Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-06-19
"GONE Up"
Two Convicted Murderers Done TO Death
After Legal Form In Indiana
Both Confessed and
Denied.
One Murdered his Wife, the Other bis
FIIend-GOVernOr Burgess APP
peaIed to for ReprieFes,
but In Vain,

TERRE HAUTE, June18-Two eXecu-
tions transpired in this vicinity to-day.
On the evening of August 26, 1874, the
body of woman Was found on the bank
of Big Sugar creek, near Elbridge, Ed
gar county Illinois, with her throat cut
clean across. Search was instituted for
the perpetrator, and after many trials
had been worked, arrested John Casey,
at Charleston, Illinois. The woman had
been his wife. He was taken to Paris,
the county seat of Edgar, in which the
crime had been committed. AT the
March term Of the criminal circuit court,
the jury, after being out just twenty
minutes, returned q verdict of murder in
the first degree, assessing the penalty as
death. He has been kept in Jail ever
since the trial, and strenuous efforts have
been made to secure a Communication Of
the sentence, but Governor Beveridge
was firm and refused to interfere. To-
day being the day set for his
hanging, he was executed at
thirty-seven minutes past one O'clock.
An immense crowd filled the streets of
Paris, and surged about the jsil-yard,
but were kept st bay by the militia. At
twenty-seven past one o'clock he was
taken Out, and assembled the scsffold
crowd, saying that he was dying happi-
ly; that he was an innocent man, and
that the people were to blame for muir
dering him. At thirty-seyen minutes
pa one Sheriff HalcOmb cut the rope,
and the body fell. His neck was dislO-
Gated by the fall. He struggled but lit
tie, and at fitty-siX minutes past one
o'clock was cut down, and his body
turned over to his attorneys. He made
a confession shortly after his arrest, but
aftarwsrd maintained his innocence,
and declared it to the last. He said that
ne was going to God, who is just.
On the twentieth Of October last, JO-
seph Robbins, z Watchman employed
by the Vandalia railroad company, at
the Kaskaskia bridge in Illinois, was
murdered, and Nathan Burgess was
convicted Of the murder, and to day sut-
fered the extreme penalty Of the law at
Et1ingham, Illinois. 1t was proved that
Burgess had committed the crime for q
tWO-fold purpose; first, to avenge an inn
agined wrong, and second to secure the
money which he believed Robbins to be
in possession of. Having obtained q
change of venue from Fayette county,
Burgess WAS tried at Effingbam, the
county-seat of an adjoining county, on
the nineteenth day of March
last, and on the twenty-seventh of
the same month was sentenced to be
hung to-day. Numerous efforts have
been made to secure his pardon or COM
mutation of sentence, but they proved
futile. Burgess, the doomed man, slept
soundly from three to six O'Clock this
morning, when he arose, and at seven
psrtook of breakfast. He persisted all
day in denying his guilt, although he
has heretofore published confession.
He denied that he had written or caused
the same to be written, and denounced
it as q forgery. He was visited during
the day by ministers of the gospel and
other friends. He refused to Join any
sect. The execution took place
in an enclosure adjoining the
Effingham county jail, shortly
after two in the evening, and was wit
messed by probably fifty persons. He
was led from his cell at forty-three
minues past one. He walked up firmly,
although not in a spirit of brsvado, and
took a seat on the platform. A short
prayer, the reading of the death-war-
rant, an interval of ten minutes for
leave-taking, the pinioning, the white
cap, adjustment of the moose, and
Nathan Burgess was launched into
eternity. His neck broke, and pulsation
ceased in twelve and a half minutes.
He died game, protesting his innocence
to the last, and without pretense of re-
ligiOn.