The New York herald., 1879-07-11
WAS HE INNOCENT !?
Execution of Joseph B. Buzzsll After
Having Been Once Acquitted.
SUSAN HANSoN'S MURDER.
Strange Complications Of Perjury and Alleged
Conspiracy by Detectives
81 DID NOT KILL Herr"
Buzzell Meets His Doom Calmly, but
Makes No Confession.
COOKS CONTRADICTORY STATEARNTS
The SeIf-Confessed Assassin at Large Dis
charged by the Court
81 DID NOT KILL Herr"
Buzzell Meets His Doom Calmly, but
Makes No Confession.
COOKS CONTRADICTORY STATEARATS
The Self-Confessed Assassin at Large, Dis
charged by the Court
IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD. |

IBY TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD.
CONCORD, n. H., July 10. 1879.
Joseph B. Buzzell was executed in the prison yard
here to-day at five minutes after eleven O'Clock for
the murder of Susan A. Hanson, committed Novem-
ber 9. 1874. at Brookfeld. The condemned man.
after spending restless night, dressed himself very
carefully at five o'clock and read portions OF the
Scriptures till breakfast. of which he ate rather
sparingly The officers of the prison and the rep
resentatives of the State, aided by the Chaplain,
have for some time made extraordinary efforts
to get Buzzel to confess To-day they re-
newed the attack with vigor, but without avail.
In fact. the condemned man severely censured the
Chaplain for waking him up in the middle OF the
night when he trying to rest, and suddenly
springing questions on him. isr sNfr :, q
DYING STATEMENT.
Just before the execution the Warden, who had
some questions written out approached and said;-
'Did you kill Susan A. Hanson?'
"No, did not. You need not ask any more ques-
tions, for don't to have any conversation
.Dd you hire persuade Charles w. Cook to kill
Susan Hanson?'
"I don't to have any talk about it,"
"Do you know anything about how or by whom
she came to her death?'
II know by hearsay; have other answer to
give.'
Are you willing to die with these declaratio ons?'
He did not
After this conversation it was read to Buzzell.
and he corrected one or two words and left this as
his dying statement. He then complained of efforts to
get confession from him. and said he did not wish
to answer any more questions. He said anything
else he wished to add he had written to his wife.
but this had no bearing on the question Of con-
fession.
so LORD HAVE MERCY"
At half-pas ten A. NJ the Sheriff read the warrant
of the Court commanding the execution, but the
victim was too much engaged in collecting his
thoughts for prayer to pay much attention. He fre
quently calculated. This is not according to
Christ" 80 Lord have mercy me- &c. The
persons invited to witness the execution ad-
mitted into the enclosure after past ten.
Everything quiet and decorous. At one minute
past eleven o'clock the Sheriff and his deputies ap-
peared conducting Buzzell and at two minutes past
eleven he placed on the drop, which o
level with the platform. the studding of the insru-
ment of punishment having been raised two feet to
give the required fall of feet.
TRAP
Sheriff Haley placed the condemned man carefully
in position. the latter seeming to take much in
terest in the operation the officer Buzzell. who
closely shaven appeared pale. but otherwise was
calm. and showed no emotion whatever. He
fixed his gaze on the officers about him and
seemed to pay little attention to the crowd.
The process of strapping his legs at the
knees and ankles performed quickly by
Deputy Sheriffs Piummer and Thompson,
the unfortunate man during the operation
murmuring short prayer in almost whisper.
After his legs were bound he cast momentary
glance at the grated window at his right and with
look of sadness that edingy painful seemed
to drink in the bright sunlight. He given but
was called to the trembling voice Of the Sheriff. who
announced that he was about to execute the ''ex-
treme penalty of the law" .As the sheriff
claimed. "And may the Lord be with mel''
Buzzen then engaged in silent prayer. the sheriff
neck. The knot placed directly under the chin
of the condemned man. with the moose drawn moder-
ately tight Buzzell, with his eyes closed continued
his prayers and in moment the light of day was
shut out from his gaze by the black cap. moment
Of silence then followed during which the prisoner
stood straight arrow without muscle per-
eeptbly moving. The deep and oppressive silence
was finally broken by the Sheriff exclaming And
may the Lord have mercy ON your soul"
SWINGING IN AIR DEAD
The last word had hardly been heard when the
Sheriff pressed the fatal spring. and second later.
at precisely six minutes past eleven, the body OF
Joseph b. Buzzell fell with heavy thud, and. after
once rebounding at the end of the rope. became
tonless There contraction of the muscles
and no twitchng whatever. Five minutes after the
drop fell the pulse was 151 At six began to huter
perceptbly, aud at eight and half minutes had
ceased to beat ut the wrist. At nine minutes the
heart registered twenty.nine pulsations to the
minute, as 1t did with slight variations up to nine
teen and half minutes from the time the drop fell,
when he was pronounced dead by the ply sicians.
PERPLExISG CASE.
The execution of Buzzel will live side by side. in
the history of New England, with that of John r.
Phair in Vermont. reasonable doubt existed as to
the guilt of each and both denied all relief by
the courts and legislatures of the respective States
Buzzell's care was even harder than Phairs He was
acquitted of the crime tor which he died to-day
and then convicted mainly on the testimony of a
young man who has made affidavit that he pcrjured
himself. A trial denied by the courts the
Governor and Council denied petition fora re-
prieve. and the Legislature declined to interfere,
Q1f trnh att Gnnf alla9 In faO. 80
mutation.
HISTORY OF THE CRIME.
On Monday evening, November 2 1874, Miss Susan
A. Hanson was shot dead in her house in Brookheld,
little town about two miles from the Wolfboro
junction on the Great Falls and Conway railroad.
Miss Hanson seated at table in tho kitchen OF
her mothers residence, Der mother and her brother
report of musket was heard the window was
lodged in the head and neck of the un-
fortunate girl, killing her almost instantly.
The brother of the murdered woman rushed out.
but could find no person about the premises. lie
gave the alarm and the widest excitement was
manifested by the neighbors. who pouring in.
1t the first murder or serious crime of any sort
that ever was committed in the little community,
and was, consequently very startling in its effect
upon the simple villagers.
WHAT WAS THE MOTIVE?
IL was evident to the constables, no promptly set
to work to hnd the perpetrator of the bloody deed,
that robbery or lust was not the object of
enter the house after the fatal shot was
ared. What was the motive then. and who was the
n1uruererl Joseph IL. BuZZell, "A thrner ana stone
mason, who lived the farm next but one to the
Hanson homestead, was at once suspected, and with
good reason. He had been schoolmate of Miss
Hanson and her lover. They had been engaged to
be married, although Buzzcll denied that He broke
on the engagement partly because he compelled
by the authorities TO marry a young lady in
the village whose honor he had invaded. Miss
Hanson sued for breach of promise. and rs her
recreant lover was ia very comfortable
and her o clear one II was generally admitted
that he would be compelled to Day good round sum
for his desertion. This suit annoyed him very much,
and he frequently heard to use violent oaths In
support OF his asseveration that he never would pay
her damned cent" The to be called on
the Sd day Of November n court, and the night be.
fore. previously stated, the plalntiM was