Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-05-10

EXECUTION IN CALIFORNIA.
Jehn ,: MaFRhy HanyeA for the Mur.
der Of his BrOther.fm.LaW-He Dies
without Apparent Fear or Rem0se.
John J. Murphy was hanged at Stockton,
sisters husband, fsirics Murray, u the crime or
having been committed little more than four
years and hair ago. Mugpyy and Murray
yed With their families ON adjoining farms,
which they owned, about i've miles from st Jek-
ton. The murdered man was of violent temper
and al usive to his wife, who made to her
brother frequent complaints of his treatme nt
Of her. She was An invalid and Murray's abuse
Of her, was, NO doubt, the cause or the murder.
Murr by took o shot-g0n and went 10 Murray's
house upon dark night, Oct. IS, 1868. Mrs.
MURRAY was confined to her bed, and her little
boy was preparing supper. Murray was seated
at table, when suddenly q door was thrown
violently open and Murray, jumping up, was
word, fred upon him, infi;ting a shocking
wound In the head, of which he died in q few
hours. MuIl by was first convicted in Febru-
sry. H9. He secured new trial, and was con-
Vlcted again N August, 1871. He hid been
q prisoner from the time OF his arrest, a day or
two after the shooting. 1t is said that being
allowed the liberty Of the prison, he burned up
which had been slowed In the basement After
the gallows was in course of erection in the
jail-yard, he especially requested permission to
might become accustomed to the sight of the
fatal apparatus. The particulars Of his execu-
ton are thus given In the San Francisco
papers:
At Log O'Clock the door leading from the Jail
to the scafiold was opened, and Sheriff Cunning
ham and Under Sheriff Bennett stepped down
the stairway, closely followed by Murphy, who
walked alone, and, with the exception of
deathlike paleness, seemed the least affected.
Father O'Connor followed bearing the crucifix.
Murphy was neatly dressed in a new suit of
black, white shirt and collar, with neat neck
tie. He was calm in manner and stood at ease
when placed In the proper position. At 1:1O
the order for the execution was read. Murphy
the as IF in
to see who was there. The sheriff then asked
If ne had anything to say to which Murphy re-
Thed in low voice, but with perfect noncha-
lence: I" don't know that have; have done
I0thihg that feel bad about; although have
lilled man, have not committed a murder;
would do it again under the same cireum-
Iaan would do" AT lis his limbs were bound
with four leather straps. During the operation
the doomed man exhibited no symptoms of
binding him. While his hands were vet loose,
he shook hands with all who were on the plat
form, and waived a farewell to those whom he
Knew IN the yard below. During all this time
the attendant priest was repeating prayer for
the dying and the dead. At1:22 O'Clock, Sheriff
cunningham adjusted the moose around MUIR
phys neck, the condemned man looking anx-
1ousiy around upon the faces of all about him.
IS though taking one last look Of the friends he
loved. At 1:23 the cap, which was of black
velvet, was adjusted over his head, completely
tencealing his features, and all was ready for
the final act. Murphy stood perfectly erect,
exactly in the center of the trap. At 1:24
SheIif Cunningham gave the signal with his
held the trap, there was a sudden, sharp, quick
sound as the heavy doors swung back to their
places, then dull, heavy thud as the rope
I Isutened with its human weight; shudaer
through the crowd, trembling for an instant
of the scaffold, and then there hung, about two
feet above the solid earth, the still, motionless
body of John j. Murphy. The fall was en-
tire!y successful. The body descended on a
perfectly straight line, and the neck being
broken on the first descent, the only perceptihle
motion, after the swinging motion caused by
Of the hands. AT 1:41 the sheriff cut the rope
and the body was lowered into a coffin which
had been provided, and delivered to his friends
Shocking Murder of An Orphan Girl.
A correspondent Of the New York World
writing from Moravia, n. Y, May Sd, says:
dence Of Abram Wescott, a respectable, well-to-
do farmer, residing in the adjoining town of
Locke, at about ten O'Clock this morning, the
victim being his foster-daughter about fourteen
years of age. She was an orphan, and about
three years ago was taken by him from the
Cayuga county asylum at Auburn and adopted
as'nis own. About ten days since young Swiss
emigrant landed at New York, and by one who
interested himself in his behalf was directed to
Mr. Westcott as one likely to give him per-
manent employment, at the same time instruct
Ing him in the art Of husbandry and assisting
him in the acquisition OF knowledge of our
language The young man took advantage of
the suggestion, found his way hither, was re-
ceiyed into the family and furnished with work
Nothing unusual occurred until to-day, when
the girl was undoubtedly murdered by the
young emigrant. He was reputed to be about
fifteen years old, but was belle yed by those about
him to be nearly twenty. This morning at an
early hour Mr.. and Mrs. Wescott left home and
came to Moravia, q distance Of about eight
miles to attend to some matters OF business but
bad scarcely arrived before a swift messenger
followed bearing the terrible tidings of the
death Of the daughter at the hands Of an assas-
sin under circumstances placing beyond aues-
ton the guilt Of murder upon the boy No one
but the two young people were in the house
They had not been left alone more than hour
when Deighbor called and was Mortified to
fnd the daughter lying on the sitting room floor
with marks OF violence upon her person. with a
large knife still buried in her back between her
sFine and shoulder blade, wetering in her own
hood, and gasping In her last agony. She was
then too near her end toimpart any information
concerning the tragedy, and died in a few mo-
ments. Search was made, and it was discoy red
that after changing his own boots for a pair be-
longing to Mr.. WestcOtt the blood guilty youth
had fed. He was holly pursued by an excited
and vengeful posse of the neighboring farmers.
and at last accounts had been tracked az far
as North Vile. in the town of Genoa, ten miles
from Mr.. Wescott's and about three from
Cayuga lake.
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