The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-05-27
MASSACHUSETTS,.
Execution of Piper and
Frost.
A SHOCKING SPECTACLE,

W. Piper formerly sexton of the Warren Ave.
nue. Baptist church in this city, took place at
Charles street Jail this morning
Piper passed the night calmly and collected.
ly, retiring soon after the departure of his pas
tor at about III o'clock, and slept until nearly
TINS morning. He breakfasted lightly and
passed the hours intervening before the return
of his spiritual advisor, in meditation and
prayer, ana while in company with the latter,
manifested the same wonderful calmness that
has characterized his demeanor for the past few
days. He met his fate with complete immo-
bility, betraying no feeling even at the gallows,
in any way excepting by an unusual paleness
He died instantly, his neck being broken by the
fall The ceremonies were conducted with de-
corum.
Arrangements for Piper's funeral have not
yet been definitely decided upon, but it will be
held at the residence of his family at Boston
Highlands and will be strictly private.
WORCESTER, May 90 The Petarsham MUIR
derer, Samuel j. Frost. was executed this
morning at the county jail in this city, at 10 30
O'Clock, for the murder of his wife's brother,
Franklin P. Towne.
The murder was committed on Sunday, July
4 1875, i'll the barn on the farm owned by
Towne, and after doing the deed, Frost went to
the house and assisted his wife, sister of Towne,
to get the children, four in number, ready fo:
church. After they had left the house he re-
turned to the barn and buried the body under
meath it, The hired men believed that there
was something wrong, and that the story of
Frost that Towne had gone to California was
not correct, for about week after his disap-
pearance they noticed that they were closely
watched by Frost, and at about the same time
under the barn. They prObed the grave with
an iron bar which bounded back, and terrible
Odor arose. July Dist others visited the barn
cellar and made similar probing with the same
result. and on the night of July 22d, Frost was
out all night, and the oxen We're heard treadiug
about on the farm during the night The next
day the grave was empty, and it was snbse-
quently discovered that the body had been bur-
led in the edge of a,swamp in . shallow grave
and swarms of flies and carrion beetles soon
gathered there.
On the night of the Goth, Frost was again out
all night, taking with him large knife and
pail. During the night he again removed the
body OF Towne, cut it into pieces. and buried
them in cornield. Frost was subsequently
discovered digging in the cornfield by colored
man, Samuel Upton, who soon afterwards
found piece of sacking protruding from the
grave, and not wishing to attract Frost's at
tention he marked the spot, and that night
with others, went to the place, but the sacking
was gone. While looking for some traces they
heard something fall in another part of the
field, and going in that direction found por-
tions of human body, terribly mangled and
tied In sacks. The sheriff was Immediately
called and Frost was arrested in the house of
Towne,, and properly tried and convicted.
Aioeo ocOiy 10 tudt III uiSputo Will lOWu6,
which resulted in a scuffle, Towne got him
down, and that, in self defence, he struck him
with hammer Frost has stoutly maintained
all along that he killed Towne in self-defence,
and has been apparently indifferen Mt to his fate,
refusing all counsel or advice, and until about
two weeks has refused to be visited by clergy
man. Since that time he has been visited by
Rev. G. M. Lamson, but bias shown no peni-
tence and has been disposed to talk on subjects
entirely foreign to the matter which his spiritu-
O or uI h0g 10. L.
mind.
Politics has been his principal theme and
checkers his amusement
At an interview this morning with his coun-
sci and Rev. Mr.. Lamson, Frost made the fol-
lowing statement for publication after his
death. After speaking of the killing of Towne
he said:
placed the limbs, as have affirmed, in the
cornteld. L did not know, neither do now
know, who removed them. l took them from
under the barn with my own hands to the corn
held. and never carried them to the swamp,
On the night of the cd of July did not take
the oxen from the barn, nor ON any other
night to draw the body to the swamp 1
make the same statement as to the whole mat
ter, that Mr.. Ball had in his book. This refers
to Frost's statement at the trial. declare to
all men that die innocent of wilful murder. L
die chershipg no feeling of resentment towards
any one. die forgiving all the world fol- any
wrong have received. 1t is hard, but freely
w uCeuO W eApIcSS my hluu6SC feelings
to Gen. Sprague, his deputies, and all the pris-
on officers.
To his counsel he said: TRY and keep track
of this matter. hope, that, in time, and am
assured, that it will be cleared up. feel that
IN six months men will say if we had not hung
that man we should not do it,
Nevertheless Frost slept well last night and
conversed on Indifferent subjects and cheerful
ly. So firm was his demeanor that while
dressing his attendant remarked to him,
va 0t tha ,anc 1e 7
saw to which Frost replied, '.P m not afraid,
I've never been afraid to die.'' Soon after he
remarked, " m the happiest man in the prison
this morning" He ate his breakfast of brown
bread, milk and cheese, his own selection, with
his usual appetite. After breakfast be wrote
farewell letters to his children and while doing
so appeared somewhat melancholy. but he soon
rallied and chatted and laughed with his
usual unconcern. At the gallows Frost's face
betokened no emotion He Kept his eye fixed
and none at the gallows till he turned to as
cend the steps, when he raised his eyes to the
beam and rope for an instant, dropping them
upon the stairs as he took the first step up
fatal platform Rev. Mr. Lamson offered
short prayer. Immediately at its close Sheriff
Sprague read the death warrant rapidly, vet
distinctly, and when he had uttered the closing
words, for which this shall be your sufficient
warrant, he added, 81 now proceed to do exc
cution" and pressed firmly upon the spring
releasing the drop. Frost had risen from his
chair when the reading of the death warrant
was begun, and the deputy behind had fastened
the straps around his legs and arms, and before
the reading was finished had shut out the
light from him forever by drawing the black
cap over hisshead. There was not an instant's
delay and less time than five minutes passed
between the time the doomed man took his
hrst step upon the gallows' stairs and that in
which his body was thrown downward by the
drop The drop fell with hardly an audible
sound and the light body of the murderer
brought the rope to strong tension,
=, The fiEst thrill of shudder had not run
through the more sensitive of the spectators
when the body was seen spinning at the end of
the rope almost headless, fearful tear extend
ing over the front of the throat and the blood
gushing out inlstreams. Every eye was riveted
upon this startlingi and unexpected spectacle
as the body turned round, first disclosing and
then concealing this cash. The blood forced
upwards by the arterial movements spurted
fountain like upward from one to two fest, the
stream falling to the floor in circle around
the hanging body. This circle extended even
to the frame work OF the gallows which was in
many places fiecked with blood, gore and the
weltlng life blood pouring from the gaping
wound down the front of the body tricked
from his feet, forming a central pool directly
beneath his feet.
The account doubtless seems full of horrors
to the reader, but it falls far short of the reali-
VIZ o 'eSne, sui Ine spectators dld not
WAIVER from the sight. The man was dead.
No one could doubt but that his soul declared
guilty by morta; judges and Jurors was already
at the bar of another tribunal There was
real feeling of relief that there had been no
slow coming death, no terrible throes of mus
cular agony, and so all watched with bated
breath the final scene of the great tragedy.
For some two minutes the arterial gushngs
of blood continued and then the slow dropping
of blood from the body continued for little |
while before Drs. Woodward and Jewett step
ped under the gallows and made their examin- |
alton of the body, mere formality in this |
case. The knot of the rope had been |
placed behind Frost's left ear almost round 10 |
the center of the neck. Frost was man of no |
especial muscular development and though he |
weighed but 120 pounds the drop was enough,
not only to break his neck, in the comman &C
ceptance OF the expression, but to sever the |
spinal column entirely The muscles and in |
artS of tho e IL