St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1879-03-21
Hangman's Day.
Murderers Devlin, GraveIin, Pinkham
ALL HUNG ON FRIDAY.


William Henry Devlin, the Lowell
wife-murderer, was hanged at the East
Cambridge jail Friday, the drop falling
at 1885 a. m. About 100 persons were
present at the execution, and Devlin
was more composed than the officers
and many others about him. Father
ODonneli administered the sacrament
to the condemned man during the
morning, and remained with him till
the execution. At 1916 o'clock DevliD
finished cigar, babe his friends good
by. took his place on the scaffold, and
said: 81 thank all my friends for their
kindness to me. I recommend all of
nv friends to abstain from rum, and 1
recommend my soul to God" His legs
and arms were then piniOned, the black
cap was pulled over his face, the moose
adjusted, and, after the death warrant
was read, the drop was sprung, and he
fell about nine feet. Devlin's neck was
not broken, but he died easily, and in
26 minutes life was pronounced extinct.
In As minutes the body was lowered
and taken to Lowell for burial.
Devlin was born in Dublin, Ireland,
in I84I, and came to this country in
1853. He lived at Rutland, VT, till the
rebellion broke out, when he Joined the
army and served in the 5th and 9th
Vermont regiments, participating in
some of the greatest battles of the war.
At Antietam he received a sabre-cut on
the head, from the effect of which he
claimed to have never fully recovered.
He also had three ribs broken and his
leg injured by the bursting of shell at
Malvern Hill, and received bullett in
his leg at the Wilderness. At the close
of the war he went to st. Albans, and
met Hannah Elizabeth, the attractive
lS-years- daughter of John Manning,
well-tO-dO citizen. Devlin's habits
were good at the time, his attentions
were accepted by Miss Manning, and he
married the woman he afterward MUIR
dered, and moved to Rutland. After
several years of sunshine and happi-
ness, Devlin darkened his home by be-
coming Incorporate. In 1867 he moved
to Lowell and worked as a butcher.
His appetite ruined him, however, and,
losing his position, he became Il rail-
road labOrer and then the janitOr of a
school-hOuse, but as his drinking habits
grew his chances for work lessened.
The once kind father became the tiend
of his home, his wife and four children
suffering from his cruelty. On the
night of October 8, 1877, the tragedy
for which Devlin yesterday paid the
penalty occurred. Qurreling with his
wife because she had borrowed % cents
to have II tooth pulled, he stabbed her
with a knife, knocked her down and
tramped on her body till it was mass
of bruises and her ribs were broken.
Leaving the woman on the floor he re-
tired, and in the morning she was dead.
During the following day he completed
his murderous work by strangling his
mOtherless baby. Then he warned his
three other children not to tell of his
crime, and left the city. He was ar
rested at Bellows Falls, VT, in a day or
two and brought back to Lowell, where
his brutal crime had raised public feel
ing to such pitch that there was talk
of lynching him. He acknowledged
and gloried in his crime, and said he
was willing to go to Jail for it. Last
December he was tried at Cambridge,
after several delays. He declined to
plead guilty to murder in the second
degree, saying it was impossible to con-
vict him i'll the first degree. The prin-
cipal testimony against him was given
by his children, John II. and Nellie, ii
and 8 years old respectively, who told
the story which had been so wildly i'm
pressed in their young minds, and his
conviction and sentence followed, Dew
lin left Il letter to his father, in-law and
mother-in-law, asking their forgiveness
70 III Il
brothers are buried at Rutland, VT,
and two of his sisters are now living at
West Rutland. His children will be
cared for by his wife's friends.
HENRY GRAVELIN.
Henry Gravelin, the murderer of
Herbert o. White at Weatherstield, VT,
October &, 1876, was hanged III the
Windsor prison Friday at 2.2l p, IN.
He WIS the first of five condemned men
in the prison to pay the penalty. The
others are John p. Phair of Rutland,
Asa Magoon of Barre, Edward TatrO of
Highgate and Edwin c. Hayden of Der
by Line. The first two are to be hang
ed this year and the Others later. The
last execution in the state before Grave
Inns was that of Henry Welcome, IL
years old, who was hanged January 20
1871, for the murder of Perry Russell at
Hinesburg. Gravelin's execution took
place in the prison corridor, a few spc
tators being present. At 2.l0 o'clock
he left his cell between two deputy
sheriffs, holding crucitiX in his hand
and attended by Father Classy of St.
Albans. On the gallows and while the
death warrant was being read, he look
ed into vacancy and kept up continu-
al chewing on something. The priest
prayed, and then Gravelin said: 81
and | hope the Lord will forgive my
trespasses as l forgive those who tres
pass against me-" Those who expected
confession were disappointed, the
prisoners arms and legs were pinioned
and the drop fell. Gravelin died in
stantly, his neck being broken, and at
the end of l3 minutes his body was
taken down and given TO his friends.
During the day Gravelin strongly pro-
tested his innocence, saying he could
not acknowledge committing the mur-
der; he did not know who were the
murderers, though he suspected that
two men, Carpenter and Massey, were
concerned in it. Concluding he said
81 feel as though had been robbed and
murdered and lied into my grave. l
lay the whole of it to my counsel, Ed
minister and Batchelder."
Gravelin was born at Black River
village, p. O., in 1880, and at the age of
% emigrated to Claremont, n. H. He
married an American, and accumulated
considerable property, some say by
hard labor and saving. and others that
his methods we're criminal. Later he
moved to Weathersfield, VT, where his
wife died, leaving him one daughter.
He became connected with sheep
staa1inU UanU in Windsor onuntv onJ