The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-15

and Sharpe have often been together He is innocent
OF the crime as innocent as the babe unborn. i am
innocent of any murder except the one confessed
am sorry left the Roman Catholic Church to join
The allusion in this little speech to q crime
fessed had reference to the Burns murder for which
Martin Bergan will hang in Pottsville Tomorrow.
It was on McDonnel's testimony that Bergan
convicted and it is singular fact that Mcdonnell
himself at the time he evidence in the case had
been convicted of murder in the first degree.
SHARPE DECLARES Hs INNOCENCE.
The Sheriff turned to Sharpe and asked him If he
had anything to say, sharpe stepped a few inches
forward Strengthened his neat shirt collar. and read
from paper in his hand something like this-
II am going to meet my God. declare before God
am innocent of the lnurdersof Smith as the child
unborn declare to God had no part in the MUIR
der. am sorry ever left the Church. ask pardon
of all and give my life for my sins. James McDon-
nell turning to himl. you are innocent, of the
the Church INTENDED to read longer speech which
written for me by Mr.. Boyle OF the Coal Gazette
but will not want him TO be sure to publish it,
STATEMENT REFERRED
The following is the statement referred to by
Sharpe and which he intended to read on the scafod
1t is verbatim as the prisoner desired to read it,:
First, / an, innocent Of the murder conspiracy of
George K Smith tho child unborn mover seen George
Or s% murder o s this %
III of s s s mar Of s%n 'hfr had
nothing to DO With the Smith murder or any other murder
Peter sharpe swore truth He swore that worked
tint sa s a h d na .ss ys n
went to bed. between nine and ten oclock and can
s ss ss Tss%
that N M h the n haas en Ss
tween nine and ten o'clock : ,,,
and me. in eantown as dance and that
did hit him. and was first and last meeting in
Luxerre county in Luzernc county IN 1855 the
%f ss' as% GsaHs
Ss,s1 ,sds
drinks in Kcey's and dallaghers sco9npany - ....
si%f: ss sa
10 III At
there conld not such talk pass Tor Yellow Jack never
so ss9~ NTH
& s.sl Sr I% two Fisher sn for o
belong to the Ancient order Of IIbernians in life:
Dsisny belong Ss order Carbon county for
i"sr S~" sSSS "StSs
marderer that se s;, ,O
hsas Ssns for otSsr mans
Does the authorities Of Carbon S SGlh s inf
do hsy al but
t%esy asys to-day since to this ask
ii ssus s
ssd es sss t. rsSs
for can't ud am nSs oss in
thank God But they cowardly to If they
o. ss s
msn IN II ss
caSoo with ad the and
THE FINAL ACT.
|. The Sheriff and Policeman Brink pinioned the
arms of tho prisoners behind them and shackled their
feet The white then drawn their heads.
The priests still stood near the prisoners. whispering
| consolation in their In moment every
but Sharpe and Mcdonnell had left the scaifold.
Just the Sheriff stepped down violent ringing Of
the loud sounding doorbell attracted attention. The
Sheriff passed around the scatfod and picked up the
rope attached to the spring. Father Bunce stood
few feet away. rectng the service for the dead Sud-
denly white handkerchief dropped from the priests
hand. The Sheriff pulled the rope and the men fell
heavily three and half feet They turned around and
| rapidly. One minute after the drop fell Sharpes
frame quivered and he drew up his legs slowly-an
agonizing contortion. In a minute more he
hanging limp. Mcdonnell never moved perceptibly
after he fell. His pulse beat for ten minutes his
His pulse ceased between the fifth and sixth minute
after the drop fell and his heart ceased to beat in
| eight minutes.
The crowd rushed forward to gather about the gal
lows. but they were stopped by q motion from the
| of death it whispered that reprieve had come
for the prisoners. In moment there was uproar.
Ono of McDonnelPs brothers nearly tainted and the
| others loudly denounced the Sheriff q murderer
Sharps brother all these relatives had stood within
three feet of the gallows also greatly excited He
swore dire vengeance on the Sheriff and concerned
in the hanging It looked ~ II there would be dis
graceful es in the presence Of the suspended dying
| Heinau and the Sheriff restored order. At
twentythrec minutes to eleven despatch signed by
Governor Hartranft received at the Mauch Chunk
telegraph Office reprieving the mon. The messenger
boy was at once despatched to the Jail with it.
ran to the door Of the prison. He shouted tele-
| gram. but the keeper OF the door, Robert Calvin,
pounded at the window, and at last made Calvin
| hear him. The latter at once gave the despatch
to policeman ds. and the latter started ed. for
loud shock Of the falling trap resounded in his
| He did not know the Importance of the document
but he got 1t in the Sheriff. hands posi-
| BILE. 1t read as follows:-
THE nEpRIEvr
w .,u. r rss ssyn;a Pa, Jan a. Is5a
fIave resped Mcdonnell and sharpe until Monday the
Goth inst, The reprovo viii be forwarded BY next mail
Of I'll vi. OF
Mr. p ]. Mcehan, of counsel for the prisoners,
ccived ut about the time tho following
despatch:-
HARRISBURG, Jan. II, 1879.
The has '''''' both to Af'fs f.
HEAnTRENDrSG SIGHT.
The scene inside and outside the Jail when the fact
of the reprieye became known was one never to be
forgotten. On the icy steps Of the prison Mrs. Nc
time her husband. cried aloud The little
shrieked my poor papa! My poor papa!' 1t was
rs ANYBODY RESPONSIBLE?
The question of who responsible for the awful
mistake at once raised. II was of those
fortunatc Things ror whicn haruly anybody can DC
blamed Fortunately for tho Sheriff ne his watch
ten minutes slow that it would correspond with
Father Buncc's watch. The latter gentleman de-
clarcd that the time was agreed upon by himself the
Sheriff and Father Heinau, and that the prisoners
also consulted.
As the effect OF the reprleve if the Supreme Court
decides the law of 1877 to be unconstitutional the
prisoners would have been entitled to hearing of
their before that Court II the law Is decided to
be constitutional the prisoners lives would simply
have been prolonged until Monday.
The bodies of the prisoners were cut down i'll a
hal hpu aft he nd tO
friends, who left town on the hafpast one T. u,
train.
GOVERNOR HAIrRANFT SHOCKED, BUT DOUBTFUL
OF THE VALUE OF THE REPRIEvE-PRoMPT
TELEaRApHING, BUT PnoMpTER SHERIFF.
INK TELEGRAPH TO THE HERALD
HApnIsDunG, Pa, Jan. IA, 1870.