Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1876-09-20
A Horrible Scene ut an Execution.

The correspondent of the Cincinnati
Commercial describes the scene at the
execution of James Murphy, at Dayton,
Ohio, after the rope broke:
In the meantime Deputy Sheriff
Freeman adjusted the thin moose about
the prisoners neck and pinioned his
lower limbs. James Murphy, good
bye, and may God bless your OBJ
served Patton in a whisper, handing
the black cap to a deputy. AT this
moment the representative of the
Commercial succeeded in obtaining adj
mittmce to the little audience of ply
slclans in rear of the scatfold, and took
up his position Immediately to the left
of the trap-door. The next instant
the Sheriff pressed the lever with his
foot, the drop opened as though in
electric response, the thin rope gave
way at the crossbeam above, and the
body Of the prisoner fell downward
and backward on the floor of the corri-
dor, behind the scatfold screen. "My
God, my Godr' cried Freeman, with
a subdued scream: "give me that 9TH
er rope, quick" 1t had been laid away
for use in case the first rope should
break" we were told. The poor
young criminal had fallen on his back,
apparently unconscious, with the
broken rope about his neck and the
black cap yelling his eyes. The re-
porter knelt beside him and felt his
pulse. 1t was beating slowly and reg
,t1n rly 40 IA 49,. 4
thought then, if he could think at all,
that he was really dead, dead in dark
ness, for his eyes were veiled--dead
and blind to this world, but about to
open his eyes upon another The aw-
full hush Immediately following his
fall might have strengthened this dim
idea. But then came gasps, and
choked sobs from the spectators. and
hurrying of feet, and the Mortified
voice of Deputy Freeman calling,
For Gods sake, let me get another
rope, quickp' Then a pitiful groan
came from beneath the black cap:
My God. Oh my Godr
"Why, l amt dead amt deadH'
"Are you hurt, my child?' inquired
Father Murphy.
No. father; | am not dead; l am
not hurt. What are they going to do
with me?"
No one had the heart to tell him, "
ing there entirely blind, helpless and ig-
norant even of what had occurred. The
reporter, who still kept his hand on the
boy wrist, suddenly felt the pulsation
quicken horribly, the rapid beating of
intense fear; the youths whole body
trembled violently. His pulse is
800" whispered physician.
What's tho good of leaving me
here in this misery?' cried the lad.
Take me out of this. ! tell you"
In the meantime they had procured
the other rope-a double thin rope
with two nooses-and fastened it
strongly over the crossbeam. The
prisoner had fallen through the drop
precisely at :441a O'Clock p. IN. the
second moose was ready within four
minutes later. Then the deputies de-
scended from the platform and lifted
the PROSTATE body up.
Don't carry me-" groaned the poor
fellow. q can walk-let me- walk
But they carried him up again,
Father Murphy supporting his head.
The unfortunate wanted to see the
light once more, to get one little
glimpse Of the sun, the narrow world
within the corridor and the faces be-
fore the scaffold, They took off his
CHASTITY mask while the moose was be-
ing readjusted. His face was liyid,
HE limbo ghApI Will a,,I 10
suddenly seized Deputy Freeman des-
perately by the coat, saying in husky
whisper: "What are you going to do
with me?"
They tried to unfasten his hand, but
it was the clutch Of death fear. Then
the little Irish priest whispered firmly
in his ear, 4" Let go, my son; let go,
like a man-be a man; die like "A
man." and he let go. But they had to
support him at arms length while the
Sheriff pressed the trap lcyer-SiX and
"A half minutes after the first fall 1t
was humanely rapid work then. The
body fell heavily with jerk, turned
about once, rocked backward and for
ward, and became almost still. From
the corridor only the head was visible,
turned from the audience. Father
Murphy sprmkled holy water upon
the victim. The jugular veins became
enlarged, and the neck visibly swelled
below the black cap. AT this time the
pulse was beating steadily at 100; the
wrist felt hot and moist, and we no.
ticed the hand below it tightly clutched
"A little brass crucilix, placed there by
the priest ~ the last moment. Grad
ually the pulse became fainter Five
minutes later DR.. Crum, the Jail ply
stefan. holding the right wrist an
nounced it at eighty-four. In ten
minutes from the moment OF the drop
it sunk to sixty. In seventeen min
M ns nr Cr.l1rn after q siethnsconic nn-