The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1879-01-23

Charles Sharpe in the Carbon county
Jail that could have added dramatic
effect to the last scene of the tragedy
In fiction it is often told how a reprieve
sent at the last moment arrives at the
last moment to save, but in the history
of fact there are not many such cases,
and certainly very few in which the
reprieve comes just III time to be too
late Such was the case in the Carbon
county jail, however and, with the
echoes of the fall of the fatal trap. there
came through the long corridor the
ringing of tie Wardens bell. 1t was
the messenger with the respite, but he
came too late. Presently he was adj
mitted No one inside suspected his
great GRAND, and the dispatch was read
by the Sheriff AS he read, some peo-
pie looked over his shoulder, and the
breathless messenger that carried it
from the telegraph Office painted out
that it was an order from the Governor
to stay the execution. The information
passed through the crowd iammed in
the narrow corridors In whispers, and
for moment all was silent, until Nc
Donnell's father, who stood at the foo
of the gal1ows, controlled himself suffi
GENTLY to cry aloud: "It is murder.
There hang two innocentmen and their
murderers are here in the crowd"
Gentlemen" called out the Sheriff,
holding up the dispatch for moment,
this is a dispatch reprieving the two
men till Monday, the goth. It is
marked, Received at the telegraph
Office at 10 :37.'"
By this time the man Sharpe had
ceased to move or struggle, and the doc
tors pronounced him dead nine minutes
after he fell.
The Sheriff turned toward the sway
ing bodies and said Il am as sorry as
any one. 1t s too late to be helped.
Where is the undertaken"
AT this point, the terrible strain of
feeling that had kept the throng silent
was lifted, and a perfect Babel of voices
broke out, McDonnell's brothers, John
and Daniel, stood near each other, and
Peter Sharpe, brother Of Charles, joined
them, and together they cried In loud
voice that the execution was q murder
that the Sheriff knew the reprieve was
near at hand, and fastened his move
ments for that reason.
The Sheriff said: "No, I did not
name the hour to Father Bruce. said
that when he was ready the execution
should go on. He could have stayed
with the men, praying for them, till 2
o'clock, had he chosen to do So"
ut is not you [ blame" shouted
Mcdonnell. Not you; it was the Dep
uties, the murderers, who held the dis
patch back. It's our hearts blood they're
after. They want it all, and they will
have it"
EYES," chimed in Sharpe's brother,
"there hangs as dacent lad as any. He
never thought of doin' wrong, and there
he is, murdered. Curses on them as
did it"
The McDonneIls and Sharpe had
been joined by quite o number of their
sympathizers and friends, and the aspect
of affairs was threatening. The people
in the gallery that runs around the sec
ond or upper tier of cells looked down
upon the excited crowd below, and from
that vantage point of observation the
McDonnells and Sharpe were seen APP
parently about to attack the Sheriff's
Deputy.
Father Bruce, the Catholic priest who
had directed the spiritual welfare of the
two men, stepped forward, clad in cas-
sock, surplice and stole, and, raising his
hands, said in loud and commanding
voice: Stand back, men. So far as man
can be responsible, am, for the hour"
This had a quieting effect upon the ex-
cited men.
In the hall outside, MoDonnell's wife
and children stood. They had not ar
rived in time to bid their husband and
father good-by, and their expressions of
grief we're heart-rending.
Alas, alas!" cried the wife, why did
[ not see him once more? And now
he's dead, and the words that would
have saved him were under the roof
while he yet lived" cs
ooh God why did they not wait?
ALok, they are murderers! God knows
they are"
The children-one bright-faced,
handsome girl of II years-raised their
voices in cries that could be heard for
lOuR QlSbduC6. LII was d u1SIuHA ely vi
grief. The family thought that the ex-
ecution was to take place on the 18th.
At the end of thirty minutes the
bodies were lowered and given to their
friends McDonnelPs remains were sent
to Lowerytown for interment, and
Sharpe's to Wonamie,
John Martin, the manager of the
Western Union Telegraph office, states
that he received call from Philadel-
phia at 10:37, and, answering it at once,
prepared to take the message. He wrote
on the head of the receiving blanks the
usual formula, and, with the first word
he saw it was reprieve, and called the
messenger. The dispatch was from
Harrisburg, and had, to be relayed at
Philadelphia, AS soon as the signature
had been received, the messenger started
with the message, It did not require
more than o minute to write the dis