Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-04-14
THE LAST OF "CAL" LOGSTON,
HIs Execntion nd JamestOWn.

! 10 the Editors OF the Union anu AlneElCdn'
On Friday, the 9TH inst, James G. Logs
ton paid the penalty Of his crimes al
Jamestown, Tenn. Your readers will
| doubtless remember that Logston was in
dicted about four years ago in the Circuit
| Court of Fentress county for the murder OF
the Galloway family, his numerous trials,
appeals to the Supreme Court, aud his final
| sentence by the Supreme Court at its late
| term, the details of which have already
been published.
Logston had been in custody near four
wears at the time of his execution, and
had so often baflled the gallOws that he had
a strong belief that he was not to be hung.
He never fully appreciated his position
until he was on the gallOWs, if
then. The writer of this returned from
| Nashville on Sunday before the execution;
On Monday he called on Logston. In a con-
versation which ensaed the writer told
| I,Ogston that he had seen Gov. Brown a
few DAYS before and that there was no hope
| that Executive clemency would be extend
| ed to him. LOgston remarked that "they
can't kill me but once" He inquired about
the mail route from Nashville to James
town, the probable time it would take to
get a communication from it 10 this point,
and although preparations for his execution
| were being made he manifested stolid in
difference and by intimation held out the
belief that he was not to suffer the extreme
penalty Of the law. On the evening before
the execution newspaper man undertook
to interview him, but with bad success.
IogstoD said if he came back he would
"smash his id mouth all over his face"
He refused to make any confession, but 1t
is said that he told young Smith, who is in
Jail, charged with murder, that he (L0gstOn)
and the Brown girls committed the crime,
but that he did not intend to tell and did
not want Smith to say anything about it
until after his death. There is no one here
who puts any confidence in anything Logs
ton has said, and as he himself remarked,
Hit would be useless to make a confession,
as no one would believe me-" On the day
| of the execution LOgston ate hearty
| breakfast, washed himself with great
| care, put on a clean shirt and made himself
as presentable as possible under the Circum-
| stances. The Sheriff, J. &. Taylor, went
! into the iai few minutes before II o'clock
and told LogstOn it was about time to
go out if he wanted his funeral sermon
preached at the gallows; also asked him if
llt W dllJtu W Sthvf w "Ai'SAA
| ton said. 'EIt is most too soon for dinner"
| He also asked the Sheriff if it would be best
| to mt on his shoes. The Sheriff told him
| he didn't think it worth while, and as they
were large it might be that the lid of the
coffin would not 60 down if they were on.
! Iogston said all right, and announced
! his readiness to 60. His arms
| were then tied behind him, his chains re-
| moved and his shroud was put on. He
| was put in a two horse wagon seated on his
coffin, surrounded by the Revs. Wright,
! Pile and Greer. DR.. Graham also had a
seat in the wagon. A guard of about forty
men surrounded the wagon and the pro-
cession moved out, the ministers singing
81 would not live always,
| ] ask not to stay"
The party arrived at the gallOws in few
| minutes. The gallows was composed OF
| two uprights, a cross beam and trap.
! When the wagon neared it Logs,On raised
| his ewes for an instant only and looked at
| il: he never looked toward it again until he
| assembled with the Sheriff and Mr.. Greer.
| After the wagon stopped the Rev. Mr..
| Wright stated that at the special request OF
the condemned he would preach his funeral
! discourse. After singing and prayer he
| took for his text the 9th verse of the 9th
chaDter of Genesis, "WhOsO shedeth mans
| blood by man shall his blood be shed" from
which he preached about one hour. After
the sermon there were several hymns sung
| and PRAYERS made. At about Is minutes
after O'Clock the Sheriff adjusted the rope
on the gallows and Logsten, accompanied
| by the Rev. Mr.. Greer assembled the scatfOld
When he got I'D he cast look over the
crowd composed of some two thousand PEG
pie. He was very pale, but that was owing
| more to his long confinement than any
thing else. The Sheriff asked if he had
| ANYTHING to say. lie told the Sheriff, in a
| low tone, to say to the crowd "let this be a
warning to ALL" After pause the Sheriff
again said: "He wants you all to meet him
in heaven" The rope was then put around
his neck and the cap drawn over his face,
the Rev. Mr.. Greer, one Of his spiritual
advisers assisting, pinning the cap down
and making things snug, The Sheriff then
tied his feet. After this was done LOgstOn
| asked the Sheriff to let him live till the last
| minute, and to notify him when he was
| about to swing him off The Sheriff and
| the minister then descended, leaving the
| condemned standing alone, as nnInoVabie
| and apparently unmOved as Statue
| Atthirty minutes past one the Sheriff said
Jour time is up" and sprung the trap
LOgstOn fell about eighteen inches, the rope
scarcely checking his fall, broke, and he fell
TO the ground, a distance of about SIX feet
The blood gushed from his mouth, ears
and nose. Another rope was instantly
| placed around his neck and he was again
drawn up. AS soon as the body was clear OF
the ground and the support of those aiding
in hosting him up was renewed, the rope
again broke, and LOgston was again on the
| ground writhing in agony, the blood running
| from him, saturating the cap, which was OF
white cloth. When adjusting the rope
the last time he spoke, saying, con Lord,
| don't do thatl' He was again run up; this
time the rope held him. He made few
conclusive struggles, and all was over with
James Calvin LogstOn, the most brutal OF
young desperadOes.
| At the time of his death Logston was not
twenty-one years of age. He was baptized
| by the Rev. Alb. Wright on the day before
| his execution, and expressed his readiness
to meet his Gcd. 1t is to be hoped that he
was prepared. In his own language, may
| his fearful end impress upon the minds OF
all, good and bad, the truth Of the text, and
the certainty of punishment which follows
| in the wake of crime. IL.
| IooJorc r. Oo,;s fashion rpPnTt III