The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1875-12-18

which bad been comfortably doing all the
morning at comfortable distance from
one OF J. l.. Motifs stoves, began now TO
make the rounds 81 the cells, from the windows
II which she supposed sue had a chance " hlv-
ing n piece Of meat thrown out to her. II was
only toward evening that the prison as
sumed moro gloomy aspect. The War
den became thoroughly worn out, aud made
w his mind to admit nobody except
persons to whom admission could not 20 -ibly
be refused. The prison looked consequently
much more dismal. The glbbet made OF vi lin
deal boards, not piiutcd black, ~ Is customary
In Europe. had an extra sinister look ON the dark
BACKGROUND Of the prison wall Throughout the
Jail Itself reigned dead silence, the inmates
having been all locked no for the night, with the
exception Of the three negroes. Dolan seemed TO
he the only prisoner who was unaOle 81 take rest,
under the joyful excitement which the stay of
proceedings had caused him. lie leaned to-
ward the grated window OF his door, stopping
cvcrybndy who passed, and expressing his
firm belief that ne was now rescued man, for
he had ample chance TO prove his innocence.
Weston and Thompson were closetcd in their
resi- ectvc cells with two Roman Catholic priests
each, while something Ike dozen colorcd
Mcthodis,s waited upon Ellis and extemporized
In the corridor 81 the so-caed Murderers' Row
n prayer meeting. And sadly aud mournfilly
did the voices Of the congregation echo from
the dumb and cold walls of the Touis.
But " this prison Is conducted with all the
humanity aud kindness that could possibly he
imagined In cases of this nature. the pcn1lty Of
law Is inflicted In the most disgusting and dis
orderly way that can be conceived. or the
soemnity naturally appertaining TO capital pun
ishmeut there Is not trace. The execution is
supposed to he carried out In private yet there
were at least four hundred persons present,
mostly rough-looting politicians, friends Of the
various City Hall authorities. In addition to
these there was present a body Of police some
two hundred strong, and the rush, tho pushing
and the rows ON the steps OF the Tombs as well as
within the yard Of the prison were a disgrace to
a civilized country. There were no admission
tickets issued, but. instead u them, appoint
ments to he present in the capacity Of a Especial
deputy sheriff for the purpose 1" OF preserving
peace and order" In this way all the four hun
drcd persons present were supposed to be there
OK o1cio, as police officers. Yet the police
pushed and knocked about all these especial
deputy sherins" pretty much as IL they had
been n crowd Of drunken Bowery ru1lans. Aud
the worst feature is that It Is bv no means tho
public that causes the disorder, but the police
Themselves. Their number Il so extravagauty
large their brutality so revolving, and their Gu
nosity 10 witness the cerein my 40 disgusting,
that instead OF preserving order they become
the flrst and only cause OF It's being disturbed.
When the next execution occurs 1t should be
the duty Of sheriff Conner to limit the number
OF these appointments OF Especial deputy
SHERIFF. and provide that a smaller, better
behaved aud less sisht-scekiug police force be
detailed for this sort Of duty. Di5orderly scenes
az VIII 4 is supposed 10 BE- private execution
within the walls OF prison throw much greater
discredit upon people than when the same
scenes occur at executions carried on; publicly.
The punishment Itself - inlict ID decent
" enough. nut II leaves still considerable
room Tor Improvement. Good care is taken
to dispense with n regular hansman by placing
an apparatus with aheavy weight attached to it
behind a wooden partition. Hut the English
drop system, with Cilcraft always close at hand.
and ready for any emergency. secures a better
chance OF the horrible process being gone
through without an accident Ike that which
occurred to one Of the condemned YESTERDAY.
The unfortunate negro, Ellis, struggled for fully
a couple Of minutes, loudly crying, " save ne I.
Save mel" with his lcgs kicking high up in the
air, until by supreme EFFORT he had freed one Of
his ticd-up hands. aud 50 adjusted the moose as
t. put an in.tau: end to his sufrcrinss. The
English system secures the breaking Of the neck
Instead 81 stran- uation, while yesterday, as
far a. | was able to judge by mere look NJ tho
dead bodies, only one neck OF the three was
broken. and the time taken for lie to become
! extinct was very ptutrtcted. The medical at
! tondHnts recorded six minutes for Weston, seven
| minutes for Thompson, aud ten minutes for
/ Ellis