The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-04-04
Executions in Vermont.

Death for the crime of murder, in the
first degree, has been the law of Vermont
from the beginning. Even previous to the
complete organization of the government,
by authority of the Council of Safety"
there was one execution at Bennington, for
"enemical conduct" One David Redding
had been convicted by a jury OF six men of
Supplying the enemy on the lakes with
provisions" and was sentenced to be execu-
ted on the 9th day of June, 177S, but by
reason of reprieve he was not executed
until the 18th. The next execution was
that of Cyrus B. Dean, at Burlington, on
the 18th day of November, 1903, for the
murder of Jonathan Ormsbee and Asa
Marsh, in the affair of the smuggling boat
called the Black Snake. The second
execution, since the organization of
the state, was that of Samuel f. Godfrey,
at Woodstock, in 1918, for the murder OF
Mr.. Hulett, warden of the state prison.
Tradition has it that great crowds of pee
Pile flocked to the scene of the execution of
Godfrey, and there are doubtless some wit
nesses of it now living. The third one
was that of Virginia, a colored man, at st.
Adams, in 1920, for murder. The fourth
was that of Archibald Bates, at Benning-
ton, in February, 1880, for the murder of
his sister-in-law in SALISBURY, by shooting
her through the head with rifle as she
was sitting in her room and nursing her
babe in the evening. He fired at her from
the outside through the window, and she
fell instantly dead. A crowd of from
twelve to fifteen thousand persons attended
the execution.
Two persons, between the years 1889
aud 1912 died in Jail under sentence OF
death, viz: Anthony, at Rutland, by hang
ing in his cell on the night before the time
of execution for the murder of Greene and
Mrs. Peak, who died by poisoning or sick
ness, at Chelsea, some days before the time
appointed for execution. Soon after this
this the Legislature changed the law in re-
gard to the place of execution, requiring
the act to take place within the walls OF
the state prison, in presence only of Ger
tain legal oflicers-twelve witnesses and
other designated officers. A change also
was effected in regard 10 the issue of the
warrant for execution, and imposing a
limit on the time for execution-no ex-
ecution being permitted within one year
from the time of conviction or SEN
tence, and the governor being allowed,
not required, to issue the death
warrant. sUnder this change there was one
conviction for murder OF the first degree,
and the sentence of death was pronounced,
but 1t was never executed. The governor
did not feel II his duty to issue the death
warrant, and 80 he left 1t for his successor.
The next governor did not regard II his
duty to do what he supposed belonged to
his predecessor, or at least what the stat
ute did not impose on him. So the wretch
ed man was left to die, in solitary confne-
ment, a lingering death, in which he be-
came raving maniac, and sight to be-
hold thousand times more pitiiul and hor-
rible than that of his lifeless body on the
gallows. The law was again amended
and the court required to issue the death
warrant for execution after one year of soil
tary confinement in the state prison. IN
der the revised statutes two men, Sandy
KaYanagh and VIM. Barnet were executed
together, on Wednesday Jan. 90, 1854. The
next execution was that of John Ward
alias Jerome Lavigne, on the Goth of March,
1868, for the murder of Mrs. Grlswold, Of
Williston. Hiram Miller was next execu-
ted, on the 2bth Of June, 1869, for the
murder of MIR. and Mrs. Joshua G. Gowen,