The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1877-12-15
Che9ntelIiaetrter.
AZ EXTRAORDINARY SCENE,
4, me Hanging OF u Mississippi
~ CriminaI.-A much Desired
tnnieSSIOn IhAt Was Not
obtained,

W.iisr Riley lies In the soil Of The sane
M and under The pine boughE, where, d
IiScIN, today he met his fate. ThiI
I, .' nv 6rst view Of u hanging, and
'hoovb have seen death 10 many shapes
iI Osvsr Jaw man approach eternity with
.n"b perfect bearing Of a hero. In full
t.,I,b In The prime Of lie, In hia sober
. a'n and after nearly two'hourS literal
,e,lore from QaeStioners, this criminal
Ii,I with resignation equally removed
S,oa, nllen despair, brAien hardlhood
mi msudIin seGSibility, But connected
MI MI. execution, were eyenLA which
s.n never he fully understood BY the PEG.
Ia n Inc North. In thiS mans consci-
d",Des. lay hid the key TO the Gilmer
.Od CLi,h6lm tragedy. With one word
M. mulstto might have brought Joy TO
S"pjred. in Kemper County; but that
.o,j he declared lie could not honeStly
.rS.k. II he had only said that Chs.
b@lm and (iiImer ins;igAted him to aSsAs.
innate John ". Gully he would then have
S.tiRed the murderouS mob Of April IS,
md brought relief to many sore con-
.rirBco. Hence the extraordinary scenes
Il The gaIIows to-day.
For a month past, since Riley's re-
u,ieye, every effort has been made by
hose interested 10 lead him TO admit the
ClapLIcrTY or JUDaE cHBHoLM
IN the murder. Friends Of the Gully clan
have freely been admitted to his presence,
and all Others denied; and whea he eScap.
A and was found in the Chisholm gin
bon,e, there was positively u shrek Of
nv A, this link in the chain Of evidence.
Bat even thia proved to be Of no conse-
oaence, and hence the fearful anxiety Of
me crowd to-day to eXtort u confession
more to their liking,
The prisoner was brought from the
i,il at an early hour, there being heavy
b,dy Of guards all around with double
bWieled shot-guns, formed 10 hollow
square around the cart. By courleSy OF
Ne Sheriff, your correspondent and Dr..
{, Fox, attending physician, were placed
inside the guard line; and in this order
We moved slowly to the grove east Of town,
there being about four hundred persons
present, nearly all white men and boys.
No white ladies, and very few Colored
people were present. Riley, who was a
good looking quadroon or light mnlatto,
conversed with perfect ease, and looked
around with evident interest on the
Ueues he was viewing for the last time.
The day was one Of extraordinary beauty,
even for this fine climate. There was
10. cloud in the sky; the air was dead
calm, ave when faint south wind waited
over us the order Of the pines. The cart
stopped with the animals that drew II on
the very verge Of his grave, and the pris.
Ouer, rising briSkly,
spRANG UPON THE scAFFoLD
10 an easy, graceful manner, as il he we're
10 hurry. The gallowS was Of the rud.
est description. Two upright beams, a
eross-Piece at the top, from which
hung a slip-nOose; below, mar
row platform, supported at one
end by rops which was tied
around the upright. The guards stood
shout the scafIold, surrounding the sher.
ID and assistants, Dr.. Fox and myself;
and the carpenter, poitting to the coffin
10 the rear end Of the cart, kindly sug.
gested that | might rest my paper on Il
10 take down his last words. CHANGING
around the throrg, saw that my pres.
ener there had excited immense curiosity,
not altogether unmixed with delight, and
IS the guard in 2 minute or two had scat,
Tered among the throng, two or three oil
the ruder sor, crowded up and whispered
"ruke down every word he says-hs'lI
confess, tell you, he'll confess, confess
Who put him up 10 it." And in The mo-
ueut or two Of preliminaries such muir.
aurs ran around the throng as, Now
you'll hear the truth about Chisholm and
John Gully" "He'll tell it all-he said
hswOuld" "He'll tell who paid him ior
it. and gave him the gum" etc. The life
Vi the man was nothing; all interest cen
tered in the statement he was to make.
Being asked by the sheriff II he had
aDylhing to say, the condemned replied
"a great deal; | want 10 talk about al
hour and sgain there was stretching
forward Of necks and a general murmur
Its coming" Then said the sheriff
Men, Walter Riley will speak to you
Let all be attentive" And the prisoner
stepped TO the front, and bowling grace
fully, spoke as follows:
"WeIl, | stand here on the brink o
eternity, TO address my old nsighbors ant
friends for the last time. But ! feel that
wicked "a have been, am freely for
given, and am going TO merciful God
| have been 4 wicked man but now fee
no iear-no fear OF the great God, ant
only sorrow for those leave. For M
poor old mother, whose heart 10 almos
broken this day, and for my wife ant
three poor little children away up il
Tennessee -"
Al this point the prisoner faltered I
moment, but in moment resumed in
CALM AND DIaNIFIED TONE:
al have been bad man, and you see i
has brought me TO a bad end. My grave
isdug In the woods as though I was
wild man, and nv portion Is among til,
despisetl. am not to be laid to res
with my race nor numbered among lhl
dead OF the people. But that giyes mi
no concern, for God will raise me up ever
from this sand hillin the pine forest, ant
! will stand with you all on that awfu
day. fear not the face Of this congre
CATION, for am soon 10 stand before I
nightier congregation than this eartt
ever saw. forgive all who have injured
me, aud beg forgiveness OF all. / bles
my friends and | bIeSs my enemies.
1n guilty Of these two murders, aud
alone am guilty, but ! have truly repen
led, and hope Tor pardon"
The prisoner here exhorted at greA
length, and several times repeated hi
confession OF having killed Bob Dabb
10 1871 tthe crime for which he was con
ylCtedl and John W. Gully last April
then kneeled and offered a iervent prayer
he then confessed again and was silent,
Sheriff" Would any Of the people
like 10 ask Walter question:"
Then ensued 4 performance, the lik,
oil which probably was never before wit
messed at any legal execution. muir
muir oil questions rose on all sides, 4 dol
snsPeaking at once, ill the Sheriff said
"Let Dr., Fox talkln
Dr.. F,-"NAlter, you told me whel
seIast talked that you killed Johh Gul
" and that you were alone, Was tina
CorreClrr