The New York herald., 1871-03-11
Execution OF John Thomas, the
Mulatto Murderer.
History OF His Crime aMl lbs
EXpiasi0n.
The Eve Of paa'hA Night With The Condemned
Murderer in the Tonbz-An Antc-Mor;em
''Waks"-Pgepa,i fer tho Grave
Sights end scsnes e the Gallow,.


the ceiling vas low ana the walls were massive
anu adamant 4 gas cf blazel hercely through the
iron bars. ana the light from IL fell in ianeu eddes
on the well polished pine foor and shone ft-
iully on the heads eI half dozen men
who sat in chairs cooked back their heels and knees
well eeYatea after tie aboriginal American custom.
The outer door of The Tombs was swuag o7cn, ana
as the light burned unseadiy and rose ana ie SOFT
breeZes of an evening that bore the oaorS OF tie oo-
ing spring came through The door ana mingled with
odors OF the cigags smoked by the SIX deputy sher-
lis, who we're nearly all dressed alike.
Gossip ran nigh among these men about the com.
ing execution. A mulatto, known lor q bler period
IA The docket OF Oyer and Temlner ~ John Thomas,
was 20 be Ganged from beam 70 the inner court OF
Inc prison, Ike ans vasyran do, after tie break OF
The next CAV.
..Do you think lie is a pad man -Ihomasf ~ asked
a deputy sheriff CT corpulent habits, from the
Rhine, who held hrge iron key 10 Ills lst
NO, don't think so,n answered another lat
man, a blond 0. tho blonds.
.'Do you think there's woman in it?' asked
deputy sncr!s, whose speech hatosencd his transla
ton iTom the Island OF Saints.
''Gi course there Is. There alters s,r said tie
blonde keeper Of the prison. ii WY that admitted
Of no further dispute.
''Shust what say. i told you so' added the
deputy sheriff from over the Rhine.
"Ae's seen great deaf OF lie, tell you, boys.
HE'S EEAN EVERYWHERE,
he has-au over the Worldn said The hcshy blond
10 his auditors.
.Wot was he at first? the .dark'n asked the
aeputy sheriff witch The slight German accent.
why, he was COOK, ana a square cook too,n
answered the blonde.
All of Us, including the HERALD wliter, who Yves
present, tooG fresh pun at our cigars. and the
btn ia usl9a ct,-c
anecdoial position From without, in the street,
came the same faint, balmy odor and the hum of
voices, ana the Jingle Of the bells around the necSs
of the orlorn horses dragging the street cars,
listened TO tnis ssory.teller, who had spent good
part OF his lite inside prison walls as assistant
lailor or keeper.
sYou see,' said he, With fresh Whit OF his cigar
'John Thomas Is pretty square man. Why, every
talks Wei OF hini-eyerybody that's been 10 see
him.
SUPPOSE HE Is 4 NIGGERa
What then He went 10 The other side irop Frisco
to Aspnwall on The steamers He was In every
part Of the worlu--ln India, in Europe, and he's
seen all Kinds OF iifen
Experience is better than book learning said a
fourth person
That's very true. knowledge OF hooks is very
good SO far goes; but 1t does not learn you tho
realities OF lilen said keeper, with gray hair and
whiskers.
.'Did you ever 90 fishing with Billy Beard down L
Staten IslandY" asked the deputy from Rhiueland
"He's pretty hard crowd If you go with hin
a-shing you've got TO go for weeks tuat's ALL
''Wel, i was sayin'r repeated the blonde
'nobody knows Thomas az well rs do. Lord you
oughter see him walkin' up and down the Row,
taiin 10 me FOR the last three weeks. Ana they say
ir's ALL ABOUT Az UMBRELLA.
Why, that's all nonsense. tell you that there was
woman in II, boy"
'Shust what l sad: told you so" added the
deputy from over the Rhine.
"Why. it's clear, Isn't it9 Here's Thomas been
away 30 long and comes back and fnds his wife
living with another man. Eow, what would you or
do in such a caseE'
Put head on him. suggested a friendly deputy.
81 tell You, after all, boys, mans got his fine
feelings, even If he's black In the iace.i
''shust what say; always said so,r repeated
the Rhinisi deputy.
s.Then could tell from the way that the man be.
hayed ior the last three weeks that lie didn't like
his wife. Why, when he bid her goodby this after.
about i've O'Clock he was just as cold as ice;
he says "goodby," quite cool IKE, but when he
parted with his ittle gal, boys that just enough
ned like 10 cat her up with love, &c lond Of
her.
'Irs shust as said. always said so. l knew
there was woman in the case. always said so,''
addei the Rhineand deputy.
.'lt's putty nard thing to see man hanged,
an't IT, boys.r said fresh deputy.
al never seed wun wonst that it didn't make me
SICK. I'm natooraliy softhearted.r added a vis,'er
'sOh, cheese tnat won't ye that's no good,
aughiDgy said one.
ais that the way that you talk TO me y said tn
person who had seen asked to "cheese H.
''Why, don't you know that Billy brushes agains
Coburn every day. inquired another man.
$50 I've heard ten. Seyenty-fye 10 hundre
mat Joe wins the 1ght.n
ION, that's no good. Jem Mace is nice man,
tell youn chimed another Of the watchers.
"He s good man.
"And he fights game.u
"And there's no use OF talking about Joe geatin
the money, whether he wins or not,' replied
fourth person.
"Ihats played out. / rise TO explain added
0lan who kept large liquor store.
There's big dog in the yard, Pm told''
"Yes; mad to lead him all round 10 gel him
catch raj yesterday. and when he nosed the "a
lie yelled for mercy
"fine dog that spoke up the Miesian deputy
with deep grin.
And thus goes the cheerful gossip and converse
tion during this
ANTENoETEM WAKE,
as | must call 1t.
There Is for an instant harsh grating oil bolt
and bars, and as The huge key IL turned In e loci
q head is protruded from cavity In the wall an,
voice says
.'You can all come in now If YOU want 20 see III,
prisoner. Father Dnranquet is through with hin
for q little While, and he Is alone;
We all rise rom our chairs and sudden husl
seems TO iaii upon the party who had lust ueen in
du glng In their pleasantrics. few stems trOuu n
narrow passage, cropping against bare aalDu
walls that make NE shudder as brush by Them u,t
In single ME we cnttr the quadrangle OF the Cia,
Prison. The moon shines down pacly on the nake5
stone blocks OF the prison court yard and MI
around US rise the massive walls that stand seem
ingly as bulwarks against The poor wretches oageC
within their cells Before and above us Is he Bridge
vi SIyhs, II has been called, ana further oacl
looms up tic fresh pine barriers OF the seafold; III
galows beam. standing forth like an eXhume.
corpse mute as doom iself, yet withsi ii has Sian
many strong and healthy men in lis brief 6ftee,
years or existence. since first the carpenter cut an,
rsned Its rough joints. The tree Iroll Which
THAT GALLONS