Connecticut western news., 1872-12-20
The Execution of Rodgers.

Henry Rodgers, the murderer of oA1- cer John Donahue, of the Brooklyn. N. Y., police, expiated his crime with his life on a scaffold erected in the yard be- hind the Raymond street jail.
 The murder was one of the most delib- crate ever committed. Donahue was an efficient and faithful officer, Rodgers q member of the notorious BattlerRow gang" an organization composed of the most desperate ruftians in Brooklyn.
 It seems that the membeIs of the gang had peculiar grudge against Donahue, and on the evening of the murder threats had been made to lay him out" Rodgers obtained cart-rung in iquer saloon where he and his companions had been drinking, and when the officer came up, struck him from behind, fracturing his skull. Donahue fingered for time. but from the first there was little CT no hope of his recovery.
 On his trial Rodgers had nothing to say in his defence. except that he did not think he had hit his victim hard enough to kill him. He seemed to think that this was the only excuse necessary, and even after his conviction, he appar- ently believed that his case was a fitting one to meet with executive clemency. It would be difficulty to imagine a more ill-looking set of men than those grouped around the prison on the morn ing of the execution. The air was laden ! with their filthy jests. They quarrelled and swore among themselves, and push. cd and hustled any respectable person unfortunate enough to fall into their company.
 The gallows, the same instrument on which so many suffered death in the courtyard of the Tombs, was erected in yard in rear of the prison. The pre- partitions were simple enough. Two up l right posts, a cross.beam, piece of dangling rope, and few deal boards to hide the weight. A strong line of police was drawn around the gallows to keep back the unruly crowd, and the task ot the officers was by no means easy.
 Rodgers, as he was taken from his cell to the prison yard could scarcely walk without support, and was evidently paralySed with fear. His eyes were fixed and glassy, his knees trembled, and his body swayed from side to side, like that of a drunken man.
 | When the gallows was reached the priests teok up their position on either side of him, and one recited the burial service of the Roman Catholic church while the other held crucifx before his face. The suspense at this moment was very painful. Rodgers stood as il in dream, from time to time moving his lips mechanically, and fumbling with rosary which he held in his left hand. As the service proceeded his face grew paler, and the blood left his lips. He seemed to make an effort to rally, but failed, and the next moment sank for. | ward In swoon. The priests pro, nounced the benediction over him as he leaned heavily on the arm of deputy sheriff, and before he had properly re. covered his senses the executioner had adjusted the rope, and pulled the black cap over his face. The Sheriff and others then shook hands with the wretch. ed man and murmured words of hope in his ear, but he gave DO response. Al 9:35 A. NJ. the signal was given, the rope was cut, the weight fell and the body ot Rodgers was swung in the air. His neck was not broken, but he nevertheless died easy, or seemed to do so. His legs and arms twisted once or twice convulsively 1 "LAN oAAO OAGu61 ACufCO GAE1CS III VAlI efforts at respiration. The fingers, too moved several times, but the hands were not clenched, and the doctors thought that the criminal suffered very little Ten minutes after the weight fell the pulse was beating feebly, and it wal perceptible at intervals until nearly If teen minutes had elapsed. It less thar tw wenty minutes all signs of life had dis appeared, and the slayer of Donahut was pronounced dead.
 Rodgers was, in life, small man, ant his features, although coarse, were no indicative of the desperate character as cribed to him. On the day of the exc cution he was dressed in plain suit O black broaddoth, and his appearanc, created not unfavorable impression It is reported that Rodgers himself aske, the Sheriff that his execution migh take place at as early an hour as possi ble, as he preferred death to the terribl suspense he was undergoing.