The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-06-19
BY TELEGRAPH
TO THE
WHEELING REGISTER.
Associated Press Report. by Western
Union Line, Office Northwest cor.
OF Main and 18th SITS.
DOUBLE EXECUTION !
The Crimes and the Punish
ment.
One Dies Happy and the
Other Dies Game.

TERRE HAuTE, June 1S.-Two cx"cu-
tions transpired III this vicinity to-day
At - o'clock on the evening Of August
Goth, 1874 the body of woman was
found on the bank of Biz Sugar creek,
near Elbridgc, Edgar county, Illinois
with 4cr throat cut clear across. Search
was instituted Tor the perpetrator, which
resulted in the arrest Of John
Casey at Charleston, Illinois The wo-
man had been his wife. He was taken
to Paris, the county seat Of Edgar in
which the crime had been committed. at
the Criminal Circuit Court, the jury after
being out just twenty minutes returned
II verdict of murder in the first degree,
assessing the penalty of death. He has
been kept in Jail ever since the crime.
Strenuous efforts has been made to secure
a Communication of the sentence, but Gov
ernor Bcvcridge was firm and refused to
interfere. To-day being the day set for
his hanging, he was executed
at 1:37 p. NJ. An immense crowd sflled
the streets of Paris and surged about the
Jail yard but were kept back by the mill
tarv. At twenty-seycn minutes past
one he was taken out, and assembled the
scaiiold with firm step. He addressed
the crowd, saying that he WAS dying
happy; that he was an innocent man,
and that the people were to blame
for numbering him.
At l:37 Sheriff Halcott cut the rope
and the body fell. The neck was dislo-
Gated by the fall He struggled but lit
tie, and at l:5G was cut down, and his
body turned over to his attorneys. He
made confession shortly after his arrest,
but afterwards maintained his innocence
and declared It to the last. lie said he
was going to God who Is just
On the 10th day of October 1874,
Joseph Robbins, Il watchman, who was
employed by the Vandalia Railroad
Company at the Kaskaskia bridge in
Illinois. was murdered and Nathan Bur-
gess was convicted Of the murder and
to-day suffered the extreme penalty OF
the law at Ettiingham, Illinois. 1t was
proven that Burgess had committed the
crime for II two fold object; first, to re-
venge an IMAGINARY wrong and second,
to secure money which he believed Rob
bins to be possessed of. Having obtain
cd change If re,.,lc from Favcttc Co..
he was tried at Ettiingham thecounty seat
of an adjoining county, on the 18th day
of March last and on the 21th Of the
same month was sentenced 10 te hung
to-day. Numerous efforts have been
made to secure his pardon or commuta-
tion of the sentence, bat proved futile.
Burgc-.. ' doomed man, slept sound
" from thrr to six this morning, when
he arose AMI 1t seven o'clock, part"oG of
breakfast lie persisted alI day in deny
ing his guilt, although h. has
heretofore published confession.
He denied that he had written or caused
the same TO BE- written, and denounced it
as a forgery. He was visited during the
day by ministers of the Gospel and other
friends, but he refused to join any sect.
The execution tool, place in an inclo-
sure adjoining the Effingham county
iail shortly after two O'Clock and was
witnessed by probably fifty persons. tie
was led from his cell at l:i3 p. VI. H.
walked up firmly, though not in spirit
Of bravado, and took n seat on the
platform and made short prayer after
the reading Of the death warrant. An
interval of ten minutes was then given,
after which the plnioning Of the white
cap. the adjustment Of the moose and
Nathan Burgess was launched into etor.
nifty. His neck was broke and pulsation
ceased in twelve and One-half minutes.
He died game, protesting innocence to
the last, and without the least pretence
of religion.