New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-10-14
THE GALLONS.

STATE PRIeoN-AR UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT
TO COMMIT SUICIDE YESTERDAY MORNING
HE MEETS HIS DEATH WITH PRIMES
SKETCH OF THE MURDERERs CAREER.
HARTFORD, Conn.,, Oct. 18.-David Kentley
alas James Wilson hung in Hartford County jail t
lso M, to-day, Cor the murder Of warden Willard OF
Connecticut State Prison He attempted suicide aoout
O'clock this morning, by endeavOnSE to pape'ure ni'
heart with piece Of wire which he had secreeo~ ep
hs pereon. In consequence Of HIS weakness 'np "O"
ing there effort made 70 procure "~y VI PiO
oeedinga but II failed when the hour for executon vi
rived however he vailed firmly upon the scaGold, ana
made short speech in which he said ne hAo atempoo
% escape the ignominy Of the seafold he Jusunoo m
act m killing Warden willard, and hnaiy put INC V
over his own neck and met his fate without nihohns'
The execution private, only the count! Noun,en
err and other officials committee OF Is cftisens iee'ed
A i,nase. and the reporters for the pres being pree
~nt he wa pronounced dead In IL minutes after the
49, tan A most mortem examination discovered the
wire IN his body, with which be attempted suicide
,lAop vas convicted in 1857 OF breaking into the dry
s,.nds store of Brown Thomson Co, IN this city,
N company with Poster, alias Retsof and OF
e4eafne about d 600 worth Of siks They also stole
horse ON Asylum Hill and drove to Berlin where they
hid Of the stolen property In an Clubhouse and were
about taking train at Meriden for NewYork when OH
Gers arrested them The horse which they stole was very
slow and they missed the night road they did not
reach Meriden in time to hit the early morning train
which would have taken them safely to NewYork prob
ably without detection. Wilson always attributed his
arrest the horse and when It's after his arrest
said In an excited manner, "We've got you now, and
will punish you You deserve" he replied, $50 you
will, but any who such id fool Of horse
ought himself to 70 State Prison for ten years" There
had hecn other burglanes In Berlin, Pfanvie, and Mid
dctOwn short time before and was soon ascertained
that Wilson and his associate had committed them.
After their trial for the Brow homson burglary Wilson
prosecuted for the other thefs here was no proof
against RetsoO and sentenced for the whole to 10
years imprisonment. Rtsos term was seven years
Wilson made several attempts to escape aud would
probably have succeeded had not his feet both been am
puated several years before leaving only the heels
The artificial ball furnished by stiff sOles would not give
him any chance Of escape II pursued During Ills trial
here which he conducted himself be exhibited his feet
70 the Jury and pointing 10 the Prosecuting Attorney
said Gentlemen Of the jury, while he tthe attorney
at home slipping sherrycobbers was on the bloody
neld of Getty sburg, and Rebel shot gave these
wounds" The fact that he had frozen his feet while
escaping from the Michigan State Prison. While
his feet we're perfect he was one OF the
most expert jail-breskers in the country. He
escaped from the Ohio State Prison. from Sing Sing from
the HewJersey prison. aud occasion, when taken
from the Ludow-st Jail, Eew-York into Court, walked
Of the Courtroom in the easiest possible manner and
got away without detection He got away from the New
Jersey prison. he said, because they appeared to
think there that he id fool" and to convince
them that such was NOT the case he broke out He broke
20 make himself suit Of clothes and taking shears,
needles and thread went to the woods and sOon put
Being about 60 wears of age and knowing his sentence
the prison with the purpose undoubtedly, OF doing
reckless thing His attempts at escape were 6aed and
he became suen. SIX months or so before he Killed the
Warden Mr.. Dorsey Of Rhode Island, "the prisoners
prisoners and for the first time In the history OF the
PRISON the convics let out the yard and allowed
nne, letting these men out and feeding them
berries and icecresm he said TO VS.
aud feed them Sinking Tomorrow and he dwelt
much the fare that it'was easy to zee that
every prison that have been in, except this one, tue
directors either snSl or together visit the prisoner
and learn from them there is anything In the manage
come. unless the Warden with to hear all that is
Baid and prisoner Is afraid to make complaint Tor the
compain Of the food furnished here but how can do
Ui send for the Warden aud tell him that want to
any word 70 tIem that yon have to send.'
. ss 10 h% FEEDING the T pr:one here
blinking meat do you think be will take the mesa &c
made no threats As to the quality Of food furnished
there is difference OF opinion to this day; Wilson
but it was ruled out. When this decision was an
Dounced Wilson didn't 60 any further with his case and
guilty, and the Court asked him he had anything to
say he replied that he had rather suffer death on the
scaOd than spend life Of horror in the prison ut Weth
The murder Of the Warden was committed on Sunday.
wilson Icing lame was allowed the Of his cane in
mis- cell In some unknown way he secured possession Of
. shoeknlfe, which he ground down 80 as 10 make IL
cane and made II fast with the fertile he had
state in his CELL and tlas he wrote that he wanted to
acc the Warden and hung 1t utside. When the Warden
came TO cell he stabbed him with the cane without
From DAY Wilson has never expressed word OF re-
Rrt the contrary has ever Insisted that ne 0la
tc crime that he had GGmmdt9a nto nOs
fnInaies Of the prison; that he could not reach
4ne directors to make complaint OF the iTeaten u
slcts bat by killing the Warden he Woud nave al olpr
auUity his trial Of presenting al the laCts auu ne
srs OF tine state would thus the necessity OF re-
4u III and Legislature would corrtct eXlstng aDustS'
Die went INTO Court fortined WIN oorfooor~nng h
aud goldfish that he had saved from his morning inca
and would have exhibited IT. the oncers, on
ther int the mysteries Of LIS shoes discovered shoe
knife carefully LAID between the leather OF the sole OF
S6s Il prison he made two attempt. to .tarye 4 BIN
said, that he got new that could net have
been born Of full stomach" The second attempt was
tea vas injected through tube passing from hs mouth
into his stomach He put in straight jacket, and
spt tine ORs5dsR S be s ga q
again befDre give In" But che second time he cot
Of and SrS % Ss " % u ss r
"a SUNDAY the day before he WA brought e the JAIL
correspondent kad long interview with Finn Re feit
then that there wss some hope Of his Feteg 4staa Of
execution, though IT was adssperate one ne va very
whom be was tried, and accused thsm Of pestary in
record they made for the Supreme Qegrt Of
asserted that he never sought to justify the killing that
his testimony the treatment Of prisoners Wss 93er9o
Tnced thai bus claim Of seifdefense Was reasonable
they could md verdict OF mSnslaugnter inssesa q
he diverseS somewhat nom bis original claim thai q
killed Warden because OF the bad food furnAsneo,
"a fha ar6e md