The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1877-11-22
BALTIMORE.
Preparing for Fridays Hanging-A
Sisters Effort To Furnish the Pris-
oner the Means TO Escape-Novel
suicide by Drowning-GovernOrs
Refusal 10 Commute the Death Sen
tence OF Henry Norfolk.

BLLTIMoRE, November 20-James K
Hawkins, colored, wno is to be hanged at
TowsontUwn on Friday. tor outrsglng
Miss Ida 5chafter, Is daily preparing Tor
his approaching terrible end. de Is,
however, closely watched, and all visitors
to him are carefully scrutinized to pre-
vent any attempt to escape lester
day morning about eight o'clock broth
er and three cousins visited him and
had an affecting interview. About an
hour afterwsrd his sister Elizabeth ap-
peared at the jail and requested to see the
condemned man. Something In her
manner induced the warden OF the jail
to make his customary search OF all VS.
tors to Hawkins He made q rigid one,
and he found natcnet concealed under
her skirt. 1t WAS secured around her
waist by belt. She was questioned
closely as to what she was doing with the
Ratchet, but refused to explain her pur.
poses.
rhe girl, who is about twenty years OF
age, seemed much frightened At the
Warden's discovery, and the only e&-
plsnstion she would make regarding the
haLchet was that il was given to her by.a
woman in her neighoorhood, whose
name she gave to the aden. Samuel
w. Worthington, the Sheriff or Batl-
more. was no:ifed of the discovery OF the
concealed hstchet, and suppos'ng thst the
girls object Was TO furnish the prisoner
means ot escape, sne was detained III
the isil and placed III cell, though not
under regular commitment, until the
law officers OF the county could be Coz
suited. The result oi the discovery will
be that the utmost vigilance Will be ex-
ercised toward all those who will here
after visit Hawkins, and precautions
will be taken rs to prevent hlm with
being furnished with any means to escape
or TO commit suicide.
John l., onaId, aged twenty-five, COM
mittad suicide this afternoon under very
novel circumstances. de was observed
walking along the road leading to River
view Retreat on Lower Canton, and then
pass TO the beach, where he hung his nat
on a bush. He strolled into the water
where it was three feet deep and, putting
his hands TO the bottom, deliberately
ducked his head beneath the water and
held it there until he was drowned. The
body was observed IN the attitude des-
cribed by gentleman who gave inior-
nation to county policeman Bell, and the
latter brought the corpse ashore.
In answer to an application to-day by
the counsel of Henry Norfolk for com
mutual OF mis- death sentence, Gov. Carroll
said that it was impossible for him to in
terlere with the execution OF the law
that the responsibility Of the CONVICTION
of Norfolk rested entirely with the court
snt Jury, and his duty WAS only to order
the sentence which they had passed to be
carried out; The power OF pardon and
commutation OF punishment was given
to the Executive TO protect prisoner IN
the case there should not appear alter
conviction reasonable doubt oil his
guilt. Unless the evidence which estab-
llshed such doubt was shown TO hln,
he could not interfere and would be
compelled to look upon the recommen-
dstion of citizens as prompted only oy
humane feeling toward an unfortunate
man. BY this decision on the part oi the
Executive, Noriolk's last hope is re
moved, and il sll human probability he
will suffer death on the 2lst OF next
month in Annapolis.
His crime wss the brutal murder OF his
wife with club, not far from his house,
in the lower part OF Anne Arundel
county, last May. The motive seems to
have been either II desire to marry his
wiie's sister, or anger because his wife
had borne him SO many daughters. He
is only twenty-six years old. Ihe EVIL
dence against him was entirely clrcum-
stantisl but it was conclusive.