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

after the jury had found him guilty, and
the Court asked him if he had anv
thing to say, he replied that he had rat6
er suffer death on the scafFod than spend
life Of horror in the prison at Wetbers
| field.
The murder of the Warden was com
mitted on Sunday. Wilson, being lamo
was allowed the use of his cane in hi, coli
In some unknown way he secured No.
session of shoe knife, which he cropna
down so as make it pointed like dagger
and this be inserted in the bottom Of n,
cane, and made it fast with the ferrulo
He had slate in his cell, and on this h.
wrote that he wanted to see the Wurdan
and hung it outside. When the Wardon
came to his cell he stabbed him with tba
cane without moments warning, and
death resulted 10 few hours later. From.
that day Wilson has never expressed >;
word Of regret. but on the contrary has
ever insisted that he did right Soon af.
ter this tragedy his explanation of the.
crime was that he had committed il for,
the sake Of all men who should there,f
ter become inmates of the prison that be
could not reach the directors to make
complaint of the treatment of convjcts
but by killing the Warden he would have,
au opportunity on his trial of presenting
all the facts, and the people OF the State,
would thus see the necessity of reform
and the Legislature would correct exist.
ing abuses. He went igto Court fortified
with corroborating ,estimoney, as he saa
stuffed the toes of his shoes with hash
and Goldfish that he had saved from bis
morning meal, and would have exhibited
it the officers, on searching him at nigAr.
found The food secreted and in lookipa
further into the mysteries of his shoes
discovered shoe knife carefully laid be.
tween the leather of the sole Of one shoe
While in prison he made two attempts
to starve himself to death. The first time
lie went eight days without eating, aud
ceased fasting voluntarily, for the reason.
as he said, that he got "a new idea"-
one that could not have been born of
full stomach" The second attempt was
interrupted By force; physicians were
called 10 and becftea was injected through
a tube passing from his mouth into his
stomach. lie was put in straight jack,
ct, anu went through the operation with
a good deal of nerve, and without bein.,
subdued for he said Il shall try it again
before give in - But the second time.
he got enough of it, and wrote to the
Warden that Paris had surrendered, aud
he was ready to die in the natural way.
On Sunday, the day before he was
brought to the Jail in this city to prepare
for his execution, THE TRIBUNE cor.
respondent had long interview with him.
lie felt then that there was some hope os
his getting stay OF execution, thOughn
was desperate one. He was very scveie
upon the Judges of the Superior Court,
before whom he was tried, and accused
them Of perjury in the sworn record they
made for the Supreme Court, Of Errors
on the motion of his counsel for new
trial. He asserted that he never sought
to justify the killing; that his testimony
on the treatment of prisoners was offered
to mitigate, not to justify, 50 that if the
Jury were convinced that his claim of self
defense was reasonable, they could find
verdict Of manslaughier instead of muir
der in the first degree. In following up
this subject he diverged somewhat FROM
his original claim that he killed the War,
den because of the bad food furnished,
though everything dated from that, aud
said
"Willard the Warden, and Beaumont,
one of the doctors, came to my cell aftct
[ had tried TO escape, and said We ard
having a cell made as strong as iron, aud
brick and stone can build it, and YOU
shall be put in there as long as you stay
here That cell was in the new prison
part and could hear them at work upon
it. No prisoners are kept there. Itisa
damp place. I would die there of con,
sum ption. Virtually | should be 10
solitary confinement, L had fourteen years
more to stay here, and, rather than sufc'
horrible death in that dungeon, pre-
ferred to die on the scaffpld, if need be.
He said, after he had talked steadily
for half an hour 81 90 ont of here, you
know. to morrow. and | have written
some lines on the wall of my cell as last
words here. Would You like'them| |
told him yes, and he read as follows:
l have spent sixteen months in this narrow
| cell,
And now my friends say Pm going to h:
But God in his mercy will take care of me
| have but fulfilled high Heavens decree;
On the pillows of sin have often been tossed;
Bnt the soul that trusts God will nerer be lost
While my body lies moldering beneath the
cold sod,
My soul will repose in the bosom of God
On Monday morning, Sheriff Russell
accompanied by his deputies, Fam anG
Dibble, went to the prison, and Wilson
after being shaved aud furnished with
suit of black which he had worn before
his confinement, was taken in an OPen
barouche, at his own request, that no
might for the last time see the green fields
aud enjoy the sunshine. There had been
| some notice Of the time of bis remOya! 10