel, respited him
| until the 25th inst.
Concerning the procuring of the respite and
its reception in Elkton W. copy the following
interesting account from the Cecil Wing -,
1.-THE respite was procured by Messrs. Alex
Evans, II. Mccullough and Albert Constable
who waited on the Governor on Thursday, ant
procured the reprievc. They did not reach tow
till half past one o'clock on Friday morning, ant
| retired to bed without notifying the Sheriff. Ii
the meantime the Sheriff proceeded with thu
work of putting up the scaifold, which wa
erected on the Almshouse property, and othe
preliminary arrangements.
1.-THE posse summoned to act as mlitar,
guard at the execution. began to assemble at al
early hour, and by 8 o'clock the town was aliv'
with strangers and the excitement increasing
every moment. The report was in circulation
that = ''reprieve' had been secured. and thi
added food to the flame, il possible. The Sherii
was beset with innumerable inquiries to know
the report had any foundation in truth, and a
steadily replied that he had not been notified t
suspend preparations. The hour for starting t
: the place selected for the execution was fixed a
10 o'clock, A. NJ, the warrant ordering that
| should take place before O'clock p. NJ, Whe
the time had almost arrived, the excitemen
every moment increasing, Mr.. Mccullough ser
! to MIR. Con stable, who had the reprieve in HI
possession, and who had not yet aroused fror
his morning Sunderland presented 1t to til
Sheriff. who read il to the condemned man.
.He received the intelligence with seemin
Indifference, and without word. The greate'
9 disappointment seemed to have been experience
=. by the hungry crowd who by this time had &C
3 its blood warmed up, and had begun to thir'
$ for the feast of human blood that it was app
j. rently eager to shed. The every movement {
) that crowd was commentary on the deal
= penalty 1t looked as if some Of it would as soc
y commit crime as not to have the excitement i
i creased. In place of hanging proving terro
o the prospect Of the scene served as jublle
The very prospect of deliberate killing brn
r out all Of hell that is in the human heart.
II .. But the bit of romance OF retaining the I
% prieve after it had been procured till the prepa
,f ations for execution had been almost complete
4 in place of making it known at the earliest pc
10 sible moment, might have passed for roman
a. in the middle ages, but the romance of t
\ present day is of a milder type, and has moro
iy charity more of love in it"
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