Knoxville Whig and chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1875-1882, 1875-08-18

CHRONICLE, and Chicago Times re-
porters, proceeded to the cell of the
condemned man for the purpose of
reading to him the Death Warrant,
preparatory to his journey to the scat
fold. Webb was on his knees in
prayer with Fathers Marion and
Welsh, when the Sheriff entered, and
was permitted to finish his devotons'
On rising from his knees, he carefully
took up the piece of rug on which he
had been kneeling and placed it in its
proper place at the foot of his
mattress, as coolly as though he
had not a thought of death.
Indeed he was the coolest man of the
party, judging from his nanL,r.
Sheriff Swan himself seemed some
what agitetet, 50 much so as to inter-
fere with his reading distinctly. After
he had finished the reading, Webb de-
sired to read the document himself,
and taking it from the sheriff read it
deliberately from beginning to end
after which, he lifted his hand con
tanning n crucifiX, which had been
given him by Father Marion, aud said,
" swear before God that / am to be
hung unjustly," and other assertions
of like nature, then kissed the crucifiX
a. II W StiA VIC OdNis JuSN btAbAt VIC
reading, he had shaken hands with the
sheriff and dsavowed any hard feel
ings toward him. He was then led out
into the hall, handcuffed, and having
expressed a desire to speak to Ayers,
his supposed accOmplice, was led to the
door of his cell. He called Ayers up
to door and said, Joe, you will have to
pray mighty hard old fellow to get for
giveness for all the men you have kill
ed-you will, old fellow.n This was
all his parting to his fellow prisoners.
Being led to the door, he was joined
by his weeping wife, who never left
his side from that moment until the
fatal moose was adjusted preparatory TO
his swing into eternity. He was driv-
en- to the place of execution in large
baggage wagon, seated between his
wife and the Sheriff, with some six
deputies on the front and rear seats,
and about fifty more armed with
double barreled shot guns following
the wagon. The route Of the lugubri-
GUS cavalcade lay up Prince street.
to Union, down Union to Walnut,
down Walnut to Asylum and down
Asylum to the place of execution, out
on the Clinton turnpike, between files
of gaping, curious sight-seers, who
lined the walks, perched on the fences
and filled the doors and windows.
All THE sCAFFOLD.
The arrangements were all complete
for the reception of the sad cortege.
A rope had been stretched some 100
feet from the scaffold as center, form
ing barrier against which surged the
crowd-by this time swelled to not less
than eighteen or twenty thousand.
The scaffold was a plain structure Of
3cantling, made in the old fashioned
way-two uprights with cross-beam
overhead, the uprights braced, and
midway of the crossbeam a staple put
to receive the rope, while near by was
the coffin.
THE O'CoNNER ZoUAVEs
Were drawn up to the south of the
scaffold at rest, while on the hill side
overlooking the place of execution
from the north and west, were station
ed the Dickinson Guards, surrounded
by an immense throng, which covered
the entire hill side, and looked on at
the Ito them) rare show.
THE DEATH OF HIS SISTER,
and her burial today, and that his faith
er was expecting his (John's) body
| that night. Webb seemed somewhat
affected by this, but soon recovered his
cool bravado of demeanor. To ques-
ton of Mayor Staub, he stated that he
had put all the statement he had TO
make in the hands of G.. Washington,
Esq, who would give it to the world.
\ HIS WIFE
seemed to bear up very well until it
come to the final parting just before the
adjusting of the moose when she gave
way to bitter sobs and means of an
guish, which were heard all over the
grounds. Just before the moose was
adjusted Webb stood up and shook
| hands with the sheriff and said,
you've got hold of the best old soldier
you ever had hold of; you have" he
then bid the sheriff good bye-the last
prayers were said by the spiritual at
PENDANTS, and Webb stood up on the
seat of the wagon with the rope dang
ling just over his head, game to the
last.
HIS LAST WORDS
were Well L thank you all for com.
ing out to see me hung, | forgive all,
and hope God will forgive me. Good
bye. God bless you!n 10 his wife /:
III try and meet you in heaven, u
and finally, " I'm the best piece Of
furniture that ever stood up here; /
am" The black cap was then drawn
over his face, and the moose adjusted,
his legs tied, his hands hand-cuffed be-
hind him, and without a tremor, or
perceptible giving way of that tremen-
dous physical or brute courage charac-
teristic of the man, John Webb stood
ready to step into eternity. The dep
uties, clergymen, his wife, and all 9TH
ers stepped down from the wagon.
The horses were started, and in mo-
ment more a shapeless bundle Of
clothes, dangled under the beam-and
and Webb was HUNG.
FINALE.
The body swung back and forth two
or three times, and turned around with
the twisting of the rope, until Sheriff
Swan stepped forward and took hold
of the legs and stopped the motion.
Drs. Alexander, Drake and Mercy
nolds, promptly stepped forward and
| took note of the action of the pulse
ond heart Tho fo1lOWinU Ia tha