The New York herald., 1871-09-16
A GAlLOWS RESPITE.
BuckhOut ReSpited an Hour Before the
Time for Execution.
"A COOL AND COSTLY CRIMINAL.
"A Night of Agony and Depair-A
Brothers Curious Delay.
Story Of His Crime and TrialS-TwiCe Re.
spited-Tbrice Tried.


spited-Tbrice Tried.
easy to sentence, hard to hang" has become an
aphorlsm Of late, in regard to murderers which Is
receiving fresh corroboration every day. To the
tide which is setting In against capital punishment
OF all kinds this may be mainly attributed. The
various appeals, exceptions and wrts OF error are
only the expression Of this In practical form.
The apparently endless resources, however, of
the acute lawyer In this regard, like the fox's
400 tricks occasionally fail, and then the gallows
Creaks to another victim, the eye-foreye and
toon-for- tooth talk Of justice avenged and the
ed-human-soul and useful-human- body men
weep over mistaken civilization. To this latter
side Enthusiastically belongs
ISAAC VAN wART BUCKHOUT
to-day, although 1t seemed but the balance OF q
feather yesterday whether at this hour he would
now have any opinion worth considering on this
mundane sphere. He certainly expected within
the past twenty-four hours to have been
playing golden harp somewhere else by
this tlme Isaac Van WarG BuckhOut Is O
convicted murderer. The public has for the
past year and nine months been somewhat
accustomed to seeing the headings Of the "Sleepy
hollow Tragedy" the "Buckhout Butchery," &C., in
the daily papers, and yesterday 1t was thought by
the majority OF people that he would have been
changed by the neck until dead" so that they and
the papers and Westchester county would have been
done with him for good and all. He was not hanged
and Jack Reynolds OF murderous memory, may, to
certain extent, be looked on by his admirers as o
martyr to his phrase,
'HANGING's PLAYED OUT"
we have all read in our early days Of the
English novel heroes who, having mounted the
ga0ws' steps and taken their places on the trap
door, cast their last glance tas they thought upon
the land they loved, when 10 'the figure OF q
hOrseman mounted Oh o galloping, foam covered
eteed, Is seen approaching He Is waving some
thing in his hand, and the clatter OF his horses
hO0ls ring out on the stones OF the market place
one loud. long cry goes forth,
AREPRIEvEl A PARDON SAVED, sAvRDp"
The gallant dashlng friend Of the mythic past has
given place to the cool, energetic lawyer OF the
present. and things OF this kind work with less wear
less yet possible to get up sensation on o ganows
respite, as will hereinafter be seen.
On New Years Day, 1870, an Old gentleman named
Alfred Kendall, who lived at Sleepy Hollow, pro-
posed to his Charles that tney should 60 over to
sec neIghbor Buckhout, who was reported to be in
bad spirits, and 'cheer him up litte.n The young
man consented, and
FATHER AND SON ENTERED
their neighbours house, and, after much welcoming
and wishing many happy new years, they were In.
vited to Sit down and take glass OF cider. Buck
hout went out to bring the cider. His wife, good
respected woman, was IN another room, busied
about her household cares which, together with her
mental ones, were manifold, owing to the
moody nature, idle habits and general Iooscness
OF her husbands character. When Buckhout entered
he had q double barrelled shot gun in his hands,
and grim, ferocious look In his gtterinG eyes.
Without ono word he
LEvELLBD THE PIECE AT THE SON,
and lodged the contents OF one barrel IN his face
and head. The young man fell senseess 10 the
noor and some short time after Buckhout met o
friend, to whom he said that he had had quarrel
with Rendall that there was trouble, and that he
wished to deliver himself up lest the neighpors
should lynch him. Grave trouble, surely The
sight when met the eyes Of woman who was at
tracted by the firing to the house was such even
BucKho9t would not care care to see work OF MS nend.
the noOr in q welter of blood. the son was found
to be breathing, but bleeding fearfuly also,
battered corpse Of Louisa Bucknout was found
prone upon the noor. Trouble The shotgun was
covered with human brains. To say that every frac-
ture OF that instrument was represented by
A DENT, FRACTURE OR A CASH
upon the head OF the lifeless woman will be enough
Of horror now 10 state. Everywhere that terrified
h0ut was lodged In White Plains JAN and slammed
madness OF the moody nature. ChlOrOform was ad.
and vigorous struggles and on Recovering from the
consequent coma he burted out good deal that
tntmated cause Tor the crime, but nothing that
meant lunacy. His w1le, he said, had been false to
him
HIS nL-UsEp WIFE,
who had borne with MS marital falsity as only q
women DO not believe in this very Christian patience
with husbands llbertinism. Unfounded jealousy
eome SAID. even his counsel; trap to murder all
nres eo Of ~, his victims tin on and get woman
those who knew Buckhouts unpromising past The
criminal thenceforward gave up insanity. Mean
Sy came to nse ene mornns Snd T' his rst
question was for his father Poor boy, ne did not
nat any other being M nan se 6aa incurred n
dali
RECOVERED WITH THE LOSS OF ONE EYE
and was the strongest evidence against the mur.
derer In March Of 1870 he was brought to trial at
the Court OF Oyer and Termlner, Justice Tappen
cause they couia % not agree M S % I Verdict srea.
relief to Buckhout who lay in jail full Of hope until
Justice Joseph F. Barnard. The inguisIion lasted
time smaller chance for Buckhout eleven standing
for conviction and one for letting him loose again.
Mr.. Francis Larkin, and costly one for the county,
represented by the District Attorney and also Henry
on the 9Th OF july and dragged It's thrice told story
on until the 18TH, when twelve OF his fellow citizens
GUILTY OF MURDER IN THE FIRST DEGREE,
and recommended him to mercy. Sentence OF
death was passed. and the first day OF the present
month was selected for senuing him anywhere Ou
Of the wOrldr few days before t1is date q HER
AID reporter found him hopeful still, but apparently
nrm In face Of impending doom, with
religious trust expressed IN his tone
anu face. But MS time had MOI
yet come. Governor HOFFMAN, moved by the argu
ments OF Mr.. Francis Larkin, the counsel, and the
eDtrcaties OF the friend OF his youth, Buckhouvs
brother, granted
RESPITE OF FOURTEEN DAYS
that II might uc known, once for all, whether Buck
hout was mad or not. Mad he was not, the exam
MI Governor declared
that the law should take its course. SO II did; Du
law has many paths and to Justice Pratt, of th'
Supreme Court Mr.. Larkin applied for writ Q
error, backed by q long bill OF exceptions. OF
Thursday last the District Attorney, j. o. Dykeman
camo down from White Plains TO Brooklyn, and II
the Judges Chambers he and Larktn argued tn
case. Judge Pratt was In doubt lie would
TELEGRAPH TO GOVERNOR HOFFMAN
and ask i've days. respite that he might conade
the question.
The Governor had been at White Plains in th
morning to make plough speech at the Agricultura