Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1872-12-05
A Wife's Dey0ti0n-HOw Condemned
Murderer Escaped.

| Over 5000 people were assembled here
! to-day for the purpose Of witnessing thu
execution of Martin Baynard, one OF the
murderers Of Silas Weston and his three
children, but they were doomed to be wo
fully disappointed. 1t will be remem
bered that two criminals have already
| been executed for this crime Martin
! Baynard was also to have suffered the OK
, IRENE penalty of the law when the Other
two were hanged, but he was respited
from time to time, to be used as witness
against the elder Baynard and another.
who were also implicated in this terrible
| murder, under statute of this State that
provides that condemned felon can tes'
! tify as a witness against other parties to
the crime. All the preparations wer,
made, the scatfold was in readiness and
the crowd had been arriving from all
quarters for several days to witness the
tragedy. During his Imprisonment the
wife OF the condemned man was faithful,
constant, and devoted in her attendance
upon him. A day did not pass that she
was not in his cell for several hours, and,
at the last moment, with herOism wor-
thy of a. more noble cause, she saved him
from an ignominious death upon the scat
fold. The night that was to have been
the last of Baynard's earthly existence
had arrived, and, upon the earnest, fearful
and sorrowful entreaty of his wife, the
TAILOR compassionately allowed her to pass
the few remaining hours of his life with
him in the cell. Morning broke clear and
bright, and already the assembled multi.
tude were astir, eagerly awaiting the ar
rival of the hour when The execGtioner
and the scatfold would do their terrible
work. About six o'clock a. m. the woman
came to the jail.door to be let out, with
her bonnet drawn down over her face
and a handkerchief pressed over her
mouth, through which her heart-broken
sobs burst as the iailer passed her through
the outer dooref the prison. She walked
slowly off with a feeble gait, bowed
figure, and wailing pitifully, giving vent
to her great grief, and was soon lost to the
sight OF the gaping guards and morbidly
curious spectators. Breakfast time came
at eight o'clock, and the confident and
compassionate iailer, with meal-the
last the doomed man was to have eaten
comprised entirely OF tempting delicacies,
repaired to the cell The bars were re-
moved and the heavy iron door was swung
back, and the iailer entered, when sight
that made him shake like an aspen Leaf met
his astonished gaze. In the further end
of the cell, instead Of the condemned
man, crouched up in a corner, was wo-
man in her night-ciothes. The plates and
dishes with the breakfast fell from the
iailer's hands to the floor, and were brok,
en- in fragments He tried to speak, but
could find no words for utte1ancc, and, as
he stood in actual despair, the crouching
figure arose and, in the tones of a women
who thinks she has done a praiseworthy
action SAID, "Well, as Martin is gone, |
reckon had better eat the breakfast,
and she forthwith began picking up the
scattered portions of the meal. Baynard
had escaped in his wife's clothes, and was
doubtless by this time far beyond the
reach of the county officers. The Sheriff
as soon as apprised of the circumstances,
set out in pursuit of the criminal with a
posse, but in vain; for, after securing the
country for miles, they returned without
their prisoner. The assembled crowd
gave expression totheir chagrin in various
ways none the least of which was an
anxious desire on their part to see the
woman hanged liz the place of her hus.
band, and, indeed, many Of them were
firm in the impression that such would be
the case. Having }0me to SET "a hangin', "
they were not particular as to who the
victim was whether guilty or innocent,
eS long as their morbid curiosity was
gratihed 1t is believed now that Bay.
nard will never be recaptured. -He3dcr.
soBrlWe (N c. Gar. N. !. Herald.