Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-10-02
.sTAUNToN SPECTATOR AND GENEH
Especial Dispatch to the Baltimore Sun.
EXECUTION OF ANDERSON Shift
LETT

Especial Dispatch to the Baltimore Sun.
EXECUTION OF ANDERSON Shift
LETT.
PROTESTATIONS OF INNOCENCE ON THE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS OF THE HANG
MANS ROPE-AN ACCOUNTING SCENE
A PRAYER FOR ONE MORE GLIMPSE OF
DAYLIGHT.
HARRIsONBURG, Va, Sept. 25.-The
execution of Anderson Shiffiett, one of
the three parties convicted of the muir
der of David G.. Lawson, in the noun
famous region of East Rockingham, on
the afternoon of the 18th of March, 1875,
took place here to-day within the Jail
enclosure. Up to yesterday it was be-
lieved by almost everybody who had at
tended the trials of the persons charged
with the killing of Lawson that Silas
Morris, Shiffiett's confederate in the
crime for which he has been hung,
would have been executed at the same
time, but a respite from Gov. Kemper
arrived by special messenger from Rich
mond at noon yesterday, and Morris
has another month in which to seek to
establish his claim to exemption from
the penalty paid by Shiffleet. The exc
cution was comparatively private, the
persons present in the enclosure in the
rear.of thejail embracing not morethan
forty or fifty. Amongst these were sew
eral reporters for the newspaper press
of Baltimore, Chicago, Cincinnati, st.
Louis and the Associated Press.
Shiff1ett rested very uneasily the night
before his execution, groaning and toss
ing upon his COUCH. The sacrament
was administered to him in his cell at
8 A. M. by Rev. David Barr, of the
Episcopal Church, assisted by Rev.
William e. Eggleston, of the Southern
M. E. Church, in the presence of one or
two special friends of the condemned
After the conclusion of the services of
the sacrament the hymn commencing
"Jesus, lover of my soul,n was sung,
the condemned seeming to engage hear
tily in the exercises. Shiffiett had made
a profession of religion, and said that he
felt that when he left this world he
would soon be with his Maker.
The platform was erected in the rear
of the cell occupied by SilaS Morris and
Louisa Lawson, now under sentence of
death as participants in the murder for
which Shiffiett has been hung. The
scaffold was plain, rough platform,
with steps. It had fall of four feet
The Harris0nburg Guards, whose servi-
ces on this occasion had been called into
requisition by the Governor, surroun-
ded the Jail to prevent the crowd from
getting near the prison; ropes were
stretched across the streets near the
| JAIL and the impatient and curious
crowd was thus kept at distance. So
eager, however, were some persons to
see the execution that they climbed up
on the house-tops and chimnies surroun-
ding the Jail.
Shiffiett was taken from his cell after
the conclusion of the religious services,
and, supported on either side by High
Sheriff D. III. Ralston the jailor and one
of his deputies, conducted through the
corridor into the enclosure where Che
scaffold stood. He was neatly dressed
in new suit of dark cassimer clothing,
was bareheaded, and had just been
shaved. He was weeping violently as
he passed to the scafold, and doubtless
appreciated fully the horrors of the sit.
uation. He had evidently broken down
and was full of dread he held his hands
to his face as he passed to and mounted
the steps of the scaffold. and continued
weeping and groaning almost all the
time. Rev. Mr.. Barr, his spiritual friend
and adviser, red Shiffiett's statement
from the scafold, as follows,
| I, ANDERSON SHIFFLETT, do on this
25th day of September, 1877, make the
following statement and call God to wit
ness that it is true:
About four weeks before the murder
OF David G. Lawson, Samuel Hall Qffarx
ed me money (about $3.50 to kill III
| or hin, ont IF ho
some way, I refused to kill the 81
Lawson at all. When Lawson wa
ed was on knoll, or side of tho
i tain of mile from the place wKd
was killed. l expected he would b
killed then, and went to that knoll to
here the shot fired and did distinctly
hear it. I had not been there more than
ten minutes when the shot was fired.
AS soon as heard the gun fire I went
home. I cannot say who killed him.
After the said Lawson was killed the
said Sam'l Hall, who offered me the
money to kill the said Lawson, told me
he would pay me money if would say
nothing about him having offered me
money to kill Lawson. He paid me two
or three dollars to keep silence about it.
When Wyant met me on the road 1
was turkey hunting. 1t was in Febua-
ry, when snow was on the ground, and
not about one week before Lawson was
murdered.
Burriss Williams testified falsely
when he said that / confessed on the
wagon, that I killed Lawson and that
everybody knew it.
Silas Morris never persuaded me, nor
did he either offer or pay nae any money
to kill Lawson. He told me a short
time before Lawson was killed that he
suspected they were going to kill him,
but did not say who he thought would
kill him nor when they would do it.
Mrs. Louisa Lawson did not speak to
me more than half dozen words for
two years before her husband was kill
ed. She said this to me, ''if you were
to do it you would be paid for it, but I've
got no money"
confessed two'weeks ago that I had
killed Lawson, but that confession was
falsehood. [ did it because was prom
ised money and wheat for my children,
SIS in money and two bushels of wheat.
One dollar of it was paid to my wife
while she was sick. 1t was arranged
between Silas Norris, Mrs. Louisa Law
sOn and myself. 1t was to bring Sam
Hall and Burris Williams in for swear
ing our lives away.
This is my dying statement. And
now praying the merciful God to for
give all my sins, and looking to. Jesus
Christ for salvation, 1 say farewell.
Signed, his
ANDERSON ID SHIFFLETT.
mark.
a THE EXECUTION.
After prayer on the scaffold by Rev.
Mr.. Barr the rope was adjusted about
his neck and the black cap drawn over
his face by Sheriff Ralston and his de-
putty, Mr.. Switzer, Shiffiett all the while
crying and morning In great agony and
fear, exclaiming, "God knows I am in
nocent." Deputy Sheriff Bare then cut
the rope which held up the platform and
Shiffiett fell to the ground, the rope
which was of cotton, threeeighths of an
inch in diameter, swapping like a thread,
and scarcely breaking his fall. The eff
feet of the fall was simple conclusion,
the condemned man soon recov ering
and continuing as before his piteous
waiIings, At 1--WE minutes past ten he
was again carried to the scaffold, hea-
vior rOpo having hpan prOcurad opd cd