Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1878-02-20
the ROVER EXECUTION.


-
Yesterday afternoon a about 3 o'clock.
j. W. Rover was hanged in Rsno for
the murder Of I. N. Sharp. on the Sth
OF April. 1875. For nearly three years
he has been in close confinement, and
during all that time he has stoutly main
tanned his innocence. and accused the
man Mcworthy. upon whose evidence
be was convicted. When the last hope
Of saving his life yesterday had fed. and
nothing vas to be gained by falsshood.
he persisted in denying the charge. On
the scaffold. with tho fatal moose dang
ling above him. hs said. "not guilty
in trembling accents. kissed the crucihx,
the emblem Of his holy faith, and called
on God Almighty to bear testimony to
his words. He died. rs he has lived for
the past three years. with a denial Of
the crime. and an accusation Of Nc
Worthy. on his lips. His soul nel TO
the gates Of eternity. either purified by
an awful and unjust persecution on
earth. or stained with a damnabls false
hood at the very moment Of its flight.
II was a most solemn and impressive
scene to all who witnessed the execu-
ton. The fall OF the drop either msted
out justice to the perpetrator Of n foul
crime. Grand 1t Is q terrible thought
1t comprised the death Of al innocent
man. consummated q murder in the
name Of tho law.
As TO the guilt or ~innocsuce OF the
man who was hurled into eternity yes
tsrday. there will always be doubts in
the minds OF the citizens Of Nevada.
It Is certainly to DO hoped. now that he
Is dead. that the future may develop
evidences Of his guilt which will satisfy
everybody that he has not suffered in.
nocsntly. But his dying words in the
presence OF the Church in which he
protested a deep faith. and uttered after
the administration Of extreme JUNCTION.
the most holy rite Of that Church. will
long ring In the ears Of the little assem-.
blags who heard them. II he was in
deed guilty Of the murder. he was the
most hardened Of msn-so hardened
that no pity need be wasted on him or
his memory. He had no hope Of es-
cape ; his only hope was for the future.
based ON his alleged faith in his reli-
gion. fhe lied at this supreme mo-
msn,. he was que Of the most detest-
able ~hypocritss as well as q murderer.
and whenever the fact is established.
there will be an end to all the sympa-
thstic pity which now surrounds his
memory.
II Rover was innocent, his death Is
not to be laid to the account OF any man
or body OF men. who aided rs agents in
| his condemnation and execution. The
error, 10 there be one. lies in the barbar.
Gus Law Of capital punishment. which
dissraees the statute books. not only Of
~. s,.,. 81 Naval. I'm, NJ NEARLY eysrv
g.; a. /. hi, IN. ;r,x h.v;,,
convicted Rover M. eour, eould do NO
o,,.,~;.. than n .s,,.pe. him. The
Ri =, p.r,ons CONVINCED Of nj.
u,,i, r.. A.. .,.,n ., .;,,rn.,.n.;.i .,;.
-,
-, a.
e'eap' 'n' s' 'Va
"o'"'
court. ihe'o ou' '" AoPe'
anu 'na AN' nn' ~.
An" P'
MS eoun's' u' ~
wouid ha'o ''ea 70 es''i'n '"0 '"e
on MS "iA' I's'!'""s W." ~
him tna' Inc naiu mature 'n' ~" VI
mufdet ps'"n'''' AH' mas ~,
nAnseu 'o' 'Nn' ~ ~
WAS .h' Pe'ps"a''', "' a"' NM ~,
not us eh~eeu'ofs' ma' must w hs'u
responsible.
Men ha'e been hanged before now
whom subsequent events nave proven
= H. --..- 10. .l..A
they suffered. This may be the case
with Rover. or ii may not be. But the