Daily press and Dakotaian. [volume] (Yankton, Dakota Territory [S.D.]) 1875-1880, 1879-03-15

service, and for playing upon the fife the
death march for the prisoner 8. g. Simmons
to the scafIold.
Your correspondent remarked "that this
was the last execution for murder in the
state Of Michigan" which. 1 believe, is
generally conceded TO be the fact. "Yuss9s, "
allusion to the subject recalls to N , mind
the reading Of an old book purchased a year
or two since in Cincinnati ent tied. "Tour
of the American Lakes in 1890" published,
in London in 1888, ia which may be found.
an account Of the trial and execution above
alluded to l copy it entire. 1t is en-
titled:
"REMARKABLE INSTANCE OF CAPITAL
CRIME"
We will not detain the reader any longer
1t Detroit, ex ,ept to notice a remarkable in
stance of capital crime. On the 26th Of
July, 1880, during our stay at Detroit, 8.
G. 8. received the sentence of death from
the proper tribunals of the murder of his
wife, under circumstances aggravated by
brutality and savageness too painful for re-
ci.al, and in the contemplation of which hui
manity shudders. The wretched mans own
children were the principal witnesses, on
whose testimony he had been convicted. In
telling their story of their mothers dread
full end they brought their father 10 the gal.
lows.
In the progress of the trial a history Of
savage violence was disclosed, such, we
would fain believe, as rarely passes upon
the records Of crime. What demon of hell
can be more fatal to human happiness and
to the souls of men han ardent spirits?
The children, a son and two daughters Of
adult years, testified abundantly to the nat
,,.a1 , ~ .ohlora, o~l oT.oonoto G.,.
in c~onjugal and parental relations, not only
sober moments. But when intoxicated he
seemed possessed of the furies of a more
abandoned world. As. the murderer en-
tered the place of judgment, and was con-
Quoted to the bar to receive.the sentence of
the law I observed in him a noble human
form, erect, manly and digniied; Of large
but we'll propovtioned stature bearing a
face no less expressive than the most perfect
beau ideal of the Romans; with a counter.
ance divinely fitted for the play of virtue,
Of every parental and conjugal affection
and an eye beaming out a soul which might
we'll be imagined to have been once suscep-
,ible Of the love and worship Of the Eternal
One-all, all marred and spoiled by the de.
mon Of intemperance; and now, alas! allied
to murder of the most diabolical cast.
Rarely is seen among the sons of men a
more commanding human form, or a coun
tenance more fifty set to intelligence and
virtue-made, all would say, to love and be
honored. But now what change by the de.
Easements Of brutal appetite and the unpro.
voked indulgence and mitigation of a fata'
passion! BY what a fearful career of vic.
had he come to this "Nhat a piece O
work is man how noble in reason ! how in.
finite in faculties !! in form and moving how
express and admirable in action, how like
an angel. in apprehension, how like a god
the beauty Of the world, the paragon OF
animals" But when debased and ruined
by vice, how like a iend-in shape 20 unbe.
fitting such a spirit! And yet who could
see the fiendly stamp upon this poor and
wretched man? For he wept-he sobbed!
His utmost eoul heaved with anguish He
bore the marks of contrition.
As . man, and such a man-if we could
forget his crime-he was to be respected a:
being in a condition Of suffering, he was tc
be pitied, and as seeming the image of re.
pentance, heaven might forgive what man
could not. 1t was an awful hour, when he
approached the bar even of this ear hly
tribunal, anticipating we'll his doom. For
jury of his country. as he knew, had set theil
seal upon it. As he entered this now awfu.
chamber Of justice, he cast his eyes around
upon the expecting throng, whose presence
and gaze could not be a mockery of hi,
condition ; and with the greatest possible
effort for self. possession, braced his muscu
lar energies to support the manly frame
while trembling under the tempest Of pas
sion which agitated his s,ul. But the mo
ment he was sented all his frmness dissolved
into weakness Of a child, and he wept Ii,
sobbet aloud. A silence reigned through
the crowd, and q thrill Of sympathy seemed
to penetrate every heart. The court, unac
customed in that land to such an office, Eel
themselves in a new aud awful condition
with a fellow being arraigned at their bal
charged and convicted of a most a,rocious
and, in its circumstances, an unparallele,
crime, and his doom suspended at that mo
ment on their lips. Their emotions wer,
too evident to ne mistaken, and in the high
est degree honorable to their hearts. IS. &
S." the name in full being pronounced b,
the court, broke the awful silence of til,
place, shave you nything osay why thejudg
ment Of the court should not be pronounc
ed% The prisoner was %convulsed, ar.
with fal,ering voice. and in broken accent
replied, Nothing, if it please the court, ex
c.pt what l have already communicated
and he resumed his seat. Upon which
a very appropriate, eloquent and i'm
p~ressive address was made by tn
court to the prisoner, setting fortl
the fact and nature Of the crime of which
he stood convicted, appealing to his ow,
knowledge for the fairness of his trial, an
to his own consciousness Of the justice Of hi
doom, commencing him to heaven for tina
clemency which he could no longer ask O
men, and the awful sentence was pronounced
And may God Almighty" said the Judge
with that subdued emphasis and touching
pathos which became the responsibility o
his Office and the nature of the OCCASION
= May God Almighty have mercy on you
The prisoner, by all the testimony, was i,
his nature, kind. He had loved his wife ex
nnoro0r o~I 0ovol hn. $780, 49,.