The New York herald., 1871-10-14
THE SGAFF0tD.
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Execution OF James Wilson at
g Hartford Yesterday. sa
EHE STORY OF HIS GRIMES.
u Various Abortiys Attempts at Suicide b!
aef -. Starvation and Stabbing. rmascs p
ID Calls Himself a Martyr to the
% ~ Cause of Humanity. ,..a y :. !.
LAST WORDS OF TEE CONDEMNED

LAST WORDS OF TEE CONDEMNED.
rsxsiuH' y ~ y ~s~ i'S ,''7h
n Career Of. a. .Modarn Jack sheppard-Fifty
Years of Ago and Thirty-three' Years in :
= Prison-A Hero Of Thousand Burglariea
sor HABTFoBD. Conn.,, Oct. Is, 1871.
That notorious outlaw, James Wilson, more than
sAe equal OF the renowned Jack Shepard. mas to-day
given up his own llfe for that Of William willard.
Tho Warden Of the Conpecticut Prison, whom he
murdered some two years since. HIS execution
and, the circumstances attending H. as well as the
incidents Immediately preceding were OF the most
extraordinary character, and such to create the
most profound sensaton among the citizens. The
chicago calamity even. which is uppermost in the
mlnds Of everybody, was for the time forgotten,
and nothing else was thought or talked about but
the hanging OF the author Of not less than o
thousand crimes. He had resorted to various
devices to cheat the galows. having twice
attempted starvation and then again. only few
Aoufs before the time appointed his departure
% another world, he made Q final and most des-
Pcrate effort OF seifdestruction by plunging sharp
ened wire through his heart but fortunately or
aortunately this a.tempt was q failure. and
the condemned then for the nrss time
which awaited him. 1t was this last incident,
coupled with hls extraordinary criminal career a.
well as the public desire to see the law executed.
ahas aroused the usually staid people Of this city to
such . high state Of excitement. .fiof
90 etts ''''' THE CRIME
1or which he yielded up his life, as before stated
was she:murder OF Mr. WIZARD, the Warden Of the
6s1to PRISON at Wethersfeld the circumstances Of
which It Is hardly necessary more than briefly refer
%. He was serving O term In the prison for bur-
gary commsted Id or near Merden. and he felt that
hts treatment was Unnecessarily cruel, and to OBJ
tain revenge he determined to take the life OF the
O01ccr whom he belleved to be ''his torment0rn as
ne eeinpnatcally expressedit The treatment which
was Obuoxious to MIN was, he said, attempts 70
ssarve him for Imaginary violations Of prison rules
And when, at length. food was brought to him It
eeassted only OF putrid meat and stale and moudy
6seaA, and very little Of either When he complained
a this he was subjected TO solitary Imprisonment
ma other punishments which, as he maintained,
would IN very short time, END his days on earth.
ON er prisoners too ne said. were brutaly treated
w1shout cause; and for their sake he determined to
make . martyr OF himself for the benenr OF his
Jsslow conviets. In the pursuance or this determt
0&Aion he in some manner or other Obtained DOS
seaQn OF kniie rrom winch be broke 0uI the biadc
Having done this he sent the arden q message
% abe eject tnat he had letter which he wished
C6tved the paper through the grated door ana com
ne1ued 70 peruso L.. While thus engaged the evil
s Sss snd wsapSe
heart and almost through the body OF the Warden.
wilson had added to his long list oi burglaries and
Other offences the terrible crime Of wilfui aud ma
~ MS TRIAL FOR MURDER lsA
was commenced at once and was followed In speedy
succcs.lon BY convection and sentence to death.
Te0 whole community was aroused against MIN,
And II was 0n tmp0ssiDility to OBTAIN an unprelu
a,ced jury, fact which % several members % o. the
nsd able counsel assigned him. Dut the middle OF
the trial he took the case from their hands
and MANAGED II Tor himself IN a very
exceptions, % % pitched into the soveiumens ass%
with the arts and lodges OF the best criminal law
vess OF the day. HIS efforts and pleadngs were In
and Justice and everything else were dead against
against MIN, anu IT only took the Jury Eve minutes
70 come To this conclusion and render verdict Of
An ArrExPT AT SUICIDE BY STARVATION.
From the moment OF his sentence the criminal
seems TO have determined upon taking the matter
Of execution into his own hands. lie had horrsr
Ios the scaod, but death In any other form he was
sesienl for MIN to take his ire harshiy, and fuT-
ihermere, q watch was kept over him day and
undertook to innict upon himself with Will aud
perseverance, hardly without parallel. From
ucsooer is. he refused 10 take nonrishment in any
way, shape or manner. Attempts were made TO
force fuOd down his tnroat out all In vain. Alter
- NINE DAYS OF FASTING, h
however, he reented, aud called for some mush
and molasses, which was furnished MIN IN small
quantities at the beginning, aud afterwards gradu-
ally increased until his physical system had APP
pr0ached return to It's original or healthy condi-
fi0n- He stated then that the reason he had aban-
doned his attempt at suicide Dy starvation was be-
cause h . counsel proposed to petition for o new
murder o Captain WIZARD lie said 0aSat sSat darinS inS
she time Of his fast he had but once tasted water,
and then ne drank from the wash basin. Notnng
hlq N mn nnprr TAM
after lie began 70 siarve himself.
a NEW TRIAL REFuseD-AaorHER ATrExPT At
An attempt was now made for o new trial, but
the motion was OF course denied. Having thus
Sctlon OF the Courts the murderer again renewed
hs efforts At self-destruction and there were no
sstsmpt at slarvalion. rms time ne went f-'
SIX DAYS WITHOUT FOOD.
wncn warden - boteiie . had some nourisnment in
Wilson objected with all the main strength he had
but . etraighttacket and q stomach syringe over.
Tented and assured the officers In humorous Way
ihas hereafter they might count on MN for
THREE SQUARE MEALS DAY,
and he was as good a. his word up to the time of
ns execution this afternoon. Having thus yielded
Following Communication and caused it 10 be for
sWasded TO the warden:-
CAMP nuNoay 2s,n inst
NJ. Captain BorELIH:. -
i.rr aenr rn ntnows ss.s -: :.na osn %
So.s mix porridse and few crackers;
xEx0vAL OF rnE PRISONER FROM wErHERsFIELD
TO HARTFORD. -t.fttt
About week ago Wilson was brought from the
prH0n to the jail In this city, the scene or
ms execution. He expressed the wish that
he might be conveyed In an open car
Eiaae. and thus Oe permitted TO look upon
surrounding beauties Of art and nature. and for
che last time as he rcverently expressed HIMSELF
s'Ureathe the pure air OF heaven.n His wish was
gratllcd. and on the occasion OF his Journey
thc tnorougniares between wethersneld and Hart
sord, as well as the principal streets IN the city,
were dled with eager and curious spectators, many
coming miles 10 get glimpse al the condemned
man. Wilson surveyed the scene with wonderful
caimness, anu discussed the event with the officers
accompanying him NJ very quiet and unconcerned
mAnner. rH9Nw N9tt
'ALTERKD mrs MIND, ABOUT SUICIDE.
when ne safely lodged IN the jail the prisoner
prOoGsed to have gwen up the iuea OF suicide, but
yVc eartfv nf M bnvvn ~ n