The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-04-01

turned to the house and then, accompanied
by the two carpenters. cautiously approached
the sleeper and secured the gun before he
was aroused As soon as awake he realized
the situation, and cody remarked: Wash
burn, have slept too late" and made no
attempt at resistance or escape, for it would
have been useless. Washpurn put him in
wagon, took him to Rushville, delivered
him to the authorities and received the
reward. He lay in Jail five months, until
court sat in April, 1929, and he was tried.
Inc presiding judge was Bethnel +. Morris,
the associate judges were John Gregg and
Montgomery Mccall, the prosecuting attor-
ney was William w. Wick, the attorney for
the defense was Charles H Test.
and the sheriff, William T. Russell.
He was tried on the 9th OF April.
Wick was cool, strong man, well yersed
In the law, and prosecuted the case with
great vigor. The defense was ably con-
Quoted by Test, who was young and am
pltlous and most anxious to distinguish
himself rs criminal lawyer. He had been
succession In one or two previous cases, and
remarked TO friend that If he could clear
Swansea bis fortune would be made. / was
OF course an important witness, as / had
seen the whole affair, and although NV first
appearance in court Of Justice, was able
10 give clear and connected account of
THE TERRIBLE TRAGEDY.
shall never forget the events OF that day;
the most minute circumstances are indelibly
impressed on the tablets OF memory. When
the jury came in, the most intense excite
ment prevailed in the crowded court room:
not the slightest sound disturbed the utter
SILENCE as the forenoon arose and read:
we, the jurors empanneled for the trial
of Edward 1. Swanson, having heard ali
the evidence for and against him, do
unanimously find him guilty in manner
ana form as ne stands charged in the
indictment aforesaid" The defense filed
exceptions and demanded q new trial. The
next day the exceptions were argued, the
Judge overruled them and decided that they
were insufficient TO warrant new trial, and
proceeded, alter some touching aud appro-
PIRATE remarks, to pronounce the dread SEN
tence OF the Law, that on Monday, the 18th of
May, lSZ9, between the hours of 10 A. NJ. and
P. NJ. he should be hanged, and by his
his crime ,sinst society," goieyS and e1P @iSs
warning to all to restrain their bloodtbirsty
propensities. Test besieged the governor
properly declined to interfere with the
course of the law, rightly judging that a
jury of disinterested men, who had heard all
the evidence, were better prepared 10 do
justice in the case than himself. The dread
day to the wretched prisoner soon
of the hollow square, formed by
the military, he calmly met his
ignominious death. He died with
the stoical indifference of the Indian war
rior. The vast crowd, drawn from all parts
of the country by morbid curiosity, failed
to detect any blanching of check or culver
ing flip as the fatal cap was drawn over
his face by Sheriff Russell. preparatory to
launching him into eternity. The moose
and the knot were accurately adjusted and
be was swung of, and after few convul-
sive struggles he was forever still; all was
over iU5fiPa uinnioafad
society protected-all assented to the fitness
of his doom. The gallows stood on the hill
about where the alley west Of DR.. Pugh's
crosses the railroad in Nashville.