The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-04-20


fence and forced its way in about the gallows.
| The only woman ever hanged in this county
OH Of IT, in isiG. Shc was a MIS-. Van vaitenbure.
| and the primitive galows employed was n beam
thrust from second story window. She hai
| poisoned her husband. and tho concourse oi
spectators present was worry large, yet i was not
npublic cxccution strictly any NOR. than tiils ii,'
| one OF sam Strcnbergh. But. 10 return To tho
| novel features of this one.
By IL o'clock there wcrc at the lowest ssti-
mate. one thousand persons in the ,gaows
yard. The Sheriff. through Il proycrbinlly good
natured mans inability To- say no had been
| persuaded To- issue an exceptionally largo num-
| her OF permits to persons wishing To bc present
took the responsibility Of letting in = horde Of
| persons who hrd no other business there than
And the result Of ali this was that, The
creased steadily until by ~ O'Clock two thou
| sand persons. including guards and report
ers. were crowded about the gallows. In view
| OF So large an attendance. the arrangements
| could scarcely have been better. The reporters
were provided with tables and chairs. the jurors
| with chairs. stout railing kept the gaows free
| at least until the negro wis hanged-and the
veteran soldiers We're of some service In push
ing back the multitude when itsurged too close
those who looked upon tho scene from points
Of vantage. outside the fence were almost as
were in ,slght1,tlqt Of the Fonda House.
already located in this narration; that
Just s across w0ns he 81 srcs osSa soutS d BPrsdh% ihs
gallows yard and that OF distant house be-
gsi,g LONGING to ss2mehody Son nmgmed Brummsgen, or
| could be dscerncd ON the first mentioned. and
the huiterng Of bright -coorcd ribbons and
| ON the second there were only men. When
Ecker was hanged here in 1871. the good old
man who owned this house was almost heart
broken because, after he had got as many peo-
| pie on his roof at 81 ahead as II would hold
W. others offered, him S. and even
had to GS refuse a,i0wH item. Pronnps ana by the
.Gxperience. he charged 80 head to-day. The
TO all who could climb, were by this time crowd
ed to the point where. even in boys judgment.
F. qHsaG G ys S9F %eR HSsaa on
| the boughs OF one Of them. A tall ladder was
set up against the western wall Of tho Court
rounds. had an excellent view The upper.
most man on the ladder was a thorough
wretch whose vulgar brutality and inRn;
hearing OF him. Fetch him out" Where's
show STsr Re would ye SHTin IN stcniS yGSr
rion tones. that oven penetrated the Jail and
greatly excited the culprt. to whom the last
number OF audacious young fellows Climbed up
over sheds and back buildingsto the roof Of the
| Jail itself and gained the caves Just above the
| gallows but were driven down.
At 1920 there was an excite tement drum
mcr with n muffled drum. stationed himself in
| an open space and waited signal Under
snerllr Potter yelled "FS h back z tie G. A. II.
syeTybody iyr shcaaa ek aa aad 9a'E
| timid persons really did fail back a lew feet
while tho legion OF bogus reporters climbed up
being sorted out and made 10 fall back. dull
roar sounded outs ide the fence. produced by
! the crushing in Of shed roof ON which some
fifty persons were standing. not because
it was high enough for them to see
1t was II place. 10 chamber up on. Strange
TO say not one OF them was hurt The people in
and hes Thss yelled y
lin outside the fence. near the gallows, waited
the ar the sgsst sss BY and BT to the con
adventurous chap was observed astriic the red
ball on the Johns,own Railr9ad signal pole
Vel Is from the hlackguard on the ladder, echoed
and returned by others, Of his species in the
surrounding tree tops. " This is h-,ll Of q
Sam on the tight rope. hi hi"
In the midst midst Of i. this shameful ,b pproar. ten
gan beating. sheriff Fonda had found much
| difficulty in managing sam. who was excited
and enraged by the ,ccowardly insults he could
| courage and resolution. Sam was got out OF his
narrow cell in his shirt sleeves. He would not
| put on vest or coat and he objected stranuousy
TO being pinioned. saving that he wanted 10
| walk out like Il man and be hanged Just as he
was. when he was bound, the small process
| vance. The Rev. Fathers LOwery and Delaney
followed Then sheriff Fonda and eX-Sherifr
Officers vroom and Mckinley and half a dozen
yeteran soldiers brought up the renr. The de-
pressing monotone Of the measured beats OF
was placed beneath the gallows beam. Sam
| looked all about keenly. with an expression OF
| mingled curiosity. surprise. and anger. The
| priests knelt before him and prayed. hut he
| continued 10 gaze nbout him, his look gradually
| changing to seeming hunt for Il recognition
| from some familiar face. The lhieth Psalm
| and miserere recited by the priests. were fol-
lowed by audible, PRAYER by Father Lowery,
| during whirh sam legs were securely strapped
| together at the ankles and knees. Then sheriff
! Fonda read aloud the death warrant. During
| the reading Sam continued TO look nfar OF At
| the men in the tree -tops-at the crowds OF men
and the women on the roofs. His left eye he
kept closed. but the glare Of the other was like
that OF the eye OF n wild beast at bay Hun
| dreds OF the foremost spectators knelt and
| ot faces spread before him in the sunshine
There was brief but perfect silence Of sus:
robin in a tree at a corner Of the iaii' and ihn
yell Of the wretch on The ladder. Hurry up and
sam 10 speak iii had anything to say. '''''
Well. answered he. hesitatingy. where's
| the Jail. I'll like TO have them sing hymn for
me now I've tried To- sec them, but don't"
Persons who had heard those young men
10 strike up. The Sheriff replied that they
were not present, and again told him that i he
said; am guilty, ara I've SAID !! y y my heart"
he person on the ladder. There he goes,
| ANA! SnOuteu tne lultcT. Ills eAuUAtlOH WIS
:, How much time have l got yet. sir?" Sam
| asked the Sheriff.
Five minutes, Sam" he answered. kindly.
| but firmly.
oh, make il ten" pleaded the poor fellow,
shuddering although he already ielt his feet
touching the dark river
Hang the niger! hang him." howled the
brute os the ladder.
neck. and adjusted II. As he did so the culnrit
shrank from IL, whispered hoarscly that II was
too tight, and asked for little moment more TO
breathe. The black cap was put upon his head,
| but not yet drawn down over his eyes He had
nolhing to say but he clung desperately 10 life.
Wait little, Just II little" he said. His eyes
royed over the green valley. the purple-veiled
distant hills. the blue sky then ie upon the
iaces before him. Hello! Mr.. Fish, how do
you dof" he exclaimed with a smile. as he
recognized his former counsel.
" Four minutes up" whispered the Sheriff to
him.
Sam shivered. seemed to choke something
down in his throat, then smiled at sight Of
another face lie knew. and exclaimed. Hello.
Fire him OH" yelled the wretch ON the lad
| der,
Tho black'cap was drawn down. From be-
| meath It he could be heard appealing to Heaven:
Oh. Godl Forgive me all my sins. for
In that instant the foot of a Deputy Sheriff
/ Ns.au. lN Nst.r u.sl ..l. ..l..