The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-06-02
A HANGING IN FLORIDA.

JOHN s1MoNs SUFFERS FOR AN AWFUL CRIME
THE RAPE AND MURDER OF LITTLE LOUISA
pAwseY-EsCAPING MOB OF LYNCHERs no
DE By THE DECREE OF TIE LAw--ANTE-
MoRTEM vAGARIEs ON THE GALLows
John Simons. alias Simon Robinson, was hanged at
Pensacola, Fla, on Friday the Pain. Tor tho rape
and murder oil little sir, negro IKE himself In
the HERALD several weeks ago was published an
account OF tho desperate attempt OF mob Of colorcd
people 10 wreak their vengeance upon MIN In antci-
patton OF the law, and Inc gallant defence by
Sheriff aud his ASSISTANTS ana which delayed the death
that he deserved. The trial OF the pris0nsr resulted
in his CONVECTION and received sentece capital
punishment The Pensacola Advdnce describes the
execution as iollows:--
FEELING .'rusr RATE"
Yesterday morn ns's sun rose bright ana clear and
al an early n0ur the condemned man Was visited by
few friends, inc various pastors Of the coored
churches, and wnen his cnilareu went IN 10 HIM
Yesterday morning there ensued q most affecting
scene her and children giving away
woria were inaseu gone Ai.sr lhcs. haa lei, ,ns Ad
reporter went IN 10 see tue prisoner as 5000
as entered SiTons' lace showed mat he recog-
uizea MIN, aud with = "Good morning, Boss ,.
his health ny saying, ~ lei lust rate. {"
ne insisted he often nad before, that he
cent The sheTln, accompanied bv the coiorcd mini
ters Rev. Robert Anerns ang Rev. J. Butler, again
came IN, ana alter lew words The jail was ordered
cleared that the prisoIer could o. conducted TO
rms scarold. his arms were locked behind hIm aud
then the solemn PROCESSION 10 he instrument death
procccucd ON It's way.
81 this ,ime the streets alley ways surrounding
the jai h,ied WIN people, nipc.tenths Of whom
were coioreo--every liazza and Roof upon which
loothogu could be secured Was 0Ccupisa AT tue
last moments in the jal ana during the short
walk Vi some ioriy feet to tue gaiiows, Simons
WAS Perfectly cool aud collected AKA talked
a. raliopay any man under the ordinary circuIn-
stances Of is PREVIOUS 70 hts departure iron n's cell
ne had been shaved and dressed III meat sun Of
cislhes, the III oil waich ne seemed 70 be somewhat
sociIous about. Before he lett the cell the pulse
islL Ny Dr.. Hargs, wno gave his pulse Nj 10 and
respiration twvnty -our, showing NO unusual sxclo-
msns - - srRASGE axIIows srsEcn. -
Tho ascent 10 The sca1oid VAS maus At thirty Ave
minutes past eleven, the the Rev. J. NJ Butler,
IN MISTER OF the cotorsd church. offered feeiing and
earn.,l PRAYER 10. tho ~ vatIon OF The uea
msn,s soul In the jail enclosure ana surrounding It
were the Shsrn's ueputies aud those whom simons
mad requested 10 DC present Alter Tue prayer Sheriff
HUTCHINSON READ The death warrant aloud and
also letter winch tho prisoner had written
TO ms VIE. When TINS MAJ been done me
condemned man was asked u no had anything 10
say.n WuereupOn he entered upou u discourse Gu
trey disconnected, the only inielgiDle portions Of
winch were :-.Gieat God here stand before q crowd
oil people. Lora have mercy on poor me- Ay time
nave come. Look n, Oh, Goul anu nave mercy
on my SOUL ! am gong 10 Jesus You near my
vocc now aud soou you wiii hear II no more Every
uouy IS Looking At poor me.n inns discourse was
I'm ucd ior lime, sing-song styIe, Inc voice
rising and iaing as he proceeded All tue while he
taking there were no signs Oh nervousness or
trcpidation.
Wnen asked by the Sheriff II he had any thing 10
say regarding his quit or Innocence, he sald:-"ls
Amanda pswsey'' (the mother OF the enid whom he
had muraxrsal '.ip The crowdy l want 10 see her
facc want 10 speak 90 that sue can near" she did
not appear. He lnen cody asked Tor chew OF to-
bacoo, winch Was put INTO his mouth oy sheriff
Hutchinson and upon which no began 10 chew quito
vigorously. He again commenced his discourse,
when outsiie the walls said. ''GoodDy,
S,mons" simons suddenly s.oppcd, and looking III
tnat direcsion -a'd, In loud voice, Gooooy your
seli!n lie thtn continued his rambling remarks,
THIS time speaking OF the CHILD Louisa Dawsey. Al
seven minutes TO twelve Sncrtn Hutchinson SAID,
iurthorY' no. he responded, IL am not guilty;
have SAID SO hsii dozen times"
BRokEN
Alter III 10 there oiio~ed sohss and prayer, during
winch the prisoner cool AS usual and precisely
Nj twelve black cap placed over mis- head, tho
soos eadJusted properly ana he was placed the
trap Another prayer was offered, ana exactly as the
wofd .sAuon" was said tue Hap wa sprubg--at tour
minutes past tweve--and IN an instant John Simons
was launched Into eternity. Drs. Hargis Whiting aud
h.m dead eight minutes. The BODY was
allowed to hang about thirty minutes and
then cut down. medical examination showed that
the neck had bceu broken ana death, SO far con
sciousncss was concerned, was instant. The Gu
tire affair well aud most decorously INDICTED,
there occurring anything at all To mar either the
soicmnity or effectiveness of the execution. As the
criminal Tell clght ieet eleven Inches - Is not at all
surprising thai Inc neck was broken.
Simous' only attempt Mt a confession was whom he
was asked Dy one OF ais colorcd friends named An.
tony Hcdspc, IN whosc charge he lett his children,
whether he lett he that going 10 suffer Justly
rcped by saying, ''Yrs, ain goins 10 suffer justly FOL
the crime Tor winch the law mas got ARA. ned :
changing u By saying Tor the crimes Tor misdecds
"of q lifetime"