Daily Republican., 1879-12-06
WILMINGTON, DEL, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1877.

note the fact of there being too
much levity for a funeral and hard.
| ly enough for a parade. The un.
inappropriate jests and jeers from the
tribe of rag-tag which pottAred persist.
emily in the rear DISTURBED whatever
reflection the victim may have been in
dulg;ng in.
A few minutes after eleven o'clock,
the ground was reached. The scaffold
stood in corn field. Ii there was any
virtue in dismal surroundings the spot
had been well selected. The soaffold
was in charge of a guard of soldiers,
who were pacing to and fro along the
front, the sides and the rear Of il. A rope
attached to stakes kept back the swell
ing crowds. Evidently the curious
people had been gathered since early
morning. Vehicles Of every description
were backed up against fences Or stand
ing discriminately-confusedly around
the fields, while the horses securely
tethered, impatiently paved among the
dry leaves in adjoining thickets. Strange
to say in several places were seated
parties engaged in taking their dinner.
Everything bore more the appearance
Of fair than an execution.
The prisoner seemed to take no notice
OF the preparations that b ad been made.
He was taken from the wagon, his
feet united and led between Gordon
OF soldiery to the steps of the scaffold,
up which he walked with firm tread,
followed by his religious advisers. After
appropriate services the Sheriff began
to prepare for the final act, Up to this
time the prisoner had preserved a sto.
ical indifference. Only once did he be-
tray emotion. That was when he
stepped forth to speak to the crowd.
His face lighted up and his whole fig
ure became 1.-THE and actually express
sive. In the dispatches yesterday we
gave the gist of his remarks. In full
they are:
My dear friends do you see what condition
l am in; but thank God am able to say
with clear conscience that God has pardon.
cd me. ! am sayed My dear friends re.
member that God sees you. Never let your
passions overcome you as mine have me.
trust In the mercy of God, that none Of you
may be In the fix / am in now. May God
bless you and stand by you through al
eternity. ! ask this In tho name of.Chrst In
Heaven where nv name will be forever
written for Christ our redeemer's sake amen
God receive my soul!
After the singing of the hymn "Let
me to thy bosom fly" and as the black
cap was about to be adjusted he stepped
forward and said
l can say one good blessing Of the Sheriff !;
he has been kind and good to me as long as l
have been In prison. Now am on my road
to Heaven! don't care VIII, thtr / livs or
die just as leave die now as at any other
time
Voice in the crowd: "You will be
one of the angels"
The man continued
Yes I'll be in Heaven. Take me as your
pattern friends, and keep out of this as long
as you live. Tell Jim Wilmington a friend
to meet me In Heaven. Tell Annie This
friend in the jall1 not to study about me-
The covering was fixed over the pris-
oner's head and as the half smothered
words "good bye, issued from the cap,
the Sheriff with quick blow severed
the rope and Bedfofa Waters hung a
quivering distorted mass just foot
from the ground. The fall was six feet.
Sixteen minutes after the cutting of the
rope the body was pronounced by the
physician to be corpse. At few
minutes after twelve o'clock the body
was taken down. 1t was found that
death had been caused by the disloca-
tion of the cervioal vertrabae. The
coffin, which was Of pine. was
brought, and the corps placed therein
and Immediately after taken to the
potter's field and buried.
A SKETCH OF THE VICTIM.
Medford Waters, the deceased crimi-
nsl.it seems had very bad reputation.
OF that we say nothing at present. But
one dark and blustery st. Patrick 8 day
some seventeen years ago spread its
gloom over the farm of William Will
mer near the village of Chestertown in
the county of Kent. Under the chill
auspices of that day was born Medford
Waters the offspring Of Mary and Clin
ton Waters. The disturbing elements
which graced his natal day seem to
have followed him through life, for
shortly after his birth his parents
and the mother started out
20 battle with life, bnrdened down with
Nedford and an infant daughter.
The father relieved her of any aux
ETY. concerning the daughters future
ife, by stealing her before she reached
ler fourth year. The woman retired
o Sassafras neck as servant, still care
ng for her youthful son. He remained
With her until he reached his twelfth
'ear when he was apprenticed to farm
ng and like du'iful son repaid his
mother for her care by giving her all
he profits arising from his industry.
mall they must have been, but such
IS they were he cheerfully rendered
hem to her.
Then came over the heart of Mrs.
Waters longing to renew the pleas
res of matrimony and without asking
ny leave of the absent Waters, che al !
owed herself to be won and wed by one
Mr.. Brainard was evidently 9
ither little too fastidious or had made
)me miscalculation about Mrs. Waters I
overs of pleasing for his stay with her
as very short. Then he too followed
le example Of the deposed Waters and =
sparted without however leaving be- y
ind him any Swallowed token Of his 7
lection. :.
Clinton Waters never returned to ad- :.
onish Mary Of ber sins but hied him y
nto Queen Anne's County and took :,
p the duties of a fiddler. But one -
ark night a man was found murdered =.
sar his residence and suspicion point "
toward him. The proof was INSULT -