The Republican journal., 1875-07-01
Execution of Gordon and Wagner
Attempted Suicide of Gordon.
Scenes at the Prison and the GalIows

Special Report for the Republican Journal.
The last scenes of the tragedies in which
John True Gordon and Louis Wagner were
the principal actors took place at the State
Prison in Thomaston on Friday last There
had gathered in the quiet and beautiful
town, the evening before the execution, a
collection of men who had come to wit
ness the awful OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES report
CTS who We're to inform the great world
OF all its NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. to attend
professionally the legal witnesses-and
many drawn thither by the strange tasci-
nation which is felt by some when a Grim
lnal eNpiates his crime on the galloWs.
On the evening Of Thursday, the sun
went down through bank of smoky fog
swinging to the horizon like huge copper
ball-aS though betokening the scene of
the morrow. The high; granite ard graf
ed walls Of the prison building rose cold
and stern, with the thanking walls and
guard houses, and the watchtul men who
with CLEAN of rifles commanded every
avenue of escape Within, how much OF
SIM Of sorrow, OF despair-how much of
remorse for crime, OF grief for wasted lie.
And two men those hopeless walls en-
closed, to whom the stern mandate OF law
would ON the morrow award the death OF
lclons. The last sunset of their lives had
closed and the few hours that remained
to them were slipping away with marvel
l"us rapidty. The experiences which
that last night brought to those wretched
men, God only knows, as each in his cell
Wrestled with his conscience, the memory
OF his crime and torebodings of the future
TIE MORNING OF FRIDAY
came with cloudy skies and the premoni-
tions OF a storm. Sheets Of lightning Iii
up the horizon, and at intervals big drops
of rain fell in titfu showers. The day
promised to be in keeping with its sad
work. But as the morning advanced the
clouds rolled away, blue patches Of sky
became visible the sun came out warmly
and the day developed into one of the
l0yclcSt of June.
TIE PREPARATIONS
The preparations had been carefully
made by Sheriff TorreY. he gallow>
wa. that on which Cox and Williams, two
muiucers and murderers on the high
seas. had been hung by the United States
authorities at Auburn jail il 1S5S II was
also used for the execution OF the negro
murderer of the two women ri Auburn,
Clifton Harris. in 1863 The gallows WAS
prison building. and out Of view Of any
one without the walls The prisoner,
were All confined to their cells
Notice had been given thai those who
were to attend rs reporters and witnesses
would be admitted to the guard room at
halt past ten o'clock. At that time War
den Rice invited the reporters to his office,
and said that as many questions would be
p1 Of ha 10
al then and there, so that every one could
take notes. The questions were then sue
cessiycly put.
GORDON ATTEMPTS SUICIDE.
While this interview was progressing
IN officer came to the door and huwiedly
called the W arden ont. When he returned
he said "Gentlemen, Gordon has com
mitted suicide, and is dying =" He then
explained that the condemned man was
found in his bed, in an nsensble condi-
ton, his clothes saturated with blood.
The Surgeon was called. and found a stab
IN the breast, from which the blood flowed
freely, and which would probably prove
fatal The knife was found in the bed
1t was an old shoe knife, worn to point,
and with no handle, save one which the
prisoner had made by winding cloth
about it. This knife, covered with blood
was subsequently brought in and shown
To the reporters, The blade was two and
4 half inches long, and very sharp This
happened at twenty minutes before eleven.
IN TIE GUARD ROOM.
The reporters now went to the guard
room, where the officers and witnesses
We're assembled. Through the grated sides
fun view was had Of the IRON gallery
running in front of the row of cells in
which the condemned men were confined.
Various conjcctureS were made as to the
result OF GOrdou's attempt. 1t was found
that the knife missed the heart, and pene-
trated the lung, as was evidenced by bleed
ING from the mouth The knife severed a
small artery, and the wound might result
in death, rs the bleeding was mostly i'll
ward. Gordon lay in his cell unconscious
and pitiiully moaning. Groups about the
room spoke in whispers. Officers. sur
geons and the chaplain came and went
through the grated door, to the prisoner :
cell. The clock on the wall licked loudly
the last minutes of lives now so rapidly
drawing TO a close Sheriff Tory came in
and conyersed apart with County Attorney
Staples. II had become a nice legal ques-
ton whether the apparently fatal stab
should LET out the fel6n's life in its linocr-
lne way. or the law should claim what
was left. The decision was that the cXe-
cutlon must proceed.
prrp,nIxc rnr TN. ,.,,,nvs
,a..-ol 1Ia,1. aa.,.,,:a
9uil9 VI ol'leh c'lnoFlc mao peeh made
, ,"i 'a' amo nu,t la'Net5 'lo tIoMsefS,
i''i d 3''ss} ['P 'ii1I couiu De Pulleu over
''D-''' ''','' i''' No,i WAS WIN u-
IN'"'J T,''u ~ 'Hrso' III MS UNCONSCIOUS
7L1Ie, men tHg ',,' o'HceI5 entered wagner 5
cen ne 'aia ieSe' suppose, are my
crave cIotlie9' IL Is 4 pfe'ty looking SUIT
Tor man to wear didn't suppose the
avs would allow man to be hung tor 4
CRIME that he Is not guilty OF, If it wasn't
Iofmy poor mother wouldn't care, Wag-
hcr, 1t VIII be remembered was Prussian,
ana had recently received letters from his
mother over the water