The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1870-07-23

| Tile penalty OIL your QTcluiul CIltuo. Ai.'s
penalty is death, and may tho All-MercisIll
| and infinite God have mercy on your soul.
Mr.. Sheriff, you will take charge OF the
prisoner"
THE LAWS DELAY.
But now there was to bc seen an instance
OF the laws delay seldom witnessed in this
old Commonwealth. The case was taken
by his able counsel first to the Court of Ap-
| peals and then TO the United States District
and Circuit Courts, on pleas familiar TO the
public, until about one month ago Chlei
Justice Chase decided his sentence to- be
legal. In the mean time 1t had been neces-
sary 10 respite him twelve times.
iIis last was given by Governor Walker
twenty days ago, in order to have time to
inspect carefully tho evidence in the case.
Last week the Governor declined To grant q
communication Of sentence, which news was
received by Phillips with "Well, expect
cd as much" Shortly after he sent down
to borrowa pair Of scissors from the jailor
| TO trim his mollstache. Tie gave directions
TO whom his clothes should be sent, and at
tended to some other affairs, since when he
has been continually reading his Bible and
hymn. book, and the newspapers have kept
tho public fully advised of his demcanor i'll
| prison. . ..-... 8. =
| ... THE EVE OF TIE EXECUTION.
| On the night before his death, the pri-
soncr was visited by Rev. Mr.. Woodward,
of the Union Station Methodist church, and
some time was spent in religious converse
| ton. About 10 O'clock the minister shook
hands with the prisoner and left him. Hc
then lounccd about the room till about or
. o'clock, when he undreSsed himself and
went to bed. After lying few moments
he became quite restless, and arose and SIT
upon the side of the bed. Here he sat
awhile, and finally got UP and walked up
and down the floor for few moments, ana
then went to bed, and slept soundiy until 8
/ o'clock this morning. Al D O'Clock he
about the room. lie arG3o III few mo-
ments thereafter, stripped himself TO the
waist, washed himself, and Comhcd his hair.
He took considerable care in tho arrange
ment of his curls. After this he took his
Bible, opened 1t, and read u chapter. lie
showed no signs Of nervousness during this
time, but read with great coinposurc.
During a conversation with Mr.. Masr,l-
der, ono Of Captain Smiths deputies, he
asked when he, MIR. NJ, had heard from
home (Mr.M. resides near Short Pump, i'll
Iienrico, the birthplace of PhilIips). He
also inquired for Mr.. Spiller, who was the
chaplain of the regiment of which Phillips
was member during the war, and said he
hoped that that gentleman would have
called to zee him. lie had not, however,
sent for him, md seemed desirous of apollo
gizing for this neglect. "But," said he, &C
suppose if he had wanted to see me he
would have cOme."
About o'clock the guard took tho irons
off. During the time that the guard were
engaged in removing the irons Phillips was
remarkably quiet and composed, but made
no remark whatever.
Shortly after the removal Of the irons his
breakfast was brought in he sat quietly
down and alto with good appetite. lie
seemed cheerful as was possible under The
circumstances, but had scarcely anything to
gay. ...... ...a.,.. 49, .....
TIE DAY OF DEATH ...t;... .
dawned brightly, and hours before the time
fixed for the execution " large crowd col
lected in the neighborhood Of the Jail.
lining tho sidewalks and filling the several
yards of tho courthouse and Jail. 1t was
known that only those having tickets signed
; by the sheriff would be admitted into the
yard OF the old Jail, where tho execution
was to take place, but il required the most
strenuous efforts Oh the plrt OF large
squad Of police, under the command OF
Captain Tyler, to preserve the peace and
keep the mob lack. At ono time il heca,ne
necessary for the officers to llso their clubs,
and u free tight seemed imminent, Great
credit is due, however, to the police, IN
view of the fact that no serious disorder oc.
CURED. .......... .~..,a...
,, Fl ..... THE scAFFoLD. -.. .
: The scatfold was of plain pine, the plat.
form being about twelve feet from the
ground and about twelve feet square, with
Il trap-door in the centre about four feet
square. On q crOSs-beam about ten feet
above the platform was an iron hook, hal
M inch in diameter, from which WAS sus:
III h. Ca, latte 1ty,c
about eight feet long and quarter OF Al
Inch thick. 1t was mado for The purpose
about two years ago by Mr.. w. f.. Simons,
and cost six dollars. The yard III which
the gtllows was erected was thirty-liye feet
six inches deep by twenty-five feet wide.
WAITING. '''' -
About half-past II o'clock the members
of the press, and other persons having busi-
nessat the execution, were admitted into the
small quadrangle enclosed on one side by
the jail and on the others by the brick walls.
Some adventurous persons actually ma
naged TO climb upon the roof of the Jail, so
great was their nxiety to witness the scene
or death and one man got upon Il chimney
halra block distant i'll the vain hope Of get
ting view.
There was an hour yet before the time
designated by the sheriff for the execution,
! and the time mean while was spent by the
officers in testing the strength Of the rope,
adjusting the drop, greasing the bolts, DC. :;
while the coarse crowd, wearying Of look
Ing Mt tho scatfold and its surroundings, eX-
changed rude and cruel jcsts, and in many
ways manifested their impatiencc for the
performance to hegin. j.
Meanwhile, Rev. Drs. Jcter and DfckIn-
son had made their appearance, and enter
I ing the cell of the prisoner, We're engaged
in conversation with him until about /
o'clock, when the sheriff announced that
unless some reason was urged for delay he
would proceed at once to execute the SEN
tence Of the law. 'f.&''
| THE PATH TO THE GALLONS. ,.r
A few minutes later the police opened m
avenue through the crowd, the pondcrols
door of the Jail slowly opened, and the
convict made his appearance. lie was sup
ported on either side by Deputy Sheriff Ma
gruder and Deputy Sheriff Walsh, while the
clorgymen, whose presence on the occasion
rear, Sheriff Smith, Deputy Sheriff Chill
dress, and Mr.. G. w. Thomas {of prisoners
counseD, had already taken their places on
the scailOld. 5EEtEss,
Phillips was dressed In q coat of some
faded chock material, clean linen, black
doesliin pants, and s1ouch hat. He looked
fair, but not pale, his step was firm, and
although the eyes of the crowd were upon
him, and he was almost in the. immediatc
| presence of death, there was no falterinSor
trembling rs he assembled the gallows and
Talked across the platform to the chnir
which had been provided for him. -
AS soon rs he reached the scatlOld there
was a rush of the persons In the yard OF