The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1873-11-21
Shocking Scene on a ScafroId.

A Williamsport Pa.) letter to the
New York Herald gives the horrible
details of the execution of Nelson T..
Wade for the murder of old John and
Isabella Mcbride in July last
The murderer delivered the following
speech after he had assembled the scat
fold: Gentlemen, / am guilty of the
murder of Isabella and John Mcbride.
1t has been told you how committed
the deed. The Commonwealth did not
seem satisfied there were witnesses
who swore they saw me at the stables.
1t was false. | slept on an humble step
that night, and L hope God will forgive
them for swearing falsely. 1 hope the
day of resurrection is at hand, for feel
in my heart that | am going to home
which lawyers and policemen cannot de-
prive me of" He then spoke of the
glorious flag of the Union and of the
enthusiasm he felt that neither gold nor
silver could buy it. Remember" he
said, 81 stand on the death tramp, and
/ ask of you again to fight for the
Union" Then continuing: May
God bless you all forgive the Sheriff
and all others. Remember that Jesus
died for us all. You thought L would
have to be carried to the platform, but
| | committed the deed and l know l must
answer for it. Remember that Gov.
Geary ate his breakfast and left this
world suddenly. So be prepared.
After speaking he took chair, crossed
his legs, and scowled upon the multi
tude. For twenty minutes Wade
fingered on that scaffold waiting for the
minister to finish, and for that length of
time did he indulge in idle and unneces-
sary remarks.
After he got through the condemned
man was ordered to arise and place him
self upon the fatal trap. His legs were
tied with ropes, the moose was frightened
around his neck, the black cap drawn
over his face, but still he stood as if
statue cut from stone. No muscle
moved, no tremor was visible. An
other solemn prayer was offered, and
the man who held the lever below
which let down the trap was signaled
to. An instant after a thud was heard,
and down through the trap fell the man.
But, oh what fall it was The
rope was too long, the knot failed to
slip as it should do, his feet touched
the ground, and the strain on the neck
was terrible. Such q scene your CORE
spondent never saw. The culprit cried
aloud, the rabble Kissed and hooted on
the outside, while the crowd within the
prison-yard withdrew in terror and con-
sternation from the CHASTITY spectacle.
"Oh, God, have mercy on my soul
Oh, God, have mercy on my soul y the
hanging man cried in tone of anguish.
"Mercy" was in q tone that froze the
III % 81 al ha
unable to endure the sight, began to
climb down from their places, when the
rope slipped from its knot on the beam
above until the man was in a sitting
posture.
Such criminal carelessness upon the
part of the officers in arranging the
rope reused the fury of the people to a
point almost indescribable. The moose
was taken off the criminals neck, and,
!, in his stunned, semi-unconscious state,
, he was carried to the scaffold for the
} second time, and, perhaps more dead
than alive, was placed in a standing
posture on the readjusted trap. The
officers trembled as they fastened the
rope again, and once more was the ex-
ecution attempted. He fell, uttering
= no cry, but at the end of the jerk his
: mighty form writhed and twisted, and
/ thus, suspended between heaven and
earth, the crowd gazed on the murderer
: of John and Isabella Mcbride. Twenty
minutes after falling the doctors pro-
nounced him dead. His neck was not
broken by the fall. The corpse was
put into coffin and hurried away,
know not where. A more frightful
murder, or more terrible and hideous
execution, has never been heard of.
: Twice hanged was he, even as he had
: twice gone to the old man to kill him.
1t was an awful scene, and one which
all the beholders will remember as long
: as they live.