The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1871-02-16
THE GALL0Ys.


ing hung on the same day in different parts
Of State, took place in Maryland. on Fri
day last A man named Howard was hung
near Cumberland for the murder of canal
boat Captain, named Miller The murder
was committed last summer on a canal boat
and the instrument employed, was what's called
spiker Howard finally confessed the crime,
but gave as reason that Miller had DETAINED
his mother, who had been dead over twenty
years, by calling him (Howard) s-n of q
b-h. The condemned was 90 years old, a
hardened criminal who had served several
terms in different prisons for capital offer ces
He protested religion, and said he "dicd 8
good man." Just before the fatal trap was
sprung, he addressed the immense concourse
about 4.O00-which had assembled to wit
ness his final taking off, warning them
against the evil of whiskey drinking. 1t
was rather remarkable fact however, that
he was almost beastly intoxicated while on
the gallows, and had to be held up by two of
the officers present. This is accounted for:
on the supposition, that at his request, some
spirits were given him previous to leaving
his cell, and that he took too much for the
weakened condition Of his system. At any
rate he passed from the galowssto the grand
assize of Heaven, in state of inebriation,
sporting with death as he was launched into
his jaws
Another gallows scene was at Frederick
city, and the victim, robust colored man
aged 81, named John Martin, and weighing
about $50 pounds. He suffered death for
the crime Of rape. 1t stands without par
allel for fendish brutality, and the perpetra-
tor should have been aaJed alive, instead OF
being permitted to pass away by the colnpar-
atively easy mode Of hanging. His victim
was Mrs. Butcher, aged 80 years, who was
lying in bed with her husband, who was 100
years old, in paralyzed condition, aud IN
able to render his feeble old wife aid in re-
sisting the brutal approaches of the negro
He, too, protested to have had his sins for
given, and was engaged in singing short
time previous to the execution of the SEN
tence, eve will walk through the Valley in
peace" Nov l am trusting, Lord, in Thee, D
"Thou Lamb Of Cavalry" Our faith in the
justice Of Heaven is somewhat staggered if
really the crime of this imp of the internal
regions was pardoned in his last moments
The illustration Of the efficacy Of the Re-
decmer's blood on the Cross, was given to a
thief. We do not think the economy Of
Heaven ever contemplated crime of such
monstrous hellishness as that committed by
this wretch, and do not believe the scheme
of salvation was every designed to embrace
such fends incarnate.
The third scaffold tableaux took place in
Prince George county Maryland. Mary
Willis, negro girl, about Is years of age,
murdered, by poison, a little son of A NJ.
Reed, of Washington city, IN July last. The
circumstances of the case may be briefly sta
ted: Mr.. Reed and his family were spend
ing the summer at the house of Mr.. Fabyan,
of that county, for whom Mary was the cook.
On the day of the murder, Mrs. Reed fed
her infant with some food which had been
prepared in the kitchen, partaking sparingly
of the same herself. Shortly afterwards the
mother and child wero both taken i'll, and be-
fore medical aid could arrive, the child ex-
pred lin commissions. DR.. Belt suspected
poison, from the symptoms Of the mother,
and, upon examination of portions Of the
food that remained, detected strychnine in
that Mary was then called, and, upon be-
ing questioned, acknowledged the crime, and
stated her object to have been to kill the
child's nurse, against whom she harbored
ill-feelng. The food and the child's stom
ach were afterwards submitted to the usual
chemical tests by DR.. Antisell, of Washing
ton, and the existence Of the poison fully es-
tablished