Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-01-16
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT.

account OF the hanging OF the hussioh eahoi
Mechells, in Jersey City, on the 9th. The
details are horrible.
"Mechella was probably as hardened man
as was ever put to death, and his life in prison
is a record of the vilest profanity, and OF the
most filthy insults offered to his keepers and
visitors. Though not large he was ex-
tremely powerful and desperate, and seems
to have desired nothing more than re-
venge for his confinement and conviction by
adding a keeper or two to his list of victims.
These gentlemen, so far from thinking him
deficient in iHtellect, regarded him as wonder
fully cute and shrewd, and are greatly re-
lieved to have him out of the way, as he was
an object of anxiety to them from the day Of his
commitment six months ago until the end.
| Upon first entering the Jail he masked him
self in religious pretensions, spending much
of his time in prayer. The moment his coun-
sci had been engaged, however, his whole de-
meanor altered. The Bible was thrown out
of the window, and where his keepers had
heard words of plous supplication and hope
they now listened to the most frightful oaths.
| The day previous to that on which his first
sentence was to be carried out-Dec. last
he received the news of the reprieve by Gov.
Parker with curses, bestowed impartially upon
the bearer and the Governor, 30 that it was
difficult to comprehend the mans nature at
ALL During the last week his violence in
creased to dreadful extent, and only very
few were allowed to gaze upon the human ami
NAL, who chafed and worried and fought,
handcufIed behind iron bars and bolts.
Every court house car from the ferry
brought a load of sight-seers, the streets were
alive with people, and against fences and in
windows adjacent they crowded forward, per-
| foptlv 90 bow n splpsa as fheir effnrf and
how completely hidden was the tragedy of the
scaffold. The city in that vicinity bore a reg
ular holiday appearance. Companies and
L of the 4th Regiment, n. j., guarded all the
| approaches to the Jail with fixed bayonets, and
| those who obtained entrance into the jail-yard
did so under the seyerest scrutiny. The Jail
yard, twenty minutes before the condemned
man was to be led out, was a scene Of bois-
ferrous laughter and heartless merriment not
seen in the New York prisons. At such mo-
nents the average spectator is inclined to
pause before even calling out the name
of person he recognizes, and there is an air
OF oppression ever present and unmistakable
in its character. Acquaintance almost al
ways meet at such places with an unusually
hearty shake of the hand and cordial "How are
ye," or surprised "You here ?" although they
may have been together the previous evening
VI that FSiy Au0 SCCmihS Va
real cordislity is carried to the extent OF de-
light without any apparent cause. On this
occasion the representatives of the press were
allowed the exclusive use of tin roof over a
single story, almost directly in front of the
Jail, where "they could see the fun BETTER" as
one of the officials kindly remarked.
1t was few minutes after 10 o'clock when
Sheriff Reinhardt, accompanied by under
Sheriff Corwin and number of deputies, as
cended to the corridor where Mechella was
confined. They called him. He walked to
them, and the deputies surrounded him. They
lifted his coat tor him. He had been in his
shirt sleeves, and he, docile as child, ex-
tended his arms, and then allowed them to
put it on his back The Sheriff then drew
forth the death warrant, and proceeded to read
it to the prisoner. He turned to 60 away, but
was recalled by a touch on the shoulder.
'Keep your hands off ~ he exclaimed; 81
don't mean to harm nobody" The Sheriff
proceeded with the reading, Mechella, with
his eyes part of the time on the floor and part
of the time on the Sheriff, listened with the
air of man forced to hear what did not in
terest him. He, however, relieved the mo-
notony of the proceeding by frequent pufTs
at his cigar. After the Sheriff had concluded
the reading of the paper he asked: Jacob
Mechella, what have you further to say? ?"
Mechella, without removing the cigar from his
mouth replied: "What the Il got to say"
Machaiia'. ara nin;onsd Pi hoh;rd ~ h.
49, r., LA @ pn'Un. VIZ. Ienad us
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s.aoie "a's, anu pe',,'u oiieriu heln,'aTu,
'hen 'an,o ','e ne'' mess's' hiGe anu ileu-
s'loN, "no nao peeh Wi'h nun al .he morn Ut,
ing ,heh came inc oouies OF depulies. me
Pecuiiar SENSATIONS OF an may De imagined
when n' ens WIN 'hs 'eariai looklng cap
On ''e pacN VI ms neau' was seen 10 retain
'ne e,sa' ~ us n.ou.n' !" niie .ne IRON 'oop
OF Inc rope HuUR against MS ear, anu the