Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-01-17

ENTY BUSINESS MEN TESTIFY, HUNG
He GOES 20 THE sCAFFoLD INsENsI-
BILE.
&C., &C.. sc.
In Camden, n. j., On Friday last there.
closed one of the most remarkable TRACE
dies that has occurred i'll this country since
the execution of Dr. Parkman in Boston.
BeJamln Hunter who was executed was
well known business man Of Philadelphia,
OF the best social standing with q charac-
Ter so high that on his trial seventy OF the
pest business men in that city testified to
their confidence in his integrity and good
standing in all respects, a man Of the most
correct habits and the father of grown
| children. He had some business transac-
lions With a music publisher Of Camden
named Armstrong who became his debtor
and to insure the debt OF 81 600 he insured
Armstrong; life for SIG, 600. He then en-
ployed a man of no character named Ora
ham to Kill hi444 in order to get the insur-
ance, and last fall went to Camden and in
Vlled his victim cut to walk at night.
Graham came up behind them but fled af-
ter the first blow with a hatchet and Hun
ter himself had TO finish the deed. Hunter
mad marked tbs murderous weapon with
the initials of man wi til whom Arm
strong was at feud, and il It it On the spot.
Inc detectives arrested tae man intended
60 be convicted by this b ut he proved an
allbl. The fact of the heavy insurance
| MT AT ,fGy- g.,
quently seen in converse zion with so I'M
suitable a companion ais the disreputable
Graham, the detectives arrected the latter
and the next day shocked the community
OF Philadelphia by arres ting Hunter. Ora
ham had confessed the whole transaction
La Jail On Monday, HUI tier who was con-
fined in an iron cage in the middle Of his
cell attempted suicide by quietly cutting a
vein In his leg aud sat, talking coolly and
joking with his keeper while bleeding to
death with a blanket wrapped around his
limbs. but ne was detected and the wound
stopped. A correspondent of the IN. Y.
! Sum- writing Of the execution says:
But Oh Thursday there was no sportive-
ness, such as has characterized his inter-
course with his keepers Neither was he
surly, as has been said. Instead, his brain
seemed to be becoming stupefed. He re-
fused food, Of which he had eaten plenti-
fully since his Imprisonment, and he lay
upon his cot like one who had been
| drugged. He did say to his keepers that
ne wanted no one 10 enter his room except
his family and the. Rev. DR.. Allen, but
when these came he could, by struggle,
command his faculti 80 barely enough to
| rHc0pnIZh fhpnD Op a x,,i%
him. II he heard th prayer he gave no
heed to it, but lay 81 lent and with closed
eyes upon his bed. To his family, who
stayed three hours With him in the even
ing, he said little. At times he seemed to
realize that they were there to bid him
farewell, and then ne showed slight emo
ton. The Shadow of the gallows seemed
10 darken every other Impression, and be-
came blacker and bIacker every minute
He could not be reused sufficiently even
to place his hands between the bars of his
cage into those OF his wife and children,
and when they stood around him. with the
narS intervening between them and the cot
on which he lay, it seemed like the gather
ing OF family around death bed. In
facG, 1t was nothing else. A keeper did
seize hand and place it in that of his
wife and children, but it was the limp
hand of an unconscious man, and they
| u,
Then began dreary night watch. Hun
Ter now and then tossed his head on his
pillow, and once in while made signs
that indicated great thirst. Then water
was given him. But he never moaned nor
In any Way indicated that he was cousci-
GUS. His physicians think that by this
Time his great mental anguish had passed
and had left his brain clouded. The suf-
ferlngs OF the execution were endured by
| }oy n l,l
some time during the night. Just before
dawn there seemed to be spasmodc action
OF the involuntary muscles, and he was
given two large draughtS of whiskey. Ii
only sent q m0mentary stimulus to his
brain, during which be frightened suffiei-
entlv to answer Sheriff Calhoun S son. who
asked him hoW he felt.
Pretty mlddling."
He never spoke again, and that was at 4
O'Clock IN the morning, and the execution
| was seven hours after. The WlIskey
seemed to quiet his muscles, and after that
ne rarely stirred. just as the SUI rose the
keeper brought him some breakfast, a
juicy STEAK, crisp fried potatoes, and fra
grant coffee, but he could not be aroused
sufficiently to touch it, and it was at last
taken away.
At O'Clock his brother-in-law, Andrew
Getz came to his cage, but Hunter did not
| hnoW nIhl, VI, Ia No ulu, Iuade no sign, nor
did he In any way indicate that he wished
final religious services. The Rev. DR.. AL
len, however, prayed, but the only ones
who were touched by the sorrowful petit
ZION were the keepels, Mr.. Getz, and
Aaron thompson, one of Hunters coun-
sell. Hunter, SO far as could be seen, knew
nothing OF what was going on. Mr.
thompson was SO deeply affected that he
at once withdrew, as did the Rev. DR. AL
len, but Mr.. Getz remained as the family
representative until Hunter was taken
away.
Sheriff Calhoun found that all efforts to
rouse Hunter were unavailing. and he
| called SIX OF his strongest deputies, and in
formed them that Hunter must be dressed
and bound upon his bed, and carried to
the place OF exclusion. His vest and black
frock coat were with great trouble put
upon him by two OF the deputies. He had
not removed his trousers over night. Two
other deputies bound his feet, and his
hands were hand-cuffed behind lis back.
Then they lifted him from the cot and
made one more effort to have him stand
and walk, but he would have fallen had
they not supported him. He was in
semi comaJoSe condition, and very RAPIDLY
failing. Then the Sheriff walked solemnly
from the room, the six deputies bearing
in their arms The unconscious man. With
great difficult they bore him down the
two flights OF winding stairs that connect
the room in which he was confined with
the corridor. They bore him in feet first,
and as they got beneath the rope, seemed
hardly to know what to do with the body
Hunters eyes were half open, but his
mouth Was firmly compressed, and his
| strongly marked features were very ghast-
! ly. One OF the deputies made movement
| as if to seat him IN chair, but the Sheriff
| indicated by q gesture that he should be-
| ~ To ,olJ