Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1871-01-27
Execution OF Henry welcome.
ms coNFEssIoN Axp LAsr HOURS.

the murder of Perry Russell on the night
of Oct. 8, 1868, took place at the State
Prison in Windsor on Friday last. Some
three months ago he made full confess
sion of the murder, which correspondent
very nearly to the evidence brought out
at his trial. In that confession, as he
was approaching RusselFs house Satur-
day afternoon, of the murder, he says
| went back of the ledge through the
meadow until came to Mr.. Perry Rus
sells; saw Mr.. Perry Russell and Mr.
Mitchell digging potatoes. did not see
Mr.. Russell until he halloed to me paid
no attention to him; kept on and went
to the ledge and went 10 the horse barn
and cut the harness and whips; and
found hinge hanging at the door staple
at the north end of the horse barn. BY
this time, Mr.. and Mrs. Russell had goue
to bed. / went to the kitchen door and
raped. Mr.. r. asked who was there,
| said nothing. Trapped again, and he
asked again who's there?' and said
10 Bushee. He asked what | wanted;
| told him | wanted to come in. He
opened the door and / struck him with
the hinge. He put up his hand and said
" 0 dear" when struck him again and
knocked him to the floor. | struck him
two or three times after he fell /; saw Mrs,
Russell leave the room and go out of the
south door. | then went into the bed
room and got the box at the foot of the
bed in little cupboard. took the box
and ran from the house across lots north
west, about three-quarters of a mile, and
broke open the box, and to my great as
constituent found nothing in the box blu.
old papers.
From the report of his execution in
the Boston Journal, we copy the follow
ing:
WINDSOR, VT, Jan. 20. Last night
Welcome was considerably affected, and
almost broke down in his cell. During
the afternoon he had maintained great
composure, eat we'll and slept some. In
the evening several reporters We're per-
mitted to see him, to whom he made some
further statements in regard to his early
career. He said that his worst move,
and the cause of his being in his present
dreadful situation, was owing to the fact
that he left his parents home contrary
to their wishes when about fourteen
years Of age to go to Boston, where he
went the usual course of young men with
out parental guidance and home infuen-
ces. From drinking he to * to gam5-
ling, frequentlng the worst places of re-
sort in the city, until the man for whom
he worked discharged him. Soon after
he returned to Hinesburg, and commit
ed the robbing of horse and buggy,
FIR which he was arrested and put in jail
at Burlington, but afterward, three days
before the murder, he was discharged on
account of failure of the jury to convict.
He has said with much regret that if he
had only been punished then, it would
have deferred him from the terrible
crime he afterward perpetrated.
| Last night he did not sleep much un-
til about two o'clock, when he slept
soundly until four, undisturbed by the
noises goingon in and around the prison
A special guard was with him all night
In the morning be ate some breakfast
and appeared quite cheerful He wrote
a letter to his parents during the fore
noon, which babe them an affectionate
farewell, and hoping and trusting in the
mercy and goodness of pardon for hi.
sins. The Chaplain of the prison, Bev
Mr.. Butler, has been very attentive t.
! the prisoner, and was constantly with
him to the last. Ofcourse every one wa
anxious to get glimpse of the unfortu
nate man, but only few clergymen
physicians, and others, we're allowed t.
D see MIN. In reply to such remarks a
e were addressed to him he spoke yer,
freely and quietly, smiling occasionally
AT halfpast twelve the guard room O
J the prison was crammed with an cage
] and curious crowd, but none were allow
ed to enter except with permission of tn,
f Sheriff of Windsor county, Surry Slim
!. son, who had charge of the execution
!, The scaffold is the same on which othe,
criminals have suffered death. The las
two were John Ward, alias jerome La
vigne and Hiram Miller.
THE DEAD MARCH.
q AT 1910 began the march for the gal
lows, which was erected in the corridor
OF the prison, in one corner The plat
form of the scaffold is seven feet from
the floor; the cross beam is seven OF
eight feet above the platform. There
are two drops, but only one was used to,
day. The criminal marched between
, two deputy sherifs, preceded by tn,
e chaplain and sheriff, arm in arm. Ate
D hating upon the platform the religious
e services were commenced by prayer ant
reading of the Bible.
A WARNING TO YOUNG MEN.