The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-07-21
Penwell, the Wife Murderer, Taken
at His Word. :.
THE EXECUTION YESTERDAY
Details Of the Crime and a Sketch Of
His Career.
icy TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD

efforts OF his counsel to obtain stay having failed,
and positively refusing Interfere in his
bsbalr pcnwell notified last evening 10 prepare
TO meet his fate lie did not DO much affected
and maintained a cheerful manner throughout tho
evening" laughing and chatting with the reporters and
seeming take pleasure in gratifying thcr curiosity
to the utmost At fifteen minutes past eleven his
spiritual adviser called upon him, ana after short
prayer Psnwe retired, sleeping sounay I'll lie was
aroused this morning ~ SIX. He ato his breakfast
with an apparent relish, attcrward washing and
dressing himself with perfect scfcontroL Az the
,imc Tor tho execution gradually drcw near and no
could distinctly hear tho roll Of the drums as tho
military were being marched and countermarched d.
recty beneath his CELL no showed signs OF weakening,
and evidently would have become Frustrated II 1t had
not been for the frequent use OF stimulants'
GLASS or BRANDY REFUSED
At ten O'Clock the Rev. Il. j. Horr arrived, accom-
panied by brother clergy who spent an hour
with him in prayer This seemed to have bcnc-
ncal object upon him until the hour the execution ar
rived, when he p,,eousty besouyht deputy TO bring
him only Que glass OF brandy This IL thought best
should DO denied him, aud vs. the SherIG, with his
deputies appeared the door TO conduct him TO the
galiows the prisoner hardly able 10 stand unsup
ported by superhun,an effort he rallied and passed
through the long corridor Lending TO the gallows,
which was lined BY sympahizing fellow prisoners, out
INTO The opon air in sight OF tho place of execution
without the possible delay The Sheriff proceeded
to road the death warrant after which he asked him
If he had anything to say.
PE2wELL THANKS EVERYBODY.
penwell remarked, 81 thank my friends for doing all
they have done my spiritual adviscrs the Sheriff and
his lady and daughter and his associate officials -
Then broken voice, with tears filing his eyes, he
added, now Sheriff, Pm all ready"
TtIsI pRl
The prisoner then knelt With the Rev. Mr. Horr, who
of red m ,st earnest appeal Almighty God. Dep
uty Sheriff LATHE then stepped forward and put straps
about Penwoil's arms al the waist and above the
elbows his legs bound together below the knees,
ana whilc they thus binding HIM he spoke LOUD
enough to be heard by ail:"l want ali these gentle
men " take warning by me-"
FATAL LEAP
Deputy Sheriff Edsall then drew the black car over
the old mans pitiiul looking face; second only
ella, sed, and the heavy weight descended with the
velocity OF thought, swift to do s deadly work. Pen
well was suddenly drawn into the four feet.
Death must have been almost instantaneous. Tho
wounds hts neck caused BY his attempt ut suicide
afer the murder, were torn apart ny the rope as he
was pulled INTO The air, presenting rcpusIvc sight
HIS body WAS taken charge OF by the officers to
DO subject 10 the order OF his daughter
TINE CRIME
for which Penwci suffered death to-day the brutal
murder OF hts wiic Ian old woman sixty years oil age)
anu committed March TO- 1877, At the house oil her
brother law, Henry Whitehead, at Erin Ceutrc,
tho northern part OF tins county. Penwc came 10
this city Toledo ONO, time IN tho year 1873
and ekcd out scanty ivng by poddnng soap about
streets ana acting IN the capacity OF quack DOCTOR
He formerly lived nappiy with ms vile, but there
seems pave an cs,rangement grown up between
them which resulted IN partial separation she
ufterward living entirely with her relatives The
origin The trouble tho alleged inldclity or his
wife and the disrcputabc character OF herself aud her
Two daughters. Sumo mcddcs0me neishbors, acct
dentally hearing their previous history and The
troubles they formerly hnd while IN Toledo, seemed 10
dellxnt IN tvrmentipg him, worked the old
mans creduIity that he bccnme hair crazcd ON
this subject and was famiilarly known on the
streets as 'Craxy Pcnweii," the pcdler These
mischief makers, who are TO Ger
extent indirectly responsible Tor the trouble
that followed circulated the report that his wife
about leaving the country with another man, which
TACT coming 10 Pcnweh's knowledge seemed to do
prvc HIM Tor me OF all reason, and nst'ilcd IN ms
mind a desire 10 summary take his own rs well
as his wiie's lille. Acting upon TINS impulse he
purchased some arsenic, and starting late one stormy
small country town, where he heard his
wIic then stopping. Upon his arrival
there he learned that her friends had spirited her
communication with her, and late ana stormy us 1t
was he continued his search, walking the entire dis
lance through binding storm and over road hardly
passabic under favorable circumstances. He arrived
there Just at daybrcak, on the morning OF March I
and remained TN the Friday following, patiently
awaiting opportunity 10 put his plans into exccu
on Friday morning hts vile complained OF a severe
..it,le dose OF incidence which he had prepared
proally for cases like ners Pcnwel took swallow
or Two of the mixture to allay any suspicion that
night arise aud then awaited tho result. HIS wife
suffered terribly through that day and the following
night. Penwe remained with her constantly, attend
ing to all her wants, carefully noting each SYMPTOM
an gradually nervLg himself for the hnai act, should
he ind 1t necessary TO complete bis hcllish JOB.
MrRpgR AND ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.
Saturday Afternoon, about three o'ciock, seeing that
she was recovering rom It's elects, he calmly ana
with dehberaton born OF insanity hacked her 10
fhaUy "A nj aplIt IN
cut his own throat with razor. Making no effort
whatever escape he was found soon after, uncon-
scious lying the floor IN a pool Of blood. Hewas
arrested and AFTER having hts wounds dressed started
Tor this city In charge OF the officers. On their way
thcy overheard parry discussing the MURDER one Of
them reinarKing mot knowing that PcnwcIi stand
ing by) "a must DC crazy 10 commit sucn an
act; whcrcupon PcnweI cxciicdy replied, IL
am the man that killed tho woman; amt
crazy either. by God! ana don't mean to
Mead insanity.n That sealed his fate--hls own
admissop opvctcd hin aud ut tho trial, which fol-
lowed soon alter no pcrsistenty refused TO plead IN
sanity, and his counsel ihercupon made desperate
effort 10 prove the case one OF irresponsible, II not
entirely UNSUITABLE homicide The jury after being out
all night returned verdict of murder in the rst de-
gree The Judge thcreupon passed sentence, PeDwc
smiiingly replied Thank your at The conclusion Of
mo solemn ana Impressive scene and was immcdi-
a,eiy renamed Dack ~ tho JAIL his last earthly hab
taton.
Alter his conviction he altered his mind materially,
ami soon came the conclusion that no would prefer
TO yc ont the entire length Of his natural lie He
often expressed a belief that he would be granted u
new trial which he felt confident he would receive
a irhter sentence, II not DO acquitted cntiroly no
evidently expected executive clcmcncy up TO within a
fcw DAYS OF oxccuton Tor, when pcsou2ht by his
spiritual anviscr to Tx his nina upon devotional sub
jcc,s he would snappsnIy reply $50 way, amt got
any time TO bonner Win soch things now" Bat us
the time gradually drew nearer he seemed Il rcaIizc
the cnormty Of his crime, and each earthly nope
vonishcd hts mental suffering was painful to Witness
During his confinement he wrote an extended stute
mont OF hrs life. from the original Of which wo
dense the following iactA regarding
EARLY iIisTURr.
He WIS born in II untrrdon county, n. j. near the
Old Hickory Tavern, March 10, 1911. HIS parents
being poor, unoducated people IN destitute Circum-
Stances no grew up 20 manhood without he advan-
tagcs Of education or the beneficial In
nucncc OF a home training. He learned tho
carpenter and J0ner's trade and worked
nearly every city this side OF tho Mississippi
loading an aimless OF life until no married his
first wife, at Brockport N. ", by whom he had thrse
chdrcn--al boys two Of whom Al last accounts were
Iying-onc ONO and the other Ia Buffalo, the third
having ded IN Cairo Ill, from rhc effect Of wound
received the Fort Pillow massacre. Alter tho death
Of hrs first wife lie from bad 10 until he
formed the acquaintance OF AIRS farnolia Butter ('he