Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1873-03-28

fully and freely, and on being visited by the
sheriff at 9 o'clock, announced his readiness
in a full, cheerful voice, and although pin
toned, walked with firm step, and without
assistance, to the scaffold, and stood until the
fatal moment Both clergymen declared the
idea that he attempted or contemplated
suicide as entirely inconsistent with their OBJ
servation of his physical and mortal conduct
during the last hours Of his life.
It is insisted by some of the evening papers,
however, that Fosters attempted suicide is
correct. The theory is well supported
by circumstantial evidence, as we'll as
statements of the doctor of the Tombs and
minor officials The impression is that Fos-
ter took opium about o clock ON the morn
ing of the execution. Some assert this may
have been taken to influence his nervous sys-
TEN. but is evident the dose was sufficient to
produce death had the execution been stayed
an hour later.
EXECUTION OF A WIFE MURDERER.
James McElhany, who murdered his wife
some six months since, expiated his crime on
the scafold at Suffolk, Mass, jail Friday
morning. He was hanged at twelve minutes
past eleven, and twenty minutes life was
pronounced extinct There were about four
hundred spectators present, and all preserved
respectful silence and decorum that was
almost painful during the execution of the
law. The condemned man made no remarks
upon the scaffold, but before leaving his cell
he INDUCED in religious deyotions with Rev.
Mr.. Upham, his spiritual adviser, and Father
Cook. chaplain Of the jail. He took his last
leave of his father and mother Tuesday, and
signed a will bequeathing all his property,
about Sc, 900 worth, to his only child. He
| walked firmly to the scafold and behaved
| with extraordinary fortitude, The body OF
| McElhany was delivered to his friends that
afternoon. and they removed it East Cam
bridge. 1t isvhted on the authority of
| McElhany' S spiritual adviser that the mem
bers of his wife family refused to allow him
to see his child, aged two years. A letter
seconding the wish of the doomed man to see
his child was sent by Sheriff CLARK to the
| family, but without effect,
TEMPERANCE LECTURE FROM THE scAFFoLD.
| The wife murderer who was executed in Chi
cago on Friday last, made speech just before
he was swung, in the course of which he said:
"'Twas drinking whiskey brought me to this.
| Only for it l wouldn't be in this place now. Do
| We see this rope, all of ye around me here" The
| doomed man caught the moose in his hand and
held it up eye do we'll when We drink that
! bad vhiskey to think of this rope that is going
| to end ny life. Il y Give up drinkin 6
whskey, Young men, and all Of ya. GIVE 1T up,
or twill bring We to hurt some day. Be sober,
| and be good to your wives and kind to every
| body. Wbiskey will make the heat man mad
! l had as good wife as any of ye has now, and
| if hadn't been drunk I'd never have. taken her
life nor would be here myself. But whiskey,
say it again, whiskey brought me to this.
y i It was the poisonous drink that was
| in me that did not let me see what was doing.
Oh, avoid liquor, let me say to you once NOR"