The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1877-06-23

] rdtneT BuHce conducted the services
| provided by the church for such occa-
sions, and was joined by the condemn
| ed. Each held q crucifx in his hand
and entered upon the stern duty of pre-
paring for death with heartfelt earnest
ness. At the conclusion of the religi-
Gus exercises the good fathers left the
! platform and the virtues of the law
| were left with their eXecutiouers. The
halters were promptly adjusted, the
limbs of the condemned were speedily
but gently secured, the white caps
were drawn down, and the Sheriff took
! his position to spring the fatal trap.
Father Bunce gave the signal when all
was ready and with heavy thud the
drop fell at 10 "a.
The fall was two feet six inches, and
as the bodies were preclpitated into the
well-like space under the platform, they
began to whiBe in the most piteous
manner. They did not collide as it was
feared they would, each sprung freely
with plenty of room to spare, and the
gyrations of the strangling men could
only be likened to an awful waltz of
death. Campbell, Doyle and Kelly
hung perfectly quiet from the moment
of their fall, and there was very little
contraction of the muscles with them
and no struggles.
Donahue seemed to have more vital
and muscular force than either of the
others and may be said to have died
hard. They were all very pale but did
not exhibit the slightest weakness, in
view of their dreadful doom. They
died game as they promised to do, but
left no signs of any particular contri-
tion. Regretting their mode of death
they undoubtedly did, but it is ques-
tlon if they relented the commission of
their crimes sufficiently to give up their
compatriots in guilt, who now roam tho
world in freedom. They made no con-
fession, except to the priests and at the
last moment to their God.
The doctors decided after the exam
ination Kelley and Donahue died from
strangulation and that the necks of
Campbell and Doyle we're broken. The
bodies were Immediately delivered over
10 the relatives and they were taken off
to their former homes, Kelly's to Mt.
Laffee, Doyle's to Mt. Laffee, Camp
BELLS to Lansford, and Donohue's to
| Tuscarora.
The details of the execution were
most successfully carried out. Perfect
system prevailed throughout, every
thing was done in decency and order,
and Sheriff Raudenbush is entitled to
much credit for the manner in which
he conducted the first execution in
Carbon county. Doyle was pronounced
dead in thirteen minutes after the drop
fell, and the others parted with life in
about the same length of time, the
average being about twenty one minu-
tes After hanging about thirty minu-
ties the bodies were cut down and de-
livered to their friends.
The attending physicians were Drs.
DeYoung and Erwin of Mauch Chunk,
/ Stout, of Bethlehem, Reber, of Lehlgh-
ton.
The casket, or rather ice box, con-
tanning the remains of Micnael Doyle,
was the first to arrive at the Lehigh
and Susquehanna depot, to be sent to
Tamaqua. lis arrival soon attracted
large crowd, Doyle's aged father and
mother were there, and soon as the lid
was raised such scene of wailing en-
sued as beggers description, and this
continued until the chief mourners
were removed. Some of them had to
be removed by force to put an end to
the distressing scene.
Next came the bodies of Kelly and
Campbell, but owing to the tremendous
pressure of the crowd their respective Q
coffins were not opened, greatly to the
chagrin of the curious as this may have
been. In the ladies' waitng-room
several of the friends of the late
Michael ]. Doyle were in fainting fit;
and no wonder, the sitting atmosphere
then and there prevailing would have
been sufficient to PROSTATE anyone, and
how much more persons Sorely bowed
down in grief.
Donahoe's body was the last to ar
rive and thus all four of the subjects of
Heavenly vengeance rested for awhile
| quietly in the small store-room Of the
Central Station. a group of mourners
surrounding each of the caskets. Every
now and then a loud moan OF piercing
shrek would rend the air, but beyond
this no demonstration was made. Re-
mains and mOurneTs left on 2;l0 p. m.'
train.
Sheriff Raudenbush fixed the moose
around the neck of Campbell; DR..
Stapp, the Coroner of the county, for
Doyle; Taylor, Coal and Iron Police,