The Republican journal., 1876-06-01
Execution of Two Murderers.

The murder Of IoWne, The husband of his sister.
In Boston. Thomas w. Piper suffered execution
for the brutal murder Of the little girl Mabel
Young.
EXECUTION OF FROST.
lie retired soon after seven o'clock and slept
soundly until midnight, but at that time lie
awokc, and during the remainder of the night
he was somewhat restless, conycrsing with the
guard III bis cell lie arose at an early hour
and dressed himself with II little assistance.
His breakfast consisted of brown bread and
milk and piece of cheese In the course of his
conversation lie inquired for Piper, expressing
curiosity as to whether or not he had said any
thing additional He also remarked, cheertully,
II am the happiest mall in Jail this morning"
The scatioid was set up in the guard room
and was well adapted to its terrible purpose
having been modelled after the structure used
SO many times in Suffolk county. 1t WAS not
quite so large as the model. It's dimensions
were 10 by y, and the drop was four feet by
four and Il half. In the details Of arrangement
1t differed IN no respect from the model Seats
We're arranged in the guard-room for about $50
persons, and when the doors We're opened at 10
O'Clock the number of ticket holders in waiting
was sufficiently large to fill the allotted space in
a few minutes The consequence was that late
corners were compelled TO stand around the
wall i'll the rear OF the room, those persons III
creasIng the total number to about 200 at 10 %.
Sheriff Sprague requested that silence should
and he then left the door leading to the north
wing, whittier Frost had been removed.
The condemned man and his attendants had
to walk around in front of the scatlold, the lad
der being on the side opposite the entrance, and
they did so slowly and soielnnlV All ewes were
turned Oh Frost, but no sign Of fear was visible
i'll his countcnance. His eyes had a half scared
look, but those who saw him through his trial
know that it WAS his ordinary expression, in
tensiiied, doubtless, by his awful position. His
face was white, but not with the whitenesS of
fear, and his beard was long and almost black
having grown much since his trial. He was
dressed III il black 1rock coat trousers and
watcoat, and he wore 4 pair Of slate colorcd
silk gloves. His hands We're strapped at the
wrist and his arms pinoned in a folded position.
AS he passed the reporters table, which was
near the foot of the ladder, he looked closely ut
those who were there engaged, even turning
his head slightly 70 continue his gaze after he
had passed by.
The party assembled the ladder, and Frost
seated himself in chair on the drop, facing the
spectators, with the Sheriff in front on the right
the clergyman on his left and the deputies in the
rear
At the close Of the PRAYER the Sheriff read the
warrant in Il clear voice, and Frost listened
Win as much apparent caimness AS any OF the
spectators. The reading occupied four or five
minutes, and when it was about half over Frost
arose to his feet at Il sign from Deputy Sheriff
Earle, who stood behind him, and the latter
proceeded TO secure him for the last act. His
legs were strapped tightly near the knees, the
black cap was pulled over his bead, reaching rs
far down as the shoulders, and the moose was
adjusted about his neck.
Through ali this not tremor was seen in the
condemned man, and the sheriff immediately
after repeating the last words of the warrant, at
1886, pressed the spring and the motionless
body dropped with arrash full sever feet.
Immediately Il groan of horror was heard
among the spectators. for The head had broken
of at the throat and the blood was squirting on
all SIDES for q distance of seven or eight feet.
The head fell back shapeiess mass, and the
body hung motlonles,. In few minutes DrS.
JeWett of EitrhbuIg and Woodward of Worces-
ter stepped forward and examined the body,
but ii was evident that death had been instan-
taneouS.
The guardroom was soon cleared, the body
was cut down and placed on Il bier and SUISSE
quentiy was delivered to The brother Of the
dead man.
The seNering Of the head was a terrible and
unusual occurrence, and though horrible for
the spectators, was doubtless mercy to the
man himself, because death must have been in
Simultaneous. 1t was an occurrence which could
not have been foresecn, and is all the more re-
markable from the fact that Frost weighed but
1913 II pounds at the time of his death.
EXECUTION OF PIPER.
Piper was hanged in the rotunda of Suffolk
County Jail i'll the presence of upward of three
hundred witnesses, and bis death was instanta-
neous with the fail from the drop. His de-
meanor was cool. and with the exception that
he seemed physically weak there was nothing
in his manner to indicate that his terrible end
was staring him in the face.
During the past three or four days he has
been an entirely different person from what he
was before he made his confession. and even
from that to his last week. He has been very
penltcnt, even chiid-like i'll his department. and
has asked the forgiveness OF all who in life he
has in any way injured.
With the load entirely lift d from his mind he
has appeared more submissive and given deeper
attention to his spiritual needs. He found great
comfort III the Bible and in his talks with his
spiritual adviser and the chaplain Of the Jail,
and in referring to his death said he found
strength in the assurances which the Script
ureS gave Liza and in the quiet of his own
heart.
As before stated, Tuesday he babe his father
farewell and on Thursday passed through the
most trying scene of his beng-the final separ:-
tlon in this life from his mother and brothers.
During Thursday evening and until late, Dir.
Eddy renamed with him, pointing out spirit
ual comfort which the Scriptures contain, and
at about hal-past one O'Clock he fell asleep.
LIS Keepers say his slumber seemed natural
and was undlsturbed for nearly five hours, I'M
I'll he aWoke some time after sunrise. Then he
had a time for meditation and received !. call
from the Jail chaplain lie prepared his toilet
and ate hearty breakfast. he had on other
mornings OF late, and remarked to one of his
attendants that he should behave perfectly cool,
as he had resigned himself u meet his fate and
should not give the end any thought thereafter
qualifying his remark that he meant he should
not think of what WAS 10 be done to him before
noon.
II was not till half past nine o'cocl, that those
holding tickets were admitted to the Jail enc!os-
ure AT that time hundreds of idle. curious
people were pressing the officers guarding the
entrance, eager TO see they knew not what and
1his rabbe hung around til the witnesses ali
came away.
Al exactly 10 O'Clock Sheriff JOHN NJ Clark
escorted the legal witnesses into the parlors,
and there the religious services took place.
Piper WAS seated between the Deputy and Rev.
Dr. Eddy on lounge at the back of the rear
paror. On one side was Uncle Cook and on
The other Rev. Nh Dadnun. DR.. Eddy an
nounced the hymn:
"There is a fountain filled with blood
Drawn from LmauucPs veins"
All present We're asked to join in the singing
While the hymn was being sung Piper kept his
face turned toward the ceiling and fixed his
gaze upward whenever he opened his eyes
After the singing Rev. DR.. Eddy read appro-
PIRATE selections from the Scriptures, including
penitential passages from the Psalms.
Then he offered prayer for Divine help that
the prisoner might look with unfaltering trust
to God in his trying hour, and feryentlv asked
the forgiveness which man could not give and
besouSht the Saviour to hear the prayer of the
young man as from The depth of lis sorrowins
heart he appealed for mercy.
AT the conclusion of the prayer, the specta-
tors retired to the rotunda Of the Jail Sheriff
Clark then bade Piper good bye and the pris-
oner took occasion to thank him for all that he
had done for his comfort. Piper appeared very
well indeed, and hoped TO meet the Sheriff in
the happy home TO which he was soon to CO.
AT 1881 the prisoner was escorted to the final
scene i'll his life. In his walk to the gallows he
showed some physical weakness in spite of the
strong support of the Deputy Sheriff The
Sheriff and two deputies preceded him, and on
his left was DR.. Eddy. Two other deputies,
Uncle Cook and Rev. Mr.. Dadmun, went with
him to the scafod, the two last leaving the
others at the steps. With the exception that
he seemed weak, Piper never after displayed
any emotion. As soon as he has taken his seat
on the drop Sheriff Clark began reading in a
solemn tone the death warrant, and while this
was being read Piper's legs were pnioned.
His arms had before been bound to his side
with his hands fastened in front and covered
with black cloth. When the Sheriff had
reached the last paragraph in the warrant, the
rope had been placed properly around .Piper's
neck, and then the black cap was drawn over
the head.