The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1875-08-18
.HANGMAN2S DAY.
Three Executions in one Day.
Webb, Berry and Honeycutt.
Hanging of John Webb at Knox
Vile for the Murder of Rich
ard Reynolds.
CONDENSED from the Knoxville Chronicle.

| Condensed from the Knoxville Chronicle.
About 10 minutes Of 10 o'clock, N.
Sheriff Swan, accompanied by one-half
dozen deputies. and the dye C9T0f1scle,
and Chicago Times reporters, proceeded
to the cell Of the condemned man for
the purpose of reading to him the Death
Warrant, preparatory TO his journey to
| the scaffold Webb WAS on his knees in
PRAYER with Father Marion and Welsh,
when the Sheriff entered. and was per
mitted to finish his devotions. On ris-
ing from his knees, he carefully took up
| the piece Of rug on which he had been
kneeling and placed it in its proper place
st the foot Of his mattress, as coOlly az
| though he had not a thought Of death.
| Indeed he was the coolest man of the
party, judging from hismanner. Sheriff
Swan himself seemed somewhat agita-
| ted, so much SO as to interfere with his
reading distinctly. After he had finish
/ ed the reading, Webb desired to read
| the document himself, and taking it
/ from the sheriff read it deliberately
| from beginning to end; after which, he
| lifted his hand containing a crucifx,
which had been given him by Father
Maroon, and said, 81 swear before God
that I am to he hung unjustly," and
other assertions of like nature, then
kissed the erucifix as if to seal the oath.
a
! hands with the sheriff and disavOwed
any hard feelings toward him. He was
| then led ont into the hall, handcuifed,
and having expressed desire TO speak
/ to Ayers, his supposed accompliee, was
/ led to the door of his cell He caHcd
Ayers up to the door and said, Joe,
/ yDu viii have to pray mighty hard, old
! fellow, to get forgiveness for all the
men You have killed-you will, old fell
low" 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 driven to
the place of execution in large bag
gage 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 harreled
/ shot guns following the wagon. The
route Of the lugubrious cavaIcade 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-seefs, who
! lined the walks, pcrchcd on the fences
and filed the doors and windows
AT THE sCAFFoLD.
! The arrangements were all complete
/ for the reception Of the sad cortease. a
rope had been stretched some 100 feet
! from the scaffOld Us a center, forming a
/ barrier against which surged the crowd
by this time swelled to not less than
! eighteen or twenty thousand. The scaf-
| fold was plain structure of scantling,
made in the old fashioned way-two up
rights braccd, and midway Of the cross
! beam q staple put to receive the rope,
| while near by was the coffin.
! TIE WAGON CoNTAINING THE PARTY
! Was driven directly under the scafTold,
md Tor one hom under its shadow did
/ J Ohm Webb present to the multitude,
| (swpltcring in the sun, and gaping to see
| it a spectacle Of gameness such as few
men on earth are capable of. Calling
/ for the counsel, both for his defense and
prosecution, the witnesses on the trial,
! and others, one by one, he shook hands
with them, to the counsel asseverating
! his innocence and expressing his kindly
feeling for them, and to the witnesses
proGering his forgiveness While declar-
ing they had sworn falsely.
At intervals his devoted spiritual adj
viscrs exhorted him, but with little
seeming attention on his part, his mind
seeming pre-occupied with other
thoughts as he looked over the threng
assembled to see him executed. From
time to time he made short addresses,
mostly in the strain Of reservations Of
innocence, coupled with such eXclama-
tons as ''I curve all come out to see old
John Webb hung. Wen, he is glad to
see you, and is as ready now as he ever
will be- ''Id rather 5e in my place
than some of this crowd around him.
They've swOre my life away, but l for
give all" A short time before he was
swung off a messenger arrived from his
| father, announced to him
THE DEATH or HIS SISTER,
and her burial today, and that his father
was expecting his (jGhn's) body that
night Webb seemed somewhat afTec-
ted by this, but soon recovered his cool
bravado of demeauor To question 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.
MS WIFE
seemed to bear up very well until 1t
come to the final parting just before
the adjusting of the moose, when she
| gave way to bitter sobs and means of
| anguish, which were heard all over the
grounds Just before the moose was adj
| iusted Webb shook hands with the sher-
| if and said, you've got hold of the
! best old soldier you ever had hold of you
| you have" he then bid the sheriff good bye
the last prayers were said by the spiritu-
al attendants, and Webhsto0d up on the
seat Of the wagon with the rope dang
ling just above his head, game to the
last.
HIS LAST WORDS
were "Well thank you all for coming
out to see Ine hung, I forgive all, and
hope God viii forgive me- Goodbye.
God bless your to his wife: I'm tay
and meet you in heaven, and finally,
''I'm the best piece of furniture that
ever stood UP here, l am" The black
cap was then drawn over his face, and
the nnnsa adinsted. bis lecs tied. bis