Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1873-03-29
HON z NEWS.
HANGING OF FOSTER
Affecting Scene on Leaving His wife.

Died Speedily and without Struggle. |
New YORK, March 2O.-Foster passed |
the day quietly and remained during the |
greater part of the day in his cell. He |
heard early in the day of the final effort
of his counsel to prevent on legal techni-
cality his execution tomorrow and his
hopes revived, but on receiving intelli-
gence that the effort had proved vain, he
became very detected, hung his head on
his breast and desired that no one would
speak to him except his wife. She had
tainted on hearing of the failure of this
last effort, but on recovering, she returned
to her husband and placing her hand in
his sat by him for hours, but spoke but
little. About half-past seven the final
parting between Foster and his wife took
place. Both were deeply affected He
kissed her repeatedly and she chung to
him until overcome with emotion. She
tainted and was carried away by her BROTH
er Inson. The officials were deeply moved
by the scene. Rev. DR.. Tying spent up
wards of an hour in the afternoon with
Foster, who listened earnestly to his ex-
hortations.
Foster was also visited during the day by
his brother-in-law, his father and by faith
er Duranquell, a Catholic priest, but re-
fused to undergo the ordeal of parting
with his children, whom he has not seen
since his arrest
New YORK, March 2l.-Foster was ex-
ecuted at II minutes past o'clock this
morning.
Foster awoke at : o'clock and partook of
cup of coffee, but ate nothing. He was
very pale and his strength seemed fast
failing. He was attended by Rev. DIR.
Tying and Rev. Mr.. Shoemaker, Chaplain
of Sing Sing. He engaged in devotional
exercises up till O'Clock, and at II minutes
past he was led out, supported by Sheriff
! Brennan and the under Sheriff. Foster
walked unfalteringly to the scaffold. His
face had hectic flush. When he arrived
beneath the scafiold Rev. DIR. Tying, assist
ed by Rev. MIR. Shoemaker, read the 5lst
psalm. AS the solemn words We're read,
in which the Rev. DIR. Tying besought God
to open the eye of mercy into this, thy
servant, the scene was hushed and inn
pressive in the extreme. During the
| reading of the service Foster stood beneath
the scaffold with his head bowed down and
his left hand shading his eyes. Rev. DR..
Schoemaker shook hands with Foster and
said, "God bless thee, my dear friend" AT
II minutes past o the bolt was drawn and
the body rose into the air. He gave one
slight struggle, but only SO slight as to be
almost impereepuble. There was an alb
sence of usual movement of the shout
ders, and slight contraction of the lower
limbs and barely perceptible motion Of
the hands. After hanging ) minutes the
body was lowered about 8 inches, and q
minute thereafter about foot further
Twelve minutes after the bolt was drawn
his pulse ceased to beat. He had died al
most without a struggle.
1t was evident during the reading of the
services that he was rapidly sinking and
scarcely able to stand. The physicians
noticed this, and Rev. Mr.. Shoemaker had
just shook hands with Foster and said
Good bye-GOd bless you my friend
when the fatal bolt was drawn. After be-
ing allowed to hang little over 20 min.
utes the body was lowered into the coffin
and conveyed into the dead house of the
Toombs, whence it will be taken to-day Il
the residence of Fosters widow. Inter
ment will probably take place on Monday
; next
At 20 minutes before 10 the crowd o.
deputy sherift5 and Others of one hundred
and fifty persons who had gained admission
to witness the execution slowly made theil
exit from the scene.
Shortly after Foster had been cut down
the sexton of DIR. Tyng's church, called al
the Tombs and requested that the body bt
: allowed to remain there till late in the af
: ternoon, when it would be removed TO the
residence of his wife. None of the unfors
tunate mans friends have called to see hi
body, since the execution. He is lying in
his room in. the Tombs, in the undertaken
box, waiting TO be removed
Poisoned Himself the Night Before
Execution.
WASHINGTON, March pa statement
is published to-day based on information
derived from Tombs official, that Foster
took poison the night before his execution
About o'clock yesterday morning the
matron of the tombs found Foster sick
and in explanation he then admitted he
had taken poison. The mans symptoms
in every way confirmed suspicion on this
account. The ffhastened the eXecu-
ton, and while many believed the duration
of religious exercises were telling on FoS-
ter's nerves. it was in reality weakness
caused by poison that was acting on him.
A TOmbs physician says Foster would have
died if execution had been delayed until
10 o'clock.
William Foster was buried this morning
in Greenwood Cemetery, Rev. Dr's. Walk
er and Tying, officiating. After the service,
DIR. Tying said he felt it his duty to state
it was his belief that the report that Fos-
ter had taken poison and was dying at the
time of his execution, was false; that he
and DIR. Walker were alone with Foster
for three quarters of an hour Immediately
previous to his going to the scattold, that
he seemed in good health and strength
and had remarkable self possession of his
mind, that he dressed himself with minute
care and conversed fully and freely and
on being visited by the sheriff at nine
O'Clock, announced his readiness in a full
cheerful voice, and although pinioned,
walked with a firm step and without assls-
lance TO the scaffold, where he stood until