The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-01-05


keep his secret. That same night they made
oath before justice, charging him with the
murder, and the next morning he was ar
rested and taken out to the scene OF the
crime, and while there he confessed to hav-
ing committed IL. He was committed 10
Jail, charged with murder in the first degree,
and in the September term OF court was In
dicted, tried and sentenced, the jury
being out only about ten minutes.
On the I'D of September he was
sentenced to be hung. Sometime In July
last be and his fellow prisoners made up
plot to gain their liberty. They were to
knock down the sheriff when he unlocked
the door to give them their dinner, and then
break out at the door and escape to the road
before an alarm was raised. The plot sue
ceeded very well in all respects except one.
That was that while the rest OF them got
away Goodman was recsptured before he
had got a half mile from the Jail. Since
then he has been very docile and quiet.
special to the Enquirer from Ottawa, on
the 30th, the day of execution, gives the fol-
lowing account of that act: Goodman, the
condemned man, slept souDdly last night,
having gone to bed at 10 and not awakiDg
until 4:30. He had refused to eat any
supper, but just before retiring he ate some
fruit and an apple pie, and afterward
smoked a couple Of cigars. During the
evening he spoke but once, saying, by this
time tomorrow night I'll be in heaven"
The guards who stayed with him say that
he was not morose, but thoughtful and
serious, a state of mind be has never shown
before. His spiritual adviser called on him
this morning, and upon being admitted TO
his cell had quite
A LONG TALK WITH HIM
on religious subjects, but one that to his
clerical mind was not so very satisfactory.
He regards him as person OF so low an or
der of moral sensibilities as to make it ex-
tremely difficult to impress him with a
proper sense OF the magnitude OF the crime
and the belief in future state. AT an
early hour the crowds OF people from
the country began to arrive, speedily
| filling up the sidewalks and most of the
street In front of the court house and the
| Jail. The military was formed in line, both
in the rear and in front of the Jail. with fixed
bsyonets, and everybody except those
holding tickets to the enclosure was kept
out. AS the hours passed Dy the Gro wd con-
| tinued to increase, and by IL o'clock it
was estimated that fully three or four
thousand people were on the streets.
The half-bour strikes. Goodman is to die at
cell where the prisoner stands ready, dressed
| in his suit of black, and finishing his toilet
| by drawing on q pair of white gloves.
"Your times about up, john" he says,
"and I've come to ask If you'd like to
look at the coffin 1 got for you"
The very suggestion seems horrible, but
the poor devil brightens up at the thought.
/ He will get few moments more of life, and
| to look out into the free air once more and
into the faces of his fellOw-men, even il it
| be only to peer into his own coffin. He con
| SCENTS, and il is arranged that he shall be
taken out. While they are getting ready he
calls Major Moore the lawyer who defended
| him, into his cell and intrusts to him
thirty dollars in money, the proceeds of his
confession, to be given to his wife, with mes
L. 81
that they would meet in heaven. 1t lacked
twenty minutes of II when the procession
arrived in the bulldog that had been erected
for the execution; the sheriff, the condemned
and the clergy were leading, and the
doctors and lawyers and other spec
prsed every one by walking
firmly and without assistance up the steps
of the gallows, and took seat on one of the
chairs chat were set there. The minister
followed and took the remaining one, at the
same time telling him If he had any thing
| to say to those present he might say it now.
He remained silent though, and the two
knelt In prayer, the minister leading
in fervent invocation for mercy,
and the condemned man joining
in frequent CALCULATIONS of "LOrd
have pity on me-" Lord forgive me for
Christ's sake" "God have mercy" and the
like. At the close Of this prayer the Minis
ter shook hands with, him imploring mercy
and blessing of God upon him in his hour OF
trial. Saying this he left him. A momen:
later the sheriff's wife, Mrs. Sherrard, as
cended the steps of the scaffold aud babe
farewell to him. He babe her bood-bye,
saying that she had been very good to
him, and expressing the hope that he would
meet her In heaven. Then the sheriff as
cended the scaftold and, taking a seat by his
side, read the death warrant to him, closing
with the appeal, 'John Goodman if You
have anything to say why the sentence of
death should not be executed upon you say
1t now" "No, nothing" was his reply.
They pinioned him.
I his DYING SPEECH.
The wretched man stood firmly and reso-
lutely as the sheriff bound his arms and legs
firmly as the moose was put around his neck
and the black cap was placed on his head
| His hands were crossed before him and hi.