New-York tribune., 1875-11-29
AWAITING THE HANGMAN.

| THE IENiNIS Vi Iffl iONDi-1-NIb Ni>i@i<7'
FIVE CONDEMNED MURDERERs IN rHE ToMBs COUNT
ING THE HOURS THAT REMAIN-rnEIR HABlis
AND BEARISG--CoNPOsURE Oh JOHN DoLAN-HE
sIIIL ASSERTS HIS NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
| BRooDrNG oF JACOB sTANDEBMANN-rnE THREE
NEGRO MURDRRERs--HoPE NOT ENTIRELY ABAN-
DONED by THE CONDEMNED MEN.
Five miserable men condemned to death Tor
three revolving and brutal murders are lying III the
waiting their brief time before the expation o their
crimes ealows The Tombs, ordinarily chilling in
appearance with s somber Egyptian architecture looks
graver now and more deathlike than ever before
This castle Of crime offered such oppor-
tunity for studying the depths Of human depTav-
| ity at present, or for observing how con
demncd murderers bear themselves under the
shadow of cond Of despair broken occasionally by an
uncertain glimmer OF hope reporter OF TUE TRIBUNE
passed tho OF Wednesday and the morning Of
Thanksgiving Day with the condemned men, and con
freely with The impressions which he re-
ccived and the most interesting parts OF the converse
tions which he had are given below
The to the prison department OF the Tobs ~
Frankn-s II looks like the mouth of cut ont
OF solid mass OF frownng granite, aud seems binty
embodiment OF Dantes phrase: Through me pass on
to horrors dwelling place" Warden Quinns office is on
the right Of the entrance; guarded iron gateway closes
the passage to the left The reporter is conducted
through this TO second gate and keeper shows the
way the pavement Of the prison yard to the mas
sve grante'pie which is the male prison. The keeper
remarks the way with tone of deep concern There
five of em there by those hand-breadth windows
nearest the ground. II looked II hanging was
played ont in NewYork. That looks some like playing
IL in, and think it's time, too"
barred and bolted doors open and close be-
fore the interior Of the prison Is reached This seems
like long and well reaching TO the roof and IL
covered with glass. The floor Is paved with
diamond shaped blocks of marble and slate The strong
sunlight Of day considerably modified In these depths
Four large stoves glow equal distances along tue floor,
and the pipes up perpendcnary to the roof Three
galleries divided by bridges front many rows OF cells
criminals awaiting trial The south half OF the low
cells is divided OFF by iron gate This rs the
row of tho condemned. Here may be found Mark
Finley. the deputy warden who for % years has
kept faithful watch over the city's malefsetors.
Now he feels unusual responsibility resting on
his shoulders. ana never leaves the row OF the
condemned for an instant without first calling one Of the
many keepers in uniform To that extra vigilance IA
maintained Here r. a man SO years OF age who has
spent a third of his life within these gloomy walls, and
still his heart the surface. He has made TINS
captivity his whole life. The clean floor and general
neatnes of the place seemed associate themselves win
the deputy warden's genial eOuntenance and tidy ar-
pea.ance He pies the most depraved prisoner enough
"a ay rat good conduct will receive good treatment
and n hf the queries OF the reporter turns care
fully from the se doors Of the condemned that they may
not overhear wof- likely TO cause pain II MI Finley
had chosen lie outsde IL the Tombs he would undoubt-
edly have been hotel keeper.
JAMES II. NOES MURDERER
The prison is open visitors from &c M TO p TD
few female friends OF the prisoners are In tn galleries
"rhe Ave under sentence" says Mr.. Finley ws'&lng
down the row. "are these cells, from to g." The
slate hanging by piece or twiDe over the barred aud
wire-covered door Of No bears the name Of John
Doan written with slate pencil, in bold white letters.
The law has mostened the wardens sponge, and on the
10Th OF December the names the states over Nos
and will be stricken out schoolhoy oblteraes Ms
sum- The names the three negroes in Nos. q, T. and
will vanish week later, on Dee. II. The inner plate
iron doors closed to nqusye eyes. 81 have seen
25 of thern,o says the warden, "in % years
suffer the death penalty More than half OF them have
come out Of Doans cell Our tenantry here has never
large before. Here Dolan Is reporter come To
speak to you" and the warden walked away. "Well"
said Doan, with low sigh that indicated subdied gref
and no desire for communication Doan's face was
placed close to the little aperture where the wire had
been broken His features could not be diseerned
How do you do to-day :" "Sady. Sir I haven't slept
for two nights can't help thinking " my fate. Yes,
read good deal but now my mind won't stick to the
matter. Sometimes commence an article and read
along without remembering worl. Then have To
commence over. No. don't care to speak OF the
Justice OF my sentence. only know / didn't
kill the man. Society believes did, though, and |
suppose must suffer all poor Noe suffered Oh. Is
hard tone finger went to his to stop tear never
drew blood ia my life-I mean never struck man 80
in cold blood born in Liverpool and have lived In
the Sixth Ward IS years. have father and two
brothers living. I feel more for my mother and four
sisters IT'S their heads have brought disgrace upon"
And the prisoner who could contain his feelings no
LONGER gave way 10 burst OF tears, put his haudker
chief his and turning back in his eel grased
little STOOL if its leg was his throat and he We.
choking back his emotions and seated himself IN the
narrow entrance.
{" Have you hope OF a trial. Dolanp "No
haven't any money God knows my friends would do
all they could for me, but they are poor am dong
all I to prepare to die. am innocent
Of Noes blood / think my trial was hurried through
II was hard to let them girls my life away Della
Ward was mad at because struck her with bottle
when picked my pocket. The said was deh-
ant and hard hearted the trial. bt the public couldn't
know my feelings. knew the minute Della Ward com
menced that she meant TO swear my life away But the
public wouldn't believe And Mary Read too
Della told her before tho trial, that if she didn't
swear gin me she ought to have her own neck IN the
moose, and be strung up b. the same rope with me-
didn't mind tho Jury and them until heard tho verdict
and then looked the girls. Della Ward laughing
| at me- and Mary crying lThe prisoners feelings
seemed TO grow very bitter at the remembrance.I
They've been to see told the keeper didn't
want TO them, but they came to tho door, AMI
said they wero sorry they swore agin me- My mother
was talking with at the time she looked at em as II
she would tear em to pieces They're bad girls, and
| this is what get for going with EN-"
lyon have a handsome ring on your finger Dolan !"
| That's my wedding ring l was married six weeks
before was arrested. Margaret comes TO me, and
does all she can for II you say anything about her.
spare her name-agan my dsgrace-she's been good TO
me-" At the trial it said that this girl Margaret
| Dolans mistress
| GIIMPSEs AT THE OTHER CELLS.
Dolan passed out slip of paper for light to his
cigar The warden touched II to the redhot stove, and
leaving Doan with the soace prizes. warden
| knocked at No. and called for Standermann.
wild face appeared close 10 the "staudermann
how do You feelr' "I feel bad, DO" he answered in