Daily Republican., 1878-12-19
JUSTICE TRIUMPHANT.
''Jsck" Kehoe the King Of the MOI.
lie 8Iaguires Execated-The Clos
iug nccnes.

| NJ tWcuby H'Seh Hi'uut'S past tsi
. O'Clock, yesterday wednesday, morn
r ingt at Pottsville Pa, John Kehoe tn,
famous "king Of the Mollie Maguires,
was swung into eternity, and the lit
drama, which has held the country fo
j, three years, was closed forever. Th'
, execution was conducted in the var
OF the brison, in the presence of abo u
$50 people, while perhaps twice al
! many more-most Of them, by their ap
psarancs, miners and colliery labors--
stood In the street outside, and gazed
in blank curiosity at the walls. Kehot
, bore himself bravely to the last. II.
spent lone time in the evening in con
versation with the prison officials, ap
pearing cheerful and resigned to hi,
fate, but steadily protesting his limo
, csnce.
About IL p. NJ. he went to bed and
slept soundly for four or FIVE bours. Al
six, when keeper called him, he rost
and said he "felt first rate; never bet.
ter in his life.' Shortly before seven
his wife called, and had an agonizine
interview with him, their feelings over
powering both. Shortly afterward
Kehoe's spiritual advisers, Fathers
Gallagher and Brennan, Of the Roman
Catholic Church, came in and celebra-
ted mass in his cell, Kshoe regaining
his composure during tho services. He
ate light breakfast with his wife, af.
ter which religious exercises were re-.
sumed and continued until nearly ten
o'clock. His wife then, by direction
Of the priests, bade him farewell, and
in few minutes the Sheriff gave direc-
tions for the final preparations.
The corridors were closed and pro-
cession formed, headed by two Deputy
Shsriifs, who were followed by two
physicians; then came Sheriff Matz and
Warden King, and next Kehoe, with a
priest on either side Of him. The
doomed mans step was firm and steady,
and hn mounted the scafTold without
a sign of nervousness or fear. On the
platform the priests gave him extreme
JUNCTION, and then knelt at the foot of
the steps, while the Sheriff said, "John
kehoe, have you anything to say now
why the sentence Of death should not
be executedt" Kehoe replied that he
had, then closed his eyes, opened them
again, looked upward, and, after a mo-
ments pause, said in a clear voice, ~
am not guilty Of the murder of Lang
don. | never saw the crime committed"
Enough" said one of the priests, ris
ing to his feet.
Kehoe stepped back, and nodded to
the Sheriff, who shackled his ankles,
st apped his legs and arms, adjusted
the rope, drew white cap over his
head, and retired from the scaifoId,
leaving Rehoe standing alone on the
platform. In a moment more the drop
fell. During the first minute Of sus.
pension kehoe appeared to suffer, con.
vul sively drawing up his body and
throwing his feet forward, giving him
self swinging motion, which was
checked by the physicians who gather
ed around hi n. Two minutes after the
springing of the drop the pulse beat
la; one minute later beat 100, and
in four minutes ceased.
One physician pronounced Kehoe
dead in three and half minutes from
the time tbs drop fell, but others fixed
the time at about seven minutes
Death was caused by strangulation.-
The body was cut down and delivered
to an undertaken, who forwarded it to
Shenandoah by special train via
r. arku will. Az ~ anl,nh ! L.
walked" tor two nights, and on Fri
day will be taken to Tamaqua, where
the funeral is to take place at A p. NJ.
The crime for which John Kehoe was
executed WAS the first on record of a
long series proved against him.
THE STORY OF THE CRIME.
John Kehoe, the "King Of the Mollies,"
was convicted in the summer of 1876 of
the murder of Frank W. S. Langdon.
On the l4th of June, 1862, meeting
was being held at Williams Hotel, in
Auderried, for the purpose of making
to celebrate the approach
ing Fourth of July. Langdon, the mur
tered man, was there, as were also Ke-
hoe, and others, members of an organ
ization called the Buckshots, which, at
that time, was the terror Of the whole
region. LangdOn, who was "ticket
boss" at J. B. McCreary & Co.'s Honey
Brook Collitry, was very unpopular
with kehoe's gang, on account of his
system of discipline amongst the men.
On the night in question band Of
music was engaged, and speeches
were made, during which Kehoe, Camp
bell, Donohue and others evinced a
determination to pick a quarrel with
Langdon. Kehoe taunted Langdon up
IN the subject of their bitter feelings,
and subsequently spat upon a Union d
lag which draped the speakers plat :
'orm. Langdon demonstrated with :.
nim. when Kehoe was heard to threat :
an violence against him. Shortly after
wards Langdon was found brutally
his head having been frac-
tured by repeated blows.
In 1876, Jack Kehoe, together with J
i've others, was arrested for the offense. a
severance was had, and he was Civ s
IN separate trial. Evidence was ad- b
luced showing that he had made the Z
hreats alluded to above, to take the '
ife of Langdon; that Kehoe and others t
lad plotted the murder and had brutal b
y killed their selected victim. After d
long trial and lengthy charge by g
he Court, verdict of murder in the +
rst degree was rendered.
The members of st, Paul's Methodist 7
Episcopal Church at Newark, IN. J.,) d
ave subscribed 81 600 towards the en- il
nWment of q nrofassorsh hin in tha Draw