Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1877-02-23
A SHOCKING END.

A SHOCKING END.
ONE CONDEMNED MAN DIES OF TERROR
WHILE HIS COMPANION is BEING
SHAVED FOR THE GALLOWS-BOTH DE-
CLARE THEIR INNOCENCE WITH He'll
LAST BREATH,
&C.. &C., sc.
Six months ago a brave policeman in
Newark, N. j., attempted to capture two
burglars in a house at night, and was kill
ed by them. As they fled they were plain
ly seen by the gas light by a %neighbor, and
Thos. RYAN and Charles OschWald, two
men of bad character, were arrested as the
murderers, tried and condemned. They
persistently denied their guilt, but could
not prove where they were on the fatal
night. A bill was introduced in the Jer-
sey legislature to stave Off the execution,
but it failed to pass, and on Thursday last,
in the Jail yard, one died of fright before
he could be gotten to the galfows, and the
other was executed. The N. Y. "Sun'
gives an account Of the remarkable scene:
Wien the condemned men, Osciwald
and Ryan. were taken from their cell, on
| the second tier of the Jail on Wednesday
afternoon, the former walked down the
stairs bravely, but the latter was SO IN
nerved and Frustrated that it was necessary
to carry him. Oschwald was placed in the
cell occupied by Geo. Botts-"Pet'' Hal
| stead's murderer-On the night before his
execution, and speedily Overcame the tenn
p0rary weakness to which his Symp thy
with Ryan's sufferings had betrayed him.
Ryan, however, was suffering greatly;
seemed unable to breathe in the c%onine-
ment of a cell, aad was, by order of the
physician in charge, laid upon a mattress
in the wide corridor outside. Here he
tossed, moaned, maundered, and retched.
Or. Kornimann prescribed for him Bour-
bon whiskey, Milwaukee heer,~ champagne,
aromatic spit its of ammonia, a compound
containing ether in large proportion, and
finally strong tea. AS he went from the
jail he directed that his patient aid have
champagne and tea. Hour after hour that
treatment was pursued. Cupful after cup
full of strong tea was brought to the poor
wretch already half mad from the shatter-
ing of his nervous system by terror, and he
drank the extract that added fuel to his
flame, only to throw 1t from his stomach.
At length he
SANK INTO STUPOR.
Oschwald's mother, father, brother, and
sister called upon him, AND their interview
away, before s O'Clock. Ryan'S sister and
brother sought an interview with Ryan.
but were refused by the deputy sheriffs,
who were just then ready to put up the
gallows. and did not choose to delay their
work ever to grant a last meeting between
the man about to die and his relatives.
After the gallows had been erected, facing
the door of entrance, Ryan's relatives were
admitted. Ryan was then in a condition
of %semi-torpor from the excess of stimu-
lants. file rallied sufficiently to recognize
them, but little more. They remained with
him only a short time, aud then, sEuGder-
ing at sight of the engine of death, quit the
Jail sobbing. Ryan's younger sister, when
first turned away, said, ''These men have
no hearts,"
About ten O'Clock in the evening, Mr..
Sam Morrow, counsel for the condemned
men, and Sheriff Harrison, had a long in
terview with Oschwald in his cell, and
again urged upon him in the most solemn
and earnest mannert that if guilty he should
confess. Every argument that they could
employ was used, but to everything his
only reply was:''Iam innocent; God knows
that [ am, and [ have nothing to confess"
About twelve o'clock Col. Johnson, war
den of the jail, stepped to the side of Ryan's
pallet. The poor wretch looked wistfully
up. recognized him, and feebly tugged at
his outstretched hand 10 bring him nearer,
as if counting some demonstration If SYM
pathy. Col. Johnson kneeling beside him
said: ''Ryan, my poor boy, is there not
some great weight on your mind, a dark
remembrance on your conscience that
makes you suffer so?"
Would you not be easier if you were to
unburden your heart ? Tell me, your friend
if so
mo. there is nothing. I am innocent"
| gasped the man who ever then as he aver
| red to those about him, believed that he
was dying.
A TERRIBLE SCENE.
Slowly the hours wore on toward morn
ing. In the little office of the Jail were
grouped a number OF deputy sheriffs await
ing their turn'to relieve the outside guard
for an absurd fear of a rescue had arisen
md both Wilsey and New streets were ia
boued to strangers. Inside the great cell
room, upon the corridor floor, lay Ryan,
surrounded and constantly tended by dep
uty sheritfs, who adhered to the DOCTORS
Instructions in their administration of the
prescribed remedies. He groaned hide
ously most of the time, and his unnatural
voice sounded hollow and strangely loud
as it reverberated through the great empty
| SpaCC' OOCcoluiiatiy nv opOAS. OiIC Ill
adjuring Observation-Disclosures cell door was
within four or five feet of him-''Brace up
Charley" ''Stick up like a man, Charley; ;"
the next instant vainly and vaguely APP
appealing, "Oh! my God; :" a second after
"wishing the galluWs was ready and
rambling in his speech as though insane.
Such conversational paroXysms were al
most invariably followed by fit of COM
plete nervous prostratiOn and vomiting.
| Dovo,,d and obn1,o him lnopoipn hirb in
the dim light. at the eastern end OF the
corridor, stood the great gallows frame,
with two ropes dangling from the. CROSS
beam, its shadows falling like a skeleton
spectre upon the whiteWashed wall beyond.
Men spoke in whispers and walked on tip
toe.
Oschwald remained quiet in his cell, but
did not sleep. He emphatically denied the
averment of a Newark paper that he had
asked to be buried in the same grave with
Ryan, and his relatives joined in their re-
pudiation of any such wish on his part.
ut was enough" said one of them, THAT
he ahould nave been with him in life SO far
as to te brought to this terrible fate The
Rev. M. Allen visited him, prayed with
him, and left him in a seemingly firm and
resigned condition. Now and then Ryan
asked to be moved about. and two sheriffs
assisted him to walk short distances. Once
only he
LOOKED UP AT THE GALLONS,
and then he shuddered violently, and had
to be carried back to his bed. All the
time he was cold. and his nervousness
kept increasing. He fot nd great difficulty
in breathing, and when a window was
opened to give him more air, he seemed to
enjoy it. About 8 O'Clock he appeared
somewhat better, Il asked that his bed
| might be moved to his cell, but very soon
he had to be helped up again, walked about
keeping lis gaze upon the floor, and at
length sat In an arm chair at the door of
his cell. So he kept II. wing and changing