The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-02-15
Exssution Of John Gaffney for the Murder
Of Patrick Fahey in Buffalo.
Sketch Of Gaffaey's Career and Crime
His Conduct During His Incarcera-
Pretending Insanity
The Physicians Test.
SCENES AT THE GALLOWS.


man whose hands were imbued with the blood OF
his fellow man has been hurried into the presence
Of its offended Maker.
To-day John Carney, the murderer OF Patrick
Fahey, was, IN accordance with the sentence
passed upon him. taken from his place of conflne-
ment In the old jail out into an angle of the yard
and hanged by the neck until he was dead. From
the jurisdiction Of the courts on-earth case has
been transferred to the bar OF Judgment on HIGH
from which there can be no appeal.
tllfJ g JOHN GAPFNEY, tl lfuth rr
the murderer, was really child OF crime He was
born In what is known "the infected district.
in Buffalo, and lived there all his life, among the
worst and the most degraded classes. He was
born in August, 1874, and was, therefore, in his
twenty-ninth year, he receiving no early training
except such as criminals and desperadoes could
impart, except learning to read and write at one
Of the public schools and during term at mis-
sion school Of the Young Mems Christian Associa-
ten. For some years past he was looked upon as
. man Of some influence. He was very neat In his
dress, although inclined TO be 1ashy, and may be
said to have been really handsome man. With
dark hair, large eyes and a neatly trimmed mus
tache, he cut quito dash at several OF the fashion,
able watering places ana was apparently q favored
guest In many circles.
PATRICK FAHEY,
the murdered man, was about twenty-three years
OF age, and was one Of those who haunted "the in
fected district" But little Is known Of him, other
than the fact that he was almost continually under
police surveillance for some crime or violation Of
law. lie had but recently been discharged after
serving term OF Imprisonment, on q charge OF
stabbing at Fort Erie.
The story OF Ganneys crime, with the details of
his trial and the efforts made to his release,
have been given at length in the HERALD, SO that
brief summary Of the facts In this case will now
suffice Carney, with party or young men like
himself early in the morning OF May 7,
1872, were drinking and playing at cards
In low den on Canal street, when a
difficulty arose between him and one Patrick
Fahey. From his own statement it appears that
during the melee his brother-in-law, John Farrell
(wh0 is now serving term OF five years on con-
victiOn for burglary, handed him revolver. Gatf-
ney pointed 1t at Fahey and fired. but he missed
his aim. Fahey then ran toward the door; Carney
followed and fired two shots more, one OF which
took effect the cheek and the other in the breast.
Fahey ran up the street few yards and then
dropped to the pavement dead. Ali those who were
present when the police arrived were arrested and
nom the testimony of one McQueeney the guilt was
fastened on Carney He was sentenced to be
executed on the 9th day OF September, 1872. His
counsel set to work and practsed all the devices
and technicalities known to the legal profession.
A bill OF exceptions was prepared and motion for
new trial argued, but the motion was denied On
the 25th OF September two days before the day set
for his execution, respite for three weeks was
granted by Governor HOFFMAN, and the case was
brought before the Court OF Appeals, but the Sd
OF December the decision OF the lower Court was
anirmed, and on the 14th Of December Carney was
REsENTENCED.
condemned Carney to be executed on the 81 day
OF February, 1879. A ter Carney had been re-
turned to the jail ir discovered that the I'd Of
February fell on Sunday; that the error was made
by the Judge in referring to q calendar Tor 1872
The Court would, In o few minutes, have adjourned
sine ale, so GaGney was hurriedly returned to the
court room and the error was corrected by naming
the 18th of February instead Of the 3D. Had the
Court adjourned before the error was discovered a
very nice point OF law would be involved, as Sun
day Is considered dies non.
THE ONLY HOPE LEFT
was that the Governor might be induced to COM
mute the sentence to Imprisonment for liie Petit
tons were signed by members of the Common
Council and large number OF the citizens OF Erie
county and forwarded to General Dix, appealing to
him to exercise his prerogative and save Carney
from the galows. The Governor, as will be re-
membered, was obdurate and refused most
peremptorily to grant the communication. AS soon
Al 1t was known that there was no hope Gafrney
stormed in his cell and Iaved ike q maniac. The
officials became alarmed. Gafrney was as the
result has shown, feignDg insanity, and doing 1t
physicians in Buffalo. and OF course an insane man
could not, under the law, be executed.
THE INSANITY DODGE
A jury Of twelve electors was summoned by the
Sheriff to decide on the sanity or insanity Of the
prisoner. On the evening OF the day previous to
the day set down for the execution Governor Dix
sent respite Of one week In answer to q request
from the physicians, In order that fuller examina-
ton might be made into the mental condition OF
the prisoner. DR.. Gray, OF the State Insane
Asylum at Utica, and DR.. yanderpoel, Health on
Ger Of the Port OF New York. were summoned here,
and on Sunday last they commenced their exam-
nation, which satisfied them that Gaffney was
ieigning, and they so testified. 1t may
that the examination by DR.. Gray and himself was
most complete They examined him as TO his
physical condition. his emotional condition and his
mental condition. They found no evidence Of dis
ease In his physical condition. AS to his emo
ti0nal condition, the manifestations Of which were
in the lines Of his face, they found the muscles act
ing in perfect concurrence instead OF one being re-
taxed and another drawn, as IS almost univer-
sally the case in insane persons His eyes were
dry and CLASSY look OF the acute MANIA but the
secretion was perfect The pupil was perfectly
diatable the moment 1t was submitted to the light
and its action was normal. instead of the Intense
ness OF gaze Of the man who Is insane-who is de-
termined to impress himself upon you, it would be
Impossible for him to hold his gaze upon us for a
moment. They told
GAFFNEY, "YoU ARE rEIGNrNG;
you can't look at us TOR q moment" A moment
after that he made desperate efforts to show that
he could look ntently. Instantly his eye would nag
then he would look up at the ceiling In order to
his finger In his mouth and around MS teeth.
''As to the other condition, that OF dementia,"
DR.. vanderpoel continued, "he had not that mat
tention had in dementa. II was a single phrase,
or limited TO a SINGLE phrase, given as evidence
here. when we made our first visit his CONVERSE
zion was scarcely anything else but oaths don't
know that ever heard mansswear SO. IL seemed
as though every idea was succession OF oaths.
said, Carney that is very poor business. never
he2rd an insane man swear like that. why
are you so blasphemous ~ After that on that