The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1877-06-27
Their Dying Speeches
Their ca,mness and Resignation.
SIN MEN HANGED AT rorrsvILLE-

weather this morning at oayDrenh
was dull and heavy, and before s
O'Clock a drilling rain began to fall,
without, however, diminishing the
crowd already in waiting outside the
jail.
The previous night passed without
unusual incident, but 10 after dawn
the town became the rendezvous for
groups of pedestrians from all parts
of the neighboring country. In con
sequence Of some delay the parties en-
titled to admission to the Jail at s
O'Clock were compelled to remain in
waiting on the outside for more than
half an hour. Meanwhile the imme-
diate relatives of the condemned took
their last farewell.
The scene was a trying one. The
brother and two sisters of Roarity
we're admitted at 6 o'clock. and soon
after the aged and impoverished
father Of Munley, who bad walked to
the prison all the way from Gilberton.
a distance of thirteen miles. Several
of the relatives of the others, not hav.
ing applied at the appointed time
were not admitted.
To each of the doomed men was
assigned a clergyman, who attended
bis charge throughout. The rever,
end gentlemen were in attendance at
the cells of the mel at dawn this
morning, and afterward assisted ia
their celebration of mass in q private
apartment. The clergymen were the
Revs. Daniel McDermott, f. n. j
Gately, II. j. Depman, James Nc
Govern, Martin Walsh and Philip
Beresford But three Of the doomed
mem were present at one time, and
the religious services being repeated
at s O'Clock in the presence OF TIT
others. All access to the men by
others than the Sheriff and his assist
ants and the spiritual advisers was
scrupulously avoided. They are re
ported to have passed the night well
and at the usual time breakfast was
served for each. though this was bare
" touched by any of them. Carroll
Munley and Roarity expressed theil
eagerness to die, and were
apparently calm and resigned. TIE
last named this morning received
a letter from bis father
urging him to turn his thought:
heavenward, and while admonishing
him ofhis parents belief inihis limo
%cence, advising him to confess the
truth before God and the world. The
arrangement by Sheriff Werner was
that two executions should take place
at one moment, aud the simultane-
ous execution of the other four half
an hour later, the two having pre-
cedence to Boyle and McGeenan.
At 10 O'Clock an almost uninter
rupted line of people holding ad
mission cards was passing through
the front prison gates. This wa:
made up in varying proportions OF
local anu visiting officials, many
Schuylkill county physicians, about
fifty journalists, representing every
newspaper in the county and the
leading journals OF the large cities
The Sherifs, deputies, members Of
the jurie5 and a detachment Of the
coal and iron police force made up a
total OF about one hundred and fifty
persons. The multitude made theil
way to the jail yard and spent the
interval prior to the hanging in dis
c~ussing in groups the all absorbing
topic of the executions. The site o.
the gallows was in the furthest ex
tremity Of the yard from the usuaI
place of entrance, and was plainly
visible from the convicts' cell win.
dows, fronting it on three sides
These cells, however, appeared to be
%unoccupied. The high stone outer
wall Of the yard was within a few
feet Of the rear of the scaffolds, a
frame structure for the temporary
deposit Of the bodies of the victim:
intervening. The scaifolds them
elves which Immediately adjoined
each other, were rudely but substan
tally constructed, each being sup
piled with two hanging ropes, though
upon bat one only these were visible.
the others being coiled up and con.
cealed 10 a gum covering thrown
ever the cross beam above. II was
currently reported that Duffy, one
Of the Yost murderers, had at the
last moment, received the Executive
~ciemency in the shape of q reprieve
deferring his immediate execution.
The rumor, however, was not con.
frmed. Duffy was the man in re.
venge for whose beating by Police.
man Yost, the latter was murdered.
The only witness against him on the
trial was Jimmy Kerrigan, and the
suspicion attaching to the evidence
Of an accomplish, when not corrobo.
rated, was the plea upon which his
friends alleged the interposition OF
the Governor would be made. His
case before the Pardoning Board re-
ceived more consideration than that
of the others, the vote upon it being
o tie.
The presence Of the Governors
private secretary, Mr.. Chester \.
Farr, who was among those present,
may have given rise to the report.
The brother of Duffy wat also pres
ent. Outside the prison the crowds
of curious spectators increased from
the small groups OF the early morn
ing to thousands occupying the en-
tire street.
After several hours of patient
waiting he witnesses Of the execu.
ton gradually closed up close to the
outstretebed rope, extending from
one end Of the yard to the other,
which barred intrusion upon the re-
served space in front of the gallows.
The relatives and friends of several
OF the men were allowed to remain
to witness the dread spectacle. At
1880 O'Clock the creaking Of the iron
gate at the opposite end Of the yard
caused all eyes to be turned thither.
Ten minutes later . mournful pro-
c~ession appeared and wendell its way
along the pavement towards the scat.
fold. Two of the condemned were
brought out. Mcclellan and Boyle,
accnmpapied by Sheriff Werner and