The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1878-07-06
THE GIBBET.
THE LAST SCENE IN THE BURK-
LOW-WAGNER TRAGEDY.

hCENE OF THE EhEttIlON--llih fhiso.>-
ER's LAST HOURs-How A COURAGEOUS
MAN NIT DEATH--INCIDKSTs ABOUT TIE
JAIL AND ENCLOSURE.
As Burklow said in his dying words
yesterday, the circumstances of the tragedy
which brought him to the gallows have al
ready been stated so often in the newspa-
pers that the public are familiar with them
and that portion Of the public embraced
among the readers of The BULLETIN are
especially so. We shall therefore confne
our report to the events which occurred at
Vienna yesterday and to such other new
facts as have bearing upon the case.
AS early as seven o'clock people from
miles around began to flock into Vienna
in every imaginable kind of vehicles, on
horses and mules of all colors and kinds,
and many trudged long miles in the burn
ing sun to be rewarded later in the day with
a look only at theinclosure wherein Burklow
was to step down and out. The town wore
regular holiday appearance. Peter Funk
was there crying out his wares to the low
est bidder, and taking advantage OF the
crowds that that most popular of show
men-Jack Ketch-never fails to attract;
temporary stands were erected at various
places in the town for the sale of water
colored with syrups; for lemonade with just
the bare suspicion Of lemon in it; for pop
corn, taffy and illuminated stick candy,
with which to seduce the country
lads and lassies One of these
stands was erected near the en-
trance to the gallows, and the noisy, un-
crowd presented grotesque con-
trast to the solemn sound of the hammer
and saw Of the carpenters putting the fin
ishing strokes to the instrument of death.
BY two o'clock at least twenty-five hundred
people surrounded on all sides the Enclosure
and the Jail, and stood under the descend
ing rays of the hot sun without murmur,
waiting to catch a glance at the prisoner as
he stopped on his way from the Jail to the
gibbet.
About ten o'clock Messrs. W. F. Schuck.
ers, Tom Winter, L. L. Davis, Peter Saup
and BULLETIN reporter were escorted to
the old barn-like building that does duty
as a Jail and in which Burklow was
spending his last houis upon earth
Ascending ricketty flight of steps
that led from the outside into the building,
the party were halted in room over Burk-
lows cell. Sheriff Carter, unlocking a trap
door, descended alone by aid of ladder.
THE BULLETIN reporter was asked to de.
scend by the sheriff, at the request of Burk.
low. After shaking hands and making
some inquiries as to how he passed the
previous night, and how he felt, Burklow
asked him this question:
"Have you heard any Of the reports about
my wifel"
The reporter answered in the affirmative.
~ want you to tell me if you believe they
are true2'
He was told that a great many reports
were in circulation, the truth of which the
reporter would not undertake to affirm,
adding that he knew most of
them only as rumors, and to repeat
them under the circumstances would be to
unnecessarily add to his misery.
"The reason have asked YOU" he said,
lis this; l have little girl, and | want to
know from you the truth; would my wife
be fit woman to raise my daughter' Do
you believe she is a good womanS'
The reporter answered that he thought
his wife was not o good woman;
that there was unquestionablc evidence to