The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1871-11-23

me alive to have the pleasure of killing mo ths
and am one of them. Let those people tbst
made such laws experiment on them themselves
for consider that they are the DEVILS laws and
let him get catched in his own tran / certsiniI,
would not allow any person that ever wishes to 70
to Heaven to throw themselves body and soul in
any such place as to be hanged by the neck for
God has said, "Hs that is hanged Is accursed Of
God, Denteronomy 2lst chapter, 23d verse. and
Galatians Sd chapter, 18th verse that's NV belief
read that before you say or think any more. /
am talking new on the RohlerS as well AZ the
Hunter insanity. But cannot dwell long on that
subject as am on my own object in view and
nope that my own friends and Christians win at
as early day as possible abolish all such unhu-
manity as trying to swing their fellow man into
heaven by rope, and then have the assurance to
say that that is in naecordanee with the law of God
God made man, and then he made the laws, but
he never made the laws 70 hang you or me so
therefore, you must not think but what you will
in my own conscience al this present minute OF
what am about 70 do, you are in your belief
for am acting IN accordance with the laws Of
God, while you are acting In accordance with the
laws OF humanity and barbarity, and you ought
to turn from your wretehed cruelty. no mater
what people may say to you about it. when you
that il / had been the last man aver conmit s1cb
a erime that you would give me clear but seeing
that was not, you said to that jury We must
make an example Of him. But, my Christian
professor, you are only making an example of
fore your God.
win now close by saying that all bitterness
and wrath and anger, aud clamor, and evil speak
ing be put away from, and all malice, and be you
r d..
one another, even as God has for Christ sake for
gave you Peace be to the brethren, and love,
sus Christ in sincerity. Now the Lord Of Peace
himself give you peace, always by ali means. The
Lerd be with you all and save my soul.
JOHN H. HUNTER.
Akron Jail, Summit county, o.
Mr.. EyERETr-I will now declare before my
Maker that to the best of my knowledge the
Sheriff A. CurtisS, is ignorant OF all this act OF
blame. thew have n Cl0qA N
me here, or / should have done this long ago, as
never intended TO die on the gallows. have
this jail and doubt whether it will ever be found
or not after, as it is small article. and invisible
JOHN H HUNTER
LAST HOURS.
He arose at ten, and was dressed by his
attendants. He wished to see "his girl, Z"
and Mrs, Curtiss, the .Sheriff's wife, and
also Rev. Mr. Cooley, his spiritual adviser.
At ten o'clock, Rev. Mr.. Cooley was aG-
mitted to the jail, and few minutes af-
ter the reporters of the press, though they
were refused admittance to the cell till
half-Past ten o'clock, at which time the
scaffold was ready. It was the same used
in the execution Of Davis, and was brought
from Cleveland some days before the day
appointed. The rope was the same with
which Davis was hung in Cleveland. At
seven o'clock Workmen began to put up
the scaffold in the southeast corner OF the
Jail in the corridor. A little after ten
Hunter drank cup of tea and q couple
of swallows of liquor. Aside from the
Sheriff and his assistant. reports from
Cleveland and one or two other places, his
physician and his spiritual advisers, there
were few others, in all about twenty
FIVE persons, who witnessed the execution.
An immense throng gathered about the
yard of the jail, but the morbid curiosity
seekers were kept out by strong police
force
a GLIMPSE OF THE CoEDEAENED.
The condemned man responded TO Rev
Mr.. Cooley in monosyllable, and with an
occasional groan, until perhaps II a. n
At that time | had the first chance to see
the man. He was sitting in his chair,
dressed in plain black clothes, with his
hand in the minister's, his head leaning
against the wall of the cell, with pillow
behind. The first words heard him say
were; ooh pray, pray, that the Lord
may take me :" he repeated, "a great trial,
great trial"
About ten minutes after eleven the
Sheriff shook hands with him, and asked
the minister how much more time he
wished, and was answered that five or ten
minutes would do. Hunters head began
to roll, and he appeared to be very much
shaken. he kept repeating to himself,
apparently at is hard, it ID hard" At
fifteen minutes after eleven he broke down
and cried and groaned and exclaimed, al
look 70 the Lord for mercy and peace"
A little later he said: well, well, ] sup
pose my time Is come, and 1 hope the Lord
will pardon all my sins" He said alt
is not right for me to die on the gallows.
look to God for forgiveness, and hope he
will forgive all who sought my. death I"
The minister then asked if he wished to
say anything on the scaffold, in reply to
which Hunter said MY mind Is fixed on
heaven"
THE MARCH TO IEATH.
At ll:20 Hunter sscended the scaffold,
walking between Sheriff Curtis and Rev
Mr. Cooley The brother of the Sheriff
followed with chair. Amid silence as
profound as the grave, and while the con-
demned man sat on a chair under the
beam, the Sheriff read the death-warrant.
At the conclusion of the reading, the
Sheriff asked the doomed man-who ap-
peared greatly affected-if he desired to
say anything To those present. Hunter
stood up with considerable frmness and
spoke as follows, his voice trembling so as
to render his words indistinet 2 short dis
taDce away:
GENTLEMEN am An innocent man,
dying for what I did not intend to do.
Forgive my sins and my enemies, and ]
hope that we may all meet in Heaven.
Hoping that all will pray that may be
forgiven, have no enmity against my
girl, Chloe, and hope the Lord will be with
her Have no confession to make about
my former life. 1 have committed no
depredations against any one Always
did to others as they did to me. 1 love
Mr. and Mrs, Gargett, and did as soon as
committed the deed. 1 forgive the wit
nesses who swore falsely against me.
hope the Lord will forgive my soul. (To
the Sheriff. (Give my respects TO your
wife, to my attorneys, and all my friends
All join nae in an earnest prayer and pray
for me"