The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-06-27
The Seahold.

rIludy, June Il, was h0ll-
day." Six men were hanged in different
hanged at ChiIlicothe, Ohio, for the murder
of the McVey family, toll-gate keepers ON
the Columbus and Portsmouth turnpike,
about five miles north of Chillicothe, ON
the night of Friday, October 26, 1877, which
was one of the most atrocious of any
known in the annals of crime in Ohio. The
victims-for there were two of them-were
Edward s. Money and his wife Ann, both
old and respectable citizens of the county.
The murder was done for money. A cor
respondent tells of the scene on the gallows:
AS he stepped on die scafold he glanced
quickly around at the half hundred people
assembled to witness him die, and his eye
rested for moment, with a wicked CLEAN,
upon the form of Detective John T. Norris,
who was one of the men who tried to get
him to confess the murder when he was
arrested. While his wrists were being
pinioned he looked up at the cross-beam Of
the gallows, from which dangled not only
the rope that was to strangle him, but
also an Indian lariat, with a moose at its
end for use in case any accident should
happen to the other. His legs were next
bound at the knees with a strap, and the
black cap was placed on his head, its curtain
thrown back, and the moose was put over
Ato hSou y dLOnSU W ICbb lOUcCty dDOub
his neck. Rev. Mr.. Hirst then addressed
him, saying: "Perry, shall I pray for you ?'
enc" was the response of the doomed man,
81 don't believe in prayer" The clergy
man stepped back, shocked beyond measure,
and the Sheriff Mackey said Perry, have
you anything that you wish to say to the
crowd?' "No," was the reply, and then HI
continued, as if talking 10 an imaginary
Bowsher: Perry, nothing's going to
happen" The rope was then tightly
adjusted to his neck, the Knot being placed
to his ear. The flap of the death-cap was
thrown down over his face, and at precisely
touched the trigger with his foot, the trap
doors flew down, and Bowsher shot like a
fash through three feet of space. As
his descent ended his neck cracked like a
whip, and the general exclamation of ellis
neck's brokeI" was made by those on the
scafold. The death cap blew off his face,
which grew instantly terribly purple and
livid. It was picked up and replaced, and
then the doctors crowded around the pen
dant body and began to note the pulsations
of the heart. In eighteen minutes life was
pronounced extinct.
George Sherry and jeremiah Connolly,
the murderers OF Hugh McConville, were
hanged at 10: 80 in the corridor
of the Jail, at Chicago. The execu-
ton was witnessed by one hun
dred persons, a quarter of whom were men,
bers of the press. An account of the crime
for which they were hanged says that at
about half past eight O'Clock on Saturday
evening, January 10, as Mr.. Hugh McCon-
vile was escorting his niece, Miss Rosina
McConville, from his residence, No. 1860
Butterfield-street, to her home at No. 1858
on the same thoroughfare, they were met by
49,. ~r,G -~o al -
struck the young lady in the face
and crowded her against a wall. She
freed herself and ran across the street. OF
course the uncle was ncens at the out
rage, and resented it. He asked them why
they had hit the girl, and they replied by
~plunging a large knife, which they had
stolen from q butcher shop, into mis- left side
Just below the heart. Not content with
| this, or fearing that they had not fatally
completed their infamous deed, they jumped
upon the prostate man and cruelty kicked
him. Miss McConville uttered ashriek and
ran back to her uncle. The assassins had
or do further injury. They fled into the
darkness. The murderers were not dis
covered until about eleven o'clock on the
following Monday morning. when they were
captured by officers Entight and Lynch.
John Burns was executed at Paris, ILL.,,
for the murder of Elijah Birdwell, Deputy
Sheriff, who was attempting to arrest him
for a series of crimes. Burns met his fate
with a GOODNESS that was phenomenal. A
prominent Indiana statesman, who stood
near the correspondent of the Cincinnati
ENQUIRER, carefully watched his demeanor
during the ordeal of the reading of the
death warrant, the unnecessarily lengthy
prayer, and then saw the fatal plunge, some
one near by remarking the great bravery OF
the criminal. eft is not bravery" said the
gentleman " bravery is SO closely associated
with intelligence that a man with intellect
could not stand in the face of the inhunan
with such indifference as that"
Edward II. Costley, alias Dorsey (colored),
was hanged az Frederick City, Nd, for
the murder of his cousin, Solomon Cost.
ley, April A, 1877. The execution was de-
void of disorder, excitement, or any of the
demoralizing acconpaniments of an eIecu-
ton. About two hundred persons were
present in the Jail yard, and the walls pre-
vented observation from the outside. The
murderer made no public statement. The
cap was, at his own request, placed on his
head in the cell, and he was led thus blind
folded down the interior stairs and through
the corridor to the scaffold, in the midst of
a drenching shower of rain. The drop was
pulled a moment after he reached the plat
form, and dislocation of the neck followed
a fall of ten feet.
Jacob Levers, colored, was hung in the
County Jail-yard at Little Rock, Ark, for
the murder of another colored man. No
cooler man ever stepped on a death engine
He assembled the steps as firmly and with as
iiSle emotion as a man would walk up to
banquet. He took his place on the trap
door, and stood for a moment regarding the
upturned faces of the crowd beneath him
A religious ceremony was gone through
with, after which he was asked if he ha6
anything to say. "Only one thing" he re
piled; prepare to meet me in glory" Tit
officers babe him adieu, and the black car
was drawn over his face. As it came dowI
and ueared his eyes, still with that same res
i~gnation in his face he closed them forever
! The moose down, ne stood a spectacle to b.