Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1876-05-27
Execution Of Samuel J. Frost,
the Petersham Murderer.
HE WALKED CALMLY
TO EsIS FATE,
a Horrible Scene ut
the GaIiO%Vs.
HIS HEAD NEARLY TO N
FROM HIS BODY.

Worcester, Mass May g. The Petershan
murder, Samuel J. Frost was executed this morn
ing, at the county Jail in this city, at half past ter
o'clock. for the murder of his wife's brother
Franklin +. Towne.
The murder was committed on Sunday, July 4
1879, in the barn, on the farm owned by Towne
After doing the deed he went to the house and as.
sisted his wife, sister of Towne, to get the chill
dren, four in number, ready for church. Ate,
they had left the house he returned to the barn
and buried the body underneath. The hired men
believed there was something wrong, and that the
story of Frost that Towne had gone to California
was not correct About week after his disap.
pearancc they noticed they were closely watched
by Frost. AT about the same time they discover
ed what appeared to be a grave under the barn
They probed the grave with an iron bar, which
bounded back and a terrible odor arose. July 81
others visited the barn cellar, and made similar
probings, with the same result. On the night OF
July -, Frost was out all night.
Oxen were heard treading about on the farm
during the night The next day the grave was
empty. II was subsequently discovered that the
body had been buried in the edge of a swamp in q
shallow grave, and soon swarms of flies and car
lion beetles were gathered there. On the night
OF the 10Th, Frost was again out all night, taking
with him large knife and a pail. During the
night he again removed the body of Towne, cut il
into pieces and buried in a cornfeld. Frost was
subsequently discovered digging in cornfied by
a colored man, Samuel Upton. Heie, afterwards,
Upton found piece of sacking, protruding from
the ground. Not wishing to attract Frost's atten n.
ton he marked the spot. and that night with 9TH
ers We ut to the place, but the sacking was gone
While looking for tracks they heard something
falling IN another part of the field. They wen
in that direction, and soon found portions of hu
man body terribly mangled and tied in sacks.
The sheriff was Immediately called, and Eros
was arrested in the house of Towne. He wa.
properly tried and convicted. Frosts story is tta
in dispute with Towne, which resulted in scuf
le, Towne got him down, and that in self defence
he struck him on the head with hammar, while
he (Towne) was ON top of him. Frost has stoutly
maintained all along that he killed Towne in self
defence, and has been apparently indifferent to
his fate, refusing all counsel or advice and, until
within about a week has refused to be visited by a
clegyman.
Since that tine he has been visited by Rev. c.
NJ. Lamsou, but has shown no pentence, and has
been disposed to talk upon subjects entirely for
eign to the matter which his spiritual advisor was
trying to impress upon his mind. Politics has
been his principal theme and checkers his anu Sc
mcnt.
At the execution this morning $50 persons were
present. Frost was calm and very determn med,
and walked without aid TO the scaffold. The
sheriff read the death warrant. He made no re-
marks. Rev. Mr.. Lamson of Salem street church,
offered a brief PRAYER, not more than twenty words.
As the drop fell, horrible scene struck the hor-
rifed spectators. The fall was great that the
head of the unfortunate criminal was jerked of.
from his body, and hung only by the ligahents,
the blood spuftn, in every direction over the
scatiold and floor.
Frost at an interview this morning with his
counsel and Kew. MIR. Lanson, made the following
statement for publication after his death, after
speaking of the murder Of Towne, he SAID
placed the limbs as have affirmed in the corn
field. did not know. neither do | now know who
removed them took them from under the barn
La,,I thn -
carried them to the swamp, on the night of the
22d of July.
| did not take the oxen from the barn then nor
on any other night to draw the body to the
swamps. | make the same statement as to the
whole matter that Mr.. Ball has in his book. This
refers to Frosts statement at the trial. l declare
to all men that die innocent of wilful murder.
die cherlshing no feeling of resentment towards
any one. | die torgivng all the world for any
wrong have received. 1t is hard, but freely do
it, desire to express my kindest feelings to Gen.
Spragae, his deputies and all the prison officers
TO HI, counsel he said TRY and keep track OF
this matter. hope that in time and am assured
that it viii be cleared up. feel that in six months
men will say, if We hadn't hung that man we
shouldn't"
Nevertheless Frost slept well last night and con-
versed on different subjects and cheerfuly. SO
firm was his demeanor that while dressing, his at
tendant remarked to him you've got the most
nerve of any man l ever saw" to which Frost ie-
piled, "i'm not afraid never have been afraid to
die Soon after he remarked I'm the happiest
man in the PRISON this morning" lie ate his
breakfast of brownbread, milk and cheese, his ow
selection, with his usual appetite. After breakfast
he wrote farewell letters to his children, and while
doing so appeared somewhat melancholy but he
soon rallied and laughed with his usual unconcern.
AT the gallows Frosts face betokened no emotion.
He kept his eyes fixed before him, casting no
glance at the spectators and none at the gallows,
till he turned TO ascend the steps, when he raised
his eyes to the beam and rope for instant drop
ping them upon the stairs he took the first step
upward. As soon as Frost was seated upon the
fatal platform, Rev. Mr.. Lamson offered short
prayer. Immediately at its close Sheriff Sprague
read the death warrant rapidly, yet distinctly and
when he had uttered its closing words "for which
this shall be your sufficient warrant" he added Il
now proceed to do execution" and pressed firmly
upon the spring releasing the drop. Frost had
ti>en tIom his chair when the reading of the
d, ath warrant was begun and the deputy behind
had fastened the straps around his legs and arms
aud before the reading was finished had shut out
the ight from him forever by drawing the black
cap over his head. There was not an instant de-
lay, and less time than five minutes passed between
time the doomed man took his first step upon the
gallows stairs, and that in which his body was
thrown downward by the rebound Of the drop.
The trap fell with hardly an audible sound, and
the light body Of the murderer brought the rope
to a strong tension. The first ill OF a shuddt r
had not run though the more sensitive of the
spectators when the body was seen spinning at the
end of the rope, almost headess, fearful tear cx-
tending over the front Of the throat, the blood
gushing out IN streams. Every eye was rveted
upon this startling and unexpected spectacle, as
the body turned round, first iii sclosing aud then
conceailng this cash. The blood. forced upward
by the arterial movements, sparted fountain-h like,
upward. from one to two feet the stream falling
to the floor in a circle aroand the hanging body.
This circle extended even to the frame cork of
the gaows, which was i'll many places fecked
with blood gouts and The weltering lite-blood pour
ing from the gap ng wound down the front of the
body, trickled nom his feet, forming GENITAL pool
directly beneath the body.
This account doutiess seems fall of horror to
the reader but it falls far short of the realities OF
the scene. Still the spectators did not waver from
the sight. The man was dead. No one could
doubt but that his soul, declared guilty by mortal
judges and Jurors, was already at the bar of anath
er tribunal, where there presdes Judge of in
finite goodness and mercy. There was real
feeling of relief that there had henn M slow rom