The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1871-10-26
THREE INCHES or sTKRt III ms
HEART.


WuSoui tue MU1OSIcI.
RuloH, the pathological robber and muir
derer, who was hanged not long ago At Bin2-
hamton, was naturally enough an object Of in
terest TO Psychologists and scholars. David
Kentlev, alias Henry Marshall. alias James
Wilson, who was executed at Hartford on
the 18th inst, has attracted less attention,
bu, was fully as deserving of the considera-
ton Of the learned as Ruloff He laid no
claim to scholarship, it is true, but he exhib-
tied traits of such singular character rs to
remove him from the ordinary category Of
ruHans. He Was native Of New Jersey,
and fifty years old at the time OF his death.
A burglar by profession, he had broken out
OF seven prisons, that al Columbus being
among them. After one escape. he frcze his
ieet, and his toes being amputaied, he was
famed for lie. His last Imprisonment was
at the Connec;icur PenitentiaIy at Hartford.
His sentence was :or sixteen year.. and other
indictments hung over him. Escape was
then the only alternative to a confinement
that might lat urtil life should end
The prison was too strong 10 allow any
chance Tor breaking through its walls. hence
il was necessary To procure q change OF abode
This he hoped to do by numbering the war
den. As a result he expected 10 he sent to
the Jail, which he believed to he less carefully
guarded than his present quarters.
In consequence Of his lameness he was
kept in his cell, where he amused himself by
drawing on slate. Calling the warden,
Mr.. Willard, he handed him his slate, and
while the officer was engaged in looking at it,
.sabl,ol fasallx- 9TH ensfa-hlala fast
ened to cane.
Wilson did not reap the benefits which he
had anticipated from his crime. Escape
was no more practicable than before. He
attempted to slarye himself to death, but
food was forced down his throat. During
his imprisonment OF over year he studied
law; began his autobiography, and destroyed
the manusl ript because the prison authorities
would no, let him publish it without revision
wrote poem and letter, justifying his con.
duct, and iinally made an unsuccessful al.
tempt to commit suicide by stabbing himself
with piece of wire, which penetrated hi:
heart without destroying life.
He went to the gallOws without visible
trepidation, and on the scafiold made the
following speech:
81 don't suppose it will amount to much
what can say to stop the execution. Ifyou
won't put it to execution, would say grea,
deal. 1 suppose most of you know why
shall say but a few words to-day. Will
three inches OF steel in his heart, man Can
not say much or be expected TO. l did all
could to avoid being here; not that teal
death, but such kind of death-not hit fol
dQs or a murderer. am not murderer
killed William Willard in self defense, anG
l did Just right; and hope his fate will b
warning to all other tyrants like him."
Then Selling the moose he continued:
"When a man puts this over his head il
a cause of humanity, it is not disgrace. II
this case l put it over mine. And Sheriff
Russell, tighten it up As quick as YOU
ple1se."
As the sheriff drew the cap over his fact
he exclaimed; 81 hope my act will be q
benefi, to the people OF Weathersti,l Id prison,
and that they will be so treated as never 10
render it necessary to kill another warden
He had been as humanely treated "a the
regulations of the prison allowed, and hi.
victim was popular among the other con.
victs Yet the murder from first to last de-
clared himself justified, and a martyr to the
cause of humanity. He alleged that he
sought the only IN, ans possible to relieve
himself from cruel impOaitions' ami TO pro-
cure more kind aud Just treatment for
prisoners generally.
In letter TO one o, the prison officials,
written just before his last attempt at self.
destruction, and not intended tC liz read un-
til after his death, occurs the following re-
markable prayer, if it may he called such:
almighty and Everlasting God, l call
upon all that is within me 10 bless Thy
name and Thy continual goodness while |
have forgotten Thee. Thou has, borne with
my sins and surrounded me with thy mer-
cies. Many times Thou hast piucked me
journey OF life rejoicing; and. mes; merciful
God, as go down into the valley of death,
! will fear no evil, FOR my trust is in Thee.
Pardon all my sins, implore Thee; deal
with me not according TO my sins, but ac-
cordIDg TO thy mercies. Thou dds, in Thy
providence, select me 10 he the minister Of
Thy righteous vengeance. Thou, ., God,
hast made me. Thou knowest what is with
in me. The traditions of men do cause
manv to err Thou hast drawn veil over
the iiItnIe, and no one can remove il. row
cast my poor soul on Thy mercy. Receive
me into Thy holy keeping, ami grant may
spend eternity in the light of Thy reconcil-
ed countenance."
We have already said that the hope q:
escape was one motive Tor the murder Of the
warden. Yet the letter we have quoted,
and Wilson's persistent justification Of his
atrocity, show that ne had worked himself
into the belief tina, he had done no wrong.
Thus far he NAV be called insane-perhap<
morally insane
The physical, intellectual. and moral
powers OF man are so intimately blended that
the abuse of one is felt ny the others. The
il breaking down his constitution,
imrairs his mind and morals as well. The
man whose conscience has become scared by
a long course of crime can not avert the
warping of his intellectual lowers. Coniinu-
ally seeking apologies for his guilt, he comes
=. last 10 call good evil, and evil coed. Such
wa probably the case with Wilson. Ii he
was thus fanatical, he was alone responsible
for The delusion. He was NOT. however, Il
maniac in the .sga! sense Of the word. He
was sane in all other respects, perfectly COM
petent to know that the laws OF the land for
babe his act, and that his priv,te judgement
could be of no avail against public sentiment.
lie also had he interested motive OF escape
10 Influence INN. Hence he was rishtfnlly
held TO he reasonable being within the in
tent of the statute. Ifever murderder was
Justly executed, his fate was deserved. Ii,
rs we have assumed, his delusion was COM
plete, his case Is a fearful example Of the in
fuence Of criminal courses in deierioraiing
The intellectual as we'll as the moral force Of
men.