The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1871-10-19
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THE GALLOWS.


MURDER OF WARDEN WILLARD OF THE
CONNECTICUT STATE PRIsoN-AN UN
SUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT TO COMMIT SUI
eide YESTERDAY MoRNING-HE MEETS
HIS DEATH WITH FIRMNESs-sKETCH
OF THE MURDERER s CAREER
HARTFORD, Conn, Oct. 13.-David
Kentley, alias James Wilson, was hung in
Hartford County Jail at 80 p m, to day
for the murder of Warden Willard of Con
uecticut State Prison. He attempted sui
eide about 3 O'Clock this morning, by en-
deavoriDg to puncture his heart with a
piece Of wire, which he had secreted upon
his person. ln consequence of his weak
ness this morning there was IN effort made
to oprocure as'ay Of proceedings, but it fail
ed. When the hour for execution arrived
however, he walked firmly upon the scaf
fold, and made short speech, in which
he said he had attempted to escape the
ignominy Of the scaffod. He justified
his act in killing Warden Willard, and
finally put the rope over his own neck
aud met his fate without flinchiug The
execution was private, only the County
Com nissioners and other officials, com
mittec Of 20 ci'i2ens selected as witnesses
and the reporters for the press, being
present. He was pronounced dead in II
minutes alter the drop fell. a post NOR
tenn examination discovered the wire iu
bis body, with which be attempted sui
eide
Wilson Sas convicted in 1867 OF break
ing into the dry goods store of Brown
Thomson Il Co, in this city, in company
with one Foster. alas Eetsuf, and OF steal
ing about $1,000 worth of silks They
also stole horse on Asylum Hill and
drove TO Berlio, where they bid most oi
the stolen property in al outfo1se, and
were about taking train at Merden for New
York when officers arrested them The
horse which they stole was very slow
aDd, as they missed the right road, they
lid not reach Meriden in time to hit the
early morning train which would have
taken them safely to New York, probably
without detection. Wilson always attri.
buted his arrest to the bo,se, and when
its owner, after his arrest, said, in an ex
cited manner, "We've got you DOW, and
will punish you as you Deserve he re
piled, $50 you will, but any man who own.
such ID fool of horse ought himself
to go to State Prison for ten years p
There had been other burglaries in Ber
lin, Plainvile, and Middlestown a shor
time before, and it was soon ascertaineC
that Wilson and his associate had com
mitted them. After their trial for the
Brown Thomson burglary, Wilson wa
prosecuted for the other thefls (there wa:
no proof against Retsof), aud was sen
fenced for the whole to Is years i'm
prisonment. Ritsofs term was sever
years.
Wilson made several attempts to es
cape, aud would probably have succeed
ed had not his feet both been amputated
several years before, leaving only tht
heels. The artificial ball furnished by
stiff soles would not give him any chanc,
of escape if pursued. During his tria
here, which he conducted himself, he ex
hibited his feet to the jury, and, point
ing to the Prosecuting Attorney, said
"Gentlemeu of the jury, while he (the
attorney was at home slipping cherry
cobblers, was on the bloody field o.
Gettysburg, and Rebel shot gave III,
these wounds" The fact was that he
had frozen his feet while escaping from
the Michigan State Prison. While his
feet were perfect he was one of the most
expert Jail breakers in the country. lie
escaped from the Ohio State Prison, from
Sing Sing, from the New,.iersey prison
aud on one occasion, when taken from
the Ludlow st. Jail, New York, int,
Court, walked out of the Court room il
the easiest possible manner, and got ava,
without detection. He got away from
the New Jersey prison, so he said, be
cause they appeared to think there thai
he ''was ID fool,'' and to convince
them that such was not the case, he broke
out. lie broke into a country store the
same night, stole cloth enough to make
himself suit of clothes, and taking
shears, needles, and thread, went to the
woods and soon put himself into new an.
pearel.
Being about 60 years Of age, and know.
ing his sentence of l6 years was virtually
a sentence for life, he entered the prison
with the purpose, undoubtedly, of doing
some reckless thing. His attempts at es-
cape were bafaed and he became sulen.
SIX months or so before he killed the
Warden Mr.. Dorsey Of Rhode Island,
"the prisoners friend" furnished straw
berry entertainment for the prisoners, and
Tor the first time in the history of the
prison the convicts were let out into the
yard and allowed to enjoy themselves in
their own way. "rhis looks very fine,
letting these men out and feeding them
on strawberries and ice cream" he said
to visitor. "but they II put them back
In their cells, and feed them on sinking
mea. to- morrow )" and he dwelt so much
upon the moor fare thar n xvas o,,y to soo