The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-11
A SICKENING SCENE.
Dragged or Drunk, Hunter Is Car
ried to the Scaffold.
CHOKED TO DEATH,
Too Much Rope and Too Little Fall----lhs CulpEt's
Feet Rest on The Falr.
history OF HUNTERS CRIME.

CAMDEN, " j., Jan. TO- 1879.
Precisely at twenty minutes after eleven yes
terday morning Benjamin Hunter. drugged or drunk.
utterly unconscious and virtually dead choked
out of life by bungling officials in the presence of
swearing. pushing. smoking and indecorous crowd
of New Jersey roughs. Since the hanging of the
woman Bridget Durgin there has been no scene
indecent, none inexcusably brutal. From the
Sheriff. with his hat cooked his eye. with long
nine in his noisy mouth to the dirty faced witnesses
who leerngly ounged upon the railing every specta
tor-with few professional exceptons-treated the
occasion if it picnic at which profanity. in
decency and noise the "tumtum capah." Hor-
ribe of the previous New Jersey hanging
mssches" have been, this caps the climax. The pro-
liminary preparations farcical; the issuing of
the tickets outrageous discrimination in favor
of roughs and rowdies; the treatment of the con-
demned brutal, and the final scene was the most
sickening illustration of official Incompetence and
boorish stupidity your spondent has wit
messed. Eha
NIGHT.
The HERALp's special report informed the public Of
Hunters condition down to midnight of Thursday.
The reporters had been requested to suppress the
fact that Hunters physical condition excited appre-
tension AMI that it would be necessary to build him
up on whskey, else suppress him by drugs.
Heretofore the facts concerning his attempted suicide
have been withheld from the press, and they would
not be known to-day it not for the quarrel that
wages rclentessly between the Hunter family and
his former counsel. AS learn from the Waterman.
for week ten days previous to Sunday last, Hun
ter. on the plea of being cold in the habit OF
going the of his cage the stove where
he would take off his trousers and rub his hip before
going to bed which he generally did at half-past ten.
On Sunday night. usual. he undressed. cigar
in mouth, and sat by the stove The keeper,
Mr.. Nilsson, knitting wristlet, and as Hunter
sat and rubbed and Nilsson sat and knitted, the
two chatted and joked and laughed. In view OF what
then going on the nerve of Hunter some.
thing remarkable. Hunter shook his shoulders and,
complaining of a chill pulled a piece of carpet
his feet and until half-past eleven continued to rub
and laugh and chat and joke That subtle sixth
sense something. suggested to Keeper Nilsson that
Hunter would bear watching, so he said
'Come, old man. think you'd better turn in; it's
getting late"
''Oh I'm not sleepy" replied the prisoner.
.'why don't you move?' asked Nilsson.
because I'm comfortable as I am" rejoined
Hunter.
..But you must move. want to you move"
continued the keeper.
Hunter kept on rubbing. and Nilsson, opening the
door, rushed at him in his cage. Pulling away the
carpet from Hunters legs and feet terrible sight
met the keepers eye. With sharp, ragged bit Of
tin the determined had rasped the skin and cut
the arteries OF his inseps and the blood had poured
from them to such extent that spittoon he had
managed to place there filed and running over
Help was procured. Hunter handcuffed and the
doctor sent for. He says Hunters pulse 49, and
that he would not have lived five minutes longer had
he not been called in time. Hunter, who
cunning as a fox. slammed Inconsistencies and held
his teeth tight together that it was impossible to
force his jaws apart with toothbrush. and finally
the doctor gave him injections of whiskey. Although
the doctor pronounced Hunter of danger Tues
day there has been no time since when it was certain
he could hold out the end. This made the officials
very anxious about the last night especially as his
behavior when his family last with him was
strange and unnatural.
EARLY MORNING
From twelve O'Clock Hunter continued to sleep I'M
easily. He groaned and moaned and snored as to
be heard throughout the building. He turned from
side to side as if in terror fear Of some dread
object. His handcuffed hands twitched nervously.
Now and then he would clasp them as IL in prayer.
and again he thrust theyn from him as IL they
panied him. so fierce his looks and
SO vigorous his that his watchers
thought It best occasionally to him
from his nightmare. When thus brought
back for a moment to the life to cnd the ex
preston of his face pitiful. Ills great eyes in
their sunken sockets glared in the semidarkness like
those Of wild beasts in jungle. His medicine
drugs or whiskey-was given him regularly. and much
more effort made to preserve him for the moose
than was put forth to prepare the moose for him.
Occasionally the keeper asked him how he felt.
to which generally there response,
but occasionally he growcd out "middiing"
or .pretty fair" stupidity he acted
with the keeper. it evident that the strong man
was wrestling with himself and nerving himself to
something. Occasionally from under his heavy
brows-and IL is said he could not look up without
throwing back his head-he dsrted forth quick,
searching chances, If to take in the situation,
but he immediately reiapscd into the lethar-
gic or feigned condition in which no passed
the night. At two O'Clock he groancd continually.
At three he was reused for medicine. At four he
woke up finally and made visible effort to be
strong but the great of blood. the enfcc bling
narcotics and the terrible strain upon his merry BUS
energy too much for him, and 1t was apparent
that II he lived to be hanged at all would be either
whiskey Jug az unconscious scinblrnce OF hui
manity.
"How arc you Hunterg' asked the keeper. at twenty
"Afiddling," whincd the old man, he turned his
face away and cured his legs UP, like chilled and
The doctor and sheriff and clergyman consulted to-
getler The doctor saw that bis patient was on his
death bed The Sheriff feared his hanging match
would be defeated. The clergyman resolved TO mako
a prayer. at any rate.
of brace was not disclosed. II II said that whiskey
was the agent selected but although the old man
smellod OF that particular stimuantJ his actions
suggested free OF narcotics far more
potent. Hours before he hanged he
was as good as dead Hts faithful brother
called TO him more, but II was
deemed best that his immediate family should not
have their Feelings unnecessarily narrowed again by
sight OF the once loved and vigorous old man, now
sottcd wreck little better than breathing corpse
Hunter recognized his brother and listened lis'essy
TO mis- words of encouragement; but ~ II was diff
hcult for the brother to suggest encorapencnt 40 IT
almost impossible for Hunter 20 appreciate IT,
AZ one time IL seemed 60 your correspondent that
Hunter sbamming the entire performance. His
eyes now and then opened wide. but avoided recog-
ntions Several times when the lids were partially
open CLEANS of characteristic shrewdness were de-
tccicd, but il IL the opinion OF mon who mad better
opportunity OF Judging that while Hunters mind
was alive his faculties were not alert and also that
the horror of his approaching fate was gradually
but surely unrcrying him. Whatever the
fact may be, Hunter gave no outward indi-
- aoLl.. na.lnl hxn.