Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1872-11-21

A Condemned Murderer ChangN
Clothes with His Wife and rs
Erom the NeN Yerk Herald

=. = -Ia = ~ 80
HENDERsoNyILhE, NC, , Oct. %
Il 0verive thousand people wer
: assembled here to-day for ths pun
pose Of witnessing tiie execution
of Martin Biynard, one of th,
murderers OF Silas Weston am
- his three children, but they wer,
doomed to be wolully disappoiu
ted. Il will be remembered that
two criminals have alrea iy been
executed for this crime, the de-
tails Of which were fhlIy reported
|, in the Herald, both at the time of
It's execution of George Baynard
: aud GOYen Adair. Martin Bay-
nard was also to have suffered the
extreme penalty Of the law
: when the other two were hanged.
but he wasrespited from time t,s
time, to be used as a witness ID
; gainst the elder Baynard and an
other, who were implicated in this
horrible murder, under a statute
Iof this State which provides that
q condemned felon can testify az
witness against other parties to
the same crime. All the pIepara-
tons were made, The scaff0Id was
lin readiness and the crowd had
been arriving from all quarters for
several days to witness the TRACE
dy. 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 bis cell for several
hours, aud at the last moment,
with a heroism worthy Of d more
noble cause, she saved him from
an iguominious death upon tue
scaffold. The night which was to.
have been the last of Baynard's
earthly existence had arrived, and
upon the earnest, fearful and sor-
rowfql entreaty Of his wife the
jsilor 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 arrival Of the hour when the
executioner would do his terri
bic work. About six o'clock
A NJ, the woman came to tho
Jail door to he let out, with Der
bonnet drawn over her face and a
handkercl lei pressed over her
mouth, through which her heart
broken sobs burst as the jaiIer
passed her through the outer door
1f the prison. She walked slow
Iy off with teetle gait, bowed
figure, and wailing pitiiu!ly, Civ
.hg vent to her great grief. and
she was soon lost 10 the 81 .ht Of
he gaping guards and morbblys
curious spectators. Breakfast
lime came at eight O'Clock, and
he confident and compassionate
jailor, with a meAl-tho last he.
loomed man was to have eaten
entirely of tempting
leljcacies, repaired to the cell
rhe bars were removed and the
leavy iron door was swung back,
Iud the jailor entered, when II
light that made him shake like an
Ispen leaf met bis astonished gaze.
n the further end of the cell, in.
tead of the condemned man,
up in a corner, was &
in her night clothes. The
plates and dishes with the break
asst fell from the jailors hand to
he floor, aud were broken 10 frag-
nents. He tried to speak, but
ould find no words of utteIance,
nd as he stood in actual despair .
he crouching figure arose, and,
n the tone of a woman who
links she has done praisewor-
by action, said, "Well, as Martin
as gone, | reckon | had better
at the breakfast, and she forth
nth began picking up the scat.
cred PORTIONS of the meal. Bay
ard had escaped in bis wifes
lothes, and was doubtless by this
me far beyond the reach of the
ounty officers. The Sheriff, as
BON as apprised of the circum-
.ances, set out in pursuit Of the
riminal with a posse, but in vain,
IT after securing the country
II miles, they returned without
leir prisoner. The assembled
-owd gave expression to their
lagrin in various ways, none the
ast of which Was an anxious de.
re ON their part to see the wo-
Ian hanged in the place Of her
uSband, and, indeed, many OF
lem were firm in the impression -
lat such would be the case
Iaving come to see ga hanging,
ley were not particular as to
hom the victim was, whether
lilty or innocent, as long as their
Iorbid curiosity was gratihed.-