Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1873-12-05
Execution of a Murderer.

Henry Young, the colored man who
murdered Frank Hahn, the young drover
Of Shenandoah, Va, in Washington last
spring, was hung in thata city on Friday
last The father of the murdered man was
among the 300 spectators present. The
following statement of the murder was
made by Young to a reporter who obtain
ed access to him few hours before the
execution:
81 came up from Alexandria about
O'Clock on the evening Of the occurrence,
and went to a house on Seventh street,
where L played poker at John Wallaces;
| when / was about leaving met Dave and
| Josh Haney on the avenue near the Metro
| politan Hotel, and 1 asked what they were
| doing. One said they were waiting for
man to come from Baltimore who had
pocket full of rocks, and he was LUSH
ldrunk.) I asked 'how do you know that
he has money! and they answered that
tney had driven the cattle up for him, and
when he paid them he showed pile OF
greenbacks They said that if he was not
drunk enough they could get him to drink
| more. and they could then get his money.
They asked me to go with them and they
| would divy' (divide) what they got.
| We went to the Baltimore and Potomac
| depot and waited until the train came in
and this man (Hahn) got off, when the
| Haneys spoke to him and he spoke as if he
knew them. [ thought then that it would
not be safe to go too close to them, and fol-
lowed at some distance. They went up
Sixth street to the avenue and then to Soy-
enth. Josh Haney and Hahn went down
to the American House and Dave went
| down further-to the rag store at the cor
ner of B street. went across the street
and stood near the corner of the market,
and when Hahn came out Josh Haney star
| ted towards the lot-Dave joining them as
they passed. [ walked on and crossed over
to the east side of Seventh street as they
went into the lot with Ham, and was about
twenty or thirty yards from them. When
they got in the lot Josh raised a stick he
not knowing that they intended to beat
the man, sung out, ''don't hit him.''
| About that time the man halloed ooh y
and Dave hit him with the slung shot, and
both of them followed up the blows. Josh
kicked him Dave searched him, and they
came over to where was, and Dave said,
Come on; I've got the money They went
to the gas-light near the corner of the
Smithsonian, and Josh produced the eswag'
la pocket-book and another book, 1.-THE
time book.) They gave me $50. Dave
that much;' and Josh took out the check,
and Dave and didn't know what it was
but Josh said it was check, and the man
at the end of the Long bridge would tell
them if it was good or not. We then star
ted down seventh street, and across the
Long bridge.
The following is an account Of the exc
cution:
Some time was spent in religious exer-
cises, in which he joined, conducted by his
spiritual advisers, Reys. Perry, Ryder, and
| Draper, colored At 1910 he was led to
the scaffold, Gen. Croker, warden, in
charge, and the ministers accompanying
him. His council, Gen. Murray, who has
been untiring in all legal efforts to save
him, also accompanied him. He mounted
| the Scaffold firmly and appeared occasion
ally to smile. During prayer by one of
the ministers, he turned to Gen. Croker
and asked him to remove his hat. 1t was
showing at the time. He addressed the
crowd in low but unfaltering tone, say
ing, CHOW is the time to come to repent
ance before it is too late; hope to see you
all in heaven; in that lonesome dungeon ]
have found a Saviour; take warning by
me, and don't put it off; tried to be a
better man but did not go in the right way
uly Olly uopt Is Ill Jesus L dill giving W
dwell forever in bright world"
During the preparations for springing the
trap voice in the crowd called out, 'Guil-
ty OF not guilty ?' He did not hear the
cry, and it was repeated in louder tone.
Those around him told him of it, and he
distinctly answered, ''Not." This was his
last word spoken aloud. At 1925 the drop
fell His neck was dislocated, as was after
wards found, but still the commissions and
quivering of the body indicated that life
did not leave it for five minutes. After
hanging half an hour it was lowered and
delivered to his friends, and brought to
Alexandria for interment.
Among the crowd in attendance was Mr..
Hahn, Of Rockingham, the father of the
murdered man, and several others of his
friends. Mr. I'll. is a finelooking gentle
man, about so years old, with firm, manly,
clean-shaven face He leaned against the
sentry-box in the yard with his hand under
the breast of his coat, and witnessed the
execution with apparent calmness, and
thoughtful and sad expression. The per-
sstence of Young in his statement that he
did not intiict the fatal blows has left the
belief on many minds that he had an &C.
complete in the murder.