Ellsworth American., 1876-06-01

others visited the barn cellar and made
similar probing with the same result. aud
on the night of July 22d. Frost was out all
night. and the oxen were heard trcading
about on the farm during the night. The
next day the grave was empty, and IL wa
subsequently discovered that the body had
been buried in the edge OF a swamp IN A
shallow grave and swarm OF flies and ear
riou beetles sooC gathered there.
On the night of the 26lh Frost was again
out all night. Dakin. with HIM large knife
AID pail. During the night he again re-
moved tho body Of Towne. cut ID into
pieces. and buried them in cornheiA
Frost was subsequently, discovered dis-
ging in the corniicd by colored man.
samuel Upton, who soon afterwards found
4 piece OF sacking protruIing from the
grave, and not wi~hin. to attract Frost '
attention he marked the spot, and that
night with Others, went to the place. hut
the sAcA,ug was gone. While looking for
some traces they heard something fall tn
another part OF the field. and going in that
direction found portions of human body,
terribly maugled and tied in sacks. The
sheriff wa, Immediately called and Frost
WAS arrested Ia the house OF IoWne. aud
properly tIici aud convicted.
Frost, story T., that in a dispute with
Townc. which resulted in scutiir. Towue
90, him dow1. aud that, In selfdefcuce. he
struck him with hammer Frost has
stoutly maintained all along that hc Killed
Townc Ia self.defence, and had been APP
pareatly Indifferent t. his fate. refusing
all counsel or advice. aud until about two
weeks has refused TO be visited BY a Clergy
man. Since that time he has been visited
hy Rev. {. VI. Lam>on. but has shown DO
pcuitence aud has been disposed To talk on
subjects entirely foreign TO the matter
which his spiritual adviser has been tryiu =
20 Impress upon hi, mind.
Politics has been MS principal theme and
checker, his amusement.
y, an Interview this morning with his
counsel aud Rev. Mr.. LAm.on. Frost
made the follow ing statement i'r pu5!icA-
lion after hi death. Alier speaking Of the
killing OF Towuc he said
placed the limbs. a have affirmed Ia
the corufrld. did not know. neither do
| now KNOW, who removed them. | took
them from under the barn with my own
hands to the coruiie!d. and never carried
them 10 the swamp. On the night OF the
ga OF July did not take the oxen from
the barn, nor on any other night, to draw
the body 10 the swamp. | make the same
statement a. 10 the whole matte, tina, II.
Ball had in his book. This refer, t. l,,,r,
statement at the trial. | declare to all men
that die innocent of wilful murder. | die
chcrishing no fce,in. OF resentment To-.
wards any one. | die lorgying all the
world for ANY wrong have received. 1t
is hard. but freely do IT, desire 10 ex-
press my kindest feelings 10 Gen. Spia.ue,
his deputies. and all the prison officers.
To his counsel he said: Try and keep
track of this matter. hope. that, in time,
aud am assured, that II will be cleared up.
| feel that i1 TX months m"n will say If Ne
had not hun. that nlu ~, should not do
it,"
Nevertheless Frost slept well la>, night
aud conversed on Indifferent subjects and
cheerfully. So firm was his defneanor that
while dressing his attendant, remarked to
him. You've got the most nerve of any
man | ever saw, to which Frost replied,
"lm not afraid, I've never been afraid 10
die" Soon after he remarked, I'm the
happiest man IN the prison this morning
He ate his breakfast of brown bread, milk
and cheese, his own selection, with his us
ual appetite. Amer breakfast he wrote
farewell letters TO his children aud while
doing 80 appeared somewhat melancholy,
but he soon rallied ana Chatled aud laugh
ell with his usual unconcern. Al the gal
lows Frost's face betokened no emo
tion. He kept his eye fixed before him
casting no glance al the spectators
and none at the galows until he
turned 10 ascend the steps, when he
raised hi. eyes to the beam aud rope for
an instant. dropping them upon the stairs
a. he took the FIRST step upward. As soon
a. Frost was seated uppn the fatal plat
form Res. Mr.. I.an-On offered a short
prayer. immediately at it, close Sheri1
Sprague read the death warrant. rapidly,
yet distinctly, and when he had uttered the
closing words, ''fur which this shall be
your sufficient warrant" he added: II
now proceed o do execution" aud 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 iastef.ed the
I straps around hi> legs aud arms, and be
| fore the reading was h..ishel had shtf out
the light from him forever by drawing the
black cap over his head. There was not All
| instant's delay and less time than five mia.
utes passed between the time the doomed
man took his first step upon the gaIlow.
stairs and that in which his body was
thrown downward by the drop. The drop
| tell with hardly an audible sound aud the
light body of the murderer brought the
rope TO a strong tension.
The first thrill of a shudder had not run
through the more sensitive of the spec
tators when the body was seen spinning at
the end of the rope almost headless. a fear
full tear extending over the front of the
throat and the blood gushing out in
streams. Every eye was riveted upon this
startling 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 feet, the stream falling to the floor in
circle around the hanging body This
circle extended even to tn frame work OF
the gallOws which vase in many places
fiecked with blood, gore aud the weltins
iiie blood pouring from the gaping wound
down the frOunt of the body trickled FROM
his feet, forming central pool directly
beneath his feet.
The account doubtless seems full horrors
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
aud jurors was already az the bar OF anoth-
er tribunal. There was a real feeling Of re-
lief that there had been no slow coming
death. no terrible thrOes OF muscular az.
ony. and SO all watched with bated breath
the final scene of the great tragedy.
For some two minutes the arterial ensb-
ings Of blood continued and then the slow
dropping Of blood from the body
Continued for little while before Drs.
Woodward and Jewett stepped un-
der the gallows and made their ex.
animation Of the body, a mere furmality
in this case. The knot of the rop.. had
been placed behind Frosts left ear almost
round to the center OF the neck. Frost
was a man OF no especial muscular deyel-