The Portland daily press., 1875-06-26

across little platform, down "cleat'' walk
and at the foot stands the
HideOus Galiows
apparently shrinking from the gaze of men,
being nearly under the broad walk from the
level of the prison yard to the second floor of
the carriage shop. A flight of stairs from the
platform leads to the fatal seaffold One might
pass that way dozen times and not observe
this instrument of death, it is SO hidden by the
adjoining buildings. 1t stands in the pit of the
old lime quarry. Around are high buildings,
embankments and high walls The horizon is
SO limited that it seems like the very pit of
despair. The structure is of the ordinary kind.
1t is about twelve feet square and twenty-five
feet from the top of the beam to the ground.
The timbers were stout and around the sca1old
runs railing three feet high, except space
to pass on. From the beam hung two ropes
three quarters of an inch in diameter and about
two feet and a half apart. at the end of which
wrthed the hang. mans knot and passing up
over pulley the other ends were made fast to
cleats on the upright timber. In the center,
Immediately under the nooses, is the trap door
about five feet square. Upon this same fatal
drop stood Cox and Williams, who were exc
cuted by United States Marshal Kimball at
Auburn in 1859, Spencer the murderer of War
den Tinker dozen years ago, and the negro
Harris in 1869. One side of the drop is secured
to the platform by heavy iron hinges, while the
other end rested on the end of an iron bolt, to
which is attached a Continuance so connected
with the spring which projected above the
platform, that press thereon would instantly
draw the bolt and let the trap fall. A cord and
weight was so attached to the trap as to keep
it from swingi pg back after falling.
On the sca6o1d.
The Off GERS, physicians and prisoners pass
down upon the fatal scaffold, and the specta-
tors by another way hurry down to the ground
at the foot of the gallows and stand about in a
group SO silent that breathing itself seemed for
awhile suspended. From this place the gal
lows seemed to loom up like some gigantic
thing of life, some destroying monster, fierce
and pitiless AS Wagner first caught sight of
the gallows, the dangling death moose, the rail-
ing, like the coil of a boa CONSTRUCTORS startled
expression passed over his face, but not a
muscle quivered, and he walked as firmly as if
going to ordinary duty rather than terrible
death. He was placed under one of the ropes,
which was adjusted to his neck. The sheriff S
deputy asked: SIS it all right?" "You
should know; you have done it before"
His legs were tied together. The man looked
about with unblanched face and steady eye.
Just then the CHASTITY bloody form of Gordon
was placed on a soap box by his side. He
looked down upon him and in tones full of pity
and appeal, said: "Poor Gordon, poor Gordon,
you are gone!'' Seeing Deputy Warden Rice on
the scaffold he frightened up and said in a
full clear voice: "Good bye, Mr.. Rice" Run
ming his eyes over the fifty mute spectators
down below him, he recognized the oversee r
under whom he had worked, and in a clearer
and fuller voice, he said: 'Good bye Mr..
Smith" Gordon's proper hanging apparel was
not put upon him until he was placed upon the
scaffold. Wagner watched this, and as they
were cutting the cords with which he was
bound, he remarked: 'Don't cut him."
Those who saw the misersble wretch Gordon
upon the drop will always remember it. That
ghasty face with the bright sun showing up
its hideousness, the deep groans, the bloody
limp form held up by the officers, made up a
picture of such utter horror and despair as is
rarely seen even in the fierce conflicts of war;
The ropes all adjusted, Sheriff Torrey said:
"Wagner, have you any confession to make?"
In piteous yet firm tones, the man, surrounded
by all the awful certainties and facing mysseri-
our eternity, said: 81 have told the true story
many times but nobody ever believed it. be-
in ~ in fba Rih1o had hnlavad
that the people of America would not see such
a thing as this done. am Innocent, and hope
the time will come when the truth will be
known
Sheriff-Have you anything further to say?
Wagner-No, sir.
Sherif-Put on the caps.
The 'black caps" or rather sacks, were then
drawn over the faces of the two men, and for a
moment the figures presented sombre appear
ance-the very night of death, to that living
man. The sheriff looked to see that the cords
were clear. A half second of death-like silence
and when the hands of the clock indicated
II. As, the sheriff was seen to move his right foot
and bring it down with sudden energy. In
stantly there was a
Sharp Crash,
as the trap door swung down against the rest
and the black figures darted down beneath the
platform almost like the iron weight of pile
driver; ..ssd s. In a dun MD siF
They swayed to and fro few inches as sack
of grain suspended by rope would have done
then were motionless. Wagner did not move a
muscle. He fell ten feet, the knot coming I'M
der his ear breaking his neck instantly, and re-
ducing the size of his neck to two inches and
half in diameter. Gordon did not fall so far,
being supported on the box and the knot COM
ing further back, his neck was not broken. AL
though he was nearly dead, the shock and mus
cular contraction attendant theron, caused
movement in the fingers of one hand. Cor
don's pulse indicated 12O just before leaving the
cell, but had fallen to below 40 when he was
placed on the scaffold. The shock did not
change it much he was so far gone. Two min
utes after it was feeble at 30, soon futtered,
and at the end of seven minutes John True
Gordon was pronounced dead. Wagners pulse
dropped to 40 beats Immediately after the fall
in consequence of the shock; but being in good
health and full of strong blood, soon rallied
and eight mnutesiafter the drop, numbered 100
beats; at the end of nine minutes the pulsa.
tons were wild and counted 120 to the minute;
thirteen minutes, 109 beats; sixteen no pulse
could be counted at the wrist; at seventeen
minutes only a slight tremor was observable at
the heart and at eighteen minutes after the
fall, Wagner was pronounced.dead.
AT 1920 the sheriff directed that the bodies
be taken down, and in half an hour from the
time the drop fell they were in their collins,
which were under the scaffold. Wagner's face
was placid, but Gordon's, whose death was
hastened by stEangulation, was considerably
distorted.
Incidents, etc.
1t is said that after Wagner had put on his
execution suit, and while the deputies were ty-
ing his hands, he loosely remarked, "Ain't
this nice rig. L suppose these are my grave
clothes, amt they?" When the deputies came
for him he asked is they were the men VIII,
were to hang him. They replied in the affirm
alive, when he remarked that they looked bad
enough to do it. Turning to Deputy Grose he
said it is a bad thing to die on The gallows to
which Mr.. Grose replied, "You can die easily
if you are innocent, as you say you are.'
"Yes," said Wagner, 'but have mother,''
and burst into tears.
Some time last winter Wagner received an