Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1872-12-23
THE BROOKLYN HANGING.

THE BROOKLYN HANGING.
Inhuman Bstchery IN the Proud City
of Churches. Three attempts at hang
ang.-7He Victim Jerked Up and
Dorm on the Rope By his Execution
ers.-After Untold Agony the DOOM
ed Man Dies.
NEW YORK, FRIDAY, DEC. 6.
The demoralizing scenes attending the
public executions on Tyburn hill were
in part revived this morning in the
sanctimonious City of Churches. Short
ly after ten o'clock A. NJ. man named
Henry Rogers was brought cut to be ex-
ecuted for the murder of a policeman
named Donohue. Rogers was young
man who had for many months been in
such delicate health that he was a per-
feet skeleton when brought into the yard
of Raymond street jail this morning.
He was, as he said last night, not afraid
to die, but did not wish to leave his
friends after that disgraceful fashion
especially his aged mother and the girl
who was betrothed to him. When the
doomed man made his appearance in
front Of the gallows from which he was
to swing into eternity. the scene around
him was most inhuman and disgraceful.
1t appears that the deputy sheriff who
had the matter in charge; is, or has been
Williamsburg lager beer seller, and
had issued tickets of administration to
his patrons to the number of full two
hundred. These ticket holders looked
and spoke and acted as if they had come
directly from debauch to assist in an
execution.
The scene outside the Jail was strange
one The police had received orders to be
in attendance by half-past o'clock, but
owing to some misunderstanding, did
not arrive until after nine o'clock. In
the meantime great crowd of the most
rufianly characters collected. Many of
them were evidently friends of Rogers,
whose life and character was the subject
of their conversation. 1t would be diff
ficult to imagine a more ill-looking set
of men than those grouped around the
prison. The air was laden with their
filthy jests They quarreled and swore
among themselves, and pushed and hus-
tied any respectable person unfortunate
enough to fall into their company
When the police did at last arrive, mat
ters were made much worse The crowd
had already taken possession of the en-
tire space in front of the prison, and
struggled furiously to retain it. The
police acted with great moderation, but
mild measures availed nothing, and they
were finally compelled to use their clubs.
The whole scene was one of the widest
confusion. Many of those present claim
ed to be sheriffs, but could show no ev-
idence of their authority. The police
were forbidden to allow any one to pass
), up the steps of the jail unless he could
show a badge. The friends of the con-
:, demned man were determined to wit
ness his execution at all hazards, and,
> badge or no badge, fought furiously to
break the police lines. The real deputy
sheriffs, members of the press, and 9TH
ers whose duties called them to the spot
Jared rather badly. The policemen nat.
. urally lost their temper to certain ex.
: tent, and, as it was impossible to dis
y tinguish between imposters and honest
men, treated all alike. The undertake.
himself experienced the greatest Difficult
> ty in gaining the prison doors, for the
simple reason that dozen different mel
attempted to gain an entrance by pre-
= tending to be the persons selected to per
form the last services for the dead.
When the gates we're opened the strug
:, gle was fercer than ever, and there cal
-, be no doubt but that many forced thei
~ way in that had no right to be present
pt The gallows, the same instrument o.
which so many have suffered death il
or the courtyard of the Tombs, was erect
u ed, as before stated, in a yard in rea
,r of the prison. The preparations wer
p simple enough. Two upright posts,
h. cross beam, piece of dangling rope
GO and few deal boards to hide the weight
A strong line Of police was drawn aroun
60 the gallows to keep back the unrul
= crowd and the task of the officers wa
= by no means easy. 1t was fortunat
that Sheriff Walter had determined t
keep this turbulent element outside un
st til lust before the execution. If tim
Sc had been given them to become impa
n tient, it is probable that the police woul
en- have had great difficulty in preservin
us order As it was, there was scarcel
It's any delay. The doors of the Jail wer
OF not opened until after nine o'clock, an
es about half an hour later Rogers was lie
an from his cell to the gallows by the shel
nd iff. The condemned man walked bt
n tween Mr.. Walter and Mr.. ConraddV
er' the keeper of the prison, and was clos'
IN ly followed by the two Roman Catholi
on priests Fathers Mcdonald and McElro.
Rogers could scarcely walk without SUI
MORT and was euidentlv naralVzed wit