The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1873-08-08

to represent the Democracy of Harfordin the
approaching State Convention TO nominate
candidates for Comptroller of the Treasury
and CLERK ofthe Court of Appeals, which will
assemble in Baltimore on the 18th ofAugust
William M. Elliott, J. r. Street, Herman
Stump, Jr, and r r. Vandivcr
These delegates, it is understood, are ia
vorable to the denomination of Col. Levin
Woolford, for Comptroller.
The Execution Of Michel >On and HOllOhan.
On Friday last, August list, in Baltimore
city, Joshua Nicholson and Thomas r. Hollo-
han suffered the extreme penalty of the law,
by being hanged Their offence was one of
the most heinous character, being the muir
der of an aged lady, Mrs. Lampley, in her
own house, on the night of the Cd of Janu-
airy last, The execution took place in the
Jail yard, at five minutes after ten, A NJ, an
| immense crowd of persons, estimated at not
less than ten thousand, having assembled to
witness it, among whom We're old men and
persons of every intermediate age. Even
women with children in their arms mingled
in the crowd to witness the horrid spectacle
of two guilty wretchcs swinging in their
death throcs between earth and sky.
Both the men were perfectly calm, it is
stated, and met their death unmoved. Each
spoke audibly TO the crowd, as they stood on
the platform ofthe gallows, and both express
ed the utmost confidence in the forgiveness
of their sins and their sure hope of heaven.
Their bodies were allowed to hang about %
minutes, when they were lowered and exam
ined by physicians, who found that life was
extinct. Hollohan's body was taken in
charge by J. w. Weaver, undertaken, in
whose warerooms it lay in state for several
hours, hundreds of persons having gratified
their morbid curiosity by viewing it, Nichol-
sons remains were taken in charge by his
friends for private burial.
The crime for which these men were hung
is graphically and fearfuly told in Hollohan's
own confession as follows
We arrived at the house at about o'clock;
no one was there but the old lady; she was
sitting in her working-ch sewing; Mich
olson entered without knocking; she spoke
to him very kindly; followed; Josh gave
me an introduction. We
talked a little while when Mrs. Lampley got
up and went to the cupboard and took from
! that brown paper bag of cakes, telling Mich
| olson that She had mt thnm mp for his little
children, that she had intended to send them
over to Nicholson's house that morning ;
then She treated Nicholson and myself to
some wine, stating that it was home made;
Nicholson stood behind her | was standing
Nv IA CT Loci, cin, al I ,1,ol
her by the throat at the same time Nichol-
son struck her with his fist in the stomach.
We then carried her into the other room
and laid her on the carpet ; she was dead
Speaking of the influence public cxecu-
tons and the evidences of religious consola-
ton under the terrors Of such II death, the
Baltimore Sun says
We have already indicated our opinion of
the demoralzing influence of public execu-
tons. The force and terror of the example
are neutralized when it becomes spectacle,
like the contests of gladiators and of men
with wild beasts in the Roman amphtheatre
for the qualification of brutal curiosity
which can only be more brutalized by feast
ing on such an exhibition. The sudden de-
struction of human life is not an agreeable
spectacle to humane people, and those whose
natures are gratified by such scenes are not
likely to be improved by them 1t is to be
hoped that the next Legislature will enact
a law by which executions may be strictly
private, with only the necessary legal wit
nesses and officials present. At the same
time, the moral surroundings of the late exc
cutions may have tended to counteract in
this case the otherwise demoraizing tenden-
cies OF publicity. 1t is true that not much
confidence is TO be placed in exhibitions of
penitence and faith which are only developed
under the terrors of death. Yet it is some
consolation to hope that in the worst of men,
however depraved they may seem, some good
may be latent. even though it requires the
extreme penalties ofthe law to deveope it.
1t is only God who can estimate the weight
of moral guilt in any crime. 1t is said of
the devout John Newton that once, seeing
convict carried to execution, he exclaimed,
but for the grace of God that might have
been John Newton"
No man knows what capabilities of evil
there are in his own heart Nor, according
to the sacred oracles, is there any crime of
man against man which can intercept the
hope of redemption. The judiciary, in
sentencing the convict to the gallows, exhort
him to prepare for his doom; the clergy es-
pouse his spiritual welfare with great earnest
ness; the unhappy condemned feels that he
must crowd the work for which life time is
not too long into few days. Hence it would
seem fair and reasonable to give at least the
credit of sincerity to the pious utterances of
the greatest criminals when brought face to
face with death. AT the same time, no one
should he encouraged by such expressions to
believe that lifetime of crime can be atoned
for by sensibilities and emotions excited under
the most appalling circumstances, or that the
gallows is ladder that leads above instead
of below. 1t would be more edifying to hear
criminals in their last moment speaking less
of themselves and more of their crime and of
the innocent victim who, in this case, helpless
and lonely, without the aid of clergy or the
support of public sensation and sympathy,
was hurried by their bloody hands, without
a moments time for leave taking or prepar-
paration, to the last account.
ANOTHER HORRIBLE MURDER IN BALTI-
MoRE-The argument that public executions
have little or no effect in restraining crime,
and dcmonlizing influence rather, would
appear to have significant comment in the
fact that on the very night following the exc
cution of Holohan and Nicholson, murder
was committed by n drunken sailor who had
been recent eyewitness of the punishment
melted out TO murderers.
1t appears that late Friday night four men
went into bur room on South Broadway,
Baltimore kept by James Kennedy, who was
up stairs sick Mt the 'inle, his wife being in
attendance at the bar. The men became moi