The Morristown gazette. [volume] (Morristown, Tenn.) 1867-1920, 1879-05-21
KEEPING HER MARRIAGE
vow.
Clinging to her Husband Even
up to the Fatal Trap of the
GaIIOWS.

Walter Watson who shot Ezra
Compton at Highland on the 10th of
January last, was hanged recently
in the Jail yard in Newport, Indiana.
He was twenty-seyen years of age.
| The hanging was attended with what
may be called scaffold effects, in
their nature almost beyond the pow
er of pen to describe. Wats0n's
wife. most respectable and Chris
tian young woman, to whom he had
been married about year mounted
the scafold with him. We have this
account by an eyewitness:
She was with him up to midnight
on Wednesday, and was at his side
at 4 o'clock Friday morning, and f.
nally she mounted the scaffold with
him. During the last night most Of
the time she sat on his knee with her
arms about his neck, breathing words
of love and encouragement. Then
anon she sat at his feet. carressing
his hands. At IL o'clock the sheriff
told the prisoner he must make
ready. For moment the little wife
was overcome. She fell on her bus
bands neck in unutterable anguish;
but suddenly she raised her haxeu
head from his shoulders. There was
an almost fierce determination in her
eyes, and the lines of her mouth
were set, with a tender hand, but
without tear dimming her fixed eyes,
she set about to array her husband
for his doom. A neat suit of broad.
cloth had been procured for him.
She herself had contributed a pair of
slippers and a necktie. The first
she had placed on his feet, the other
she tied about his neck-the neck
that was soon to feel the fatal cord
with care and attention to de-
tails that could not have been ex-
ceeded had she been decking him
for a marriage feast. She then
combed his hair and having added
the last loving touch and made him
a real handsome fellow, remarked
''Now you are ready, Walter, and l
will go with you.' She had an
nounced the day before her determi.
nation to accompany her husband on
the scaffold, but no one dreamed that
she meant to carry it into execution.
All the attendants demonstrated with
her. One of the ministers said, soft.
ly: "Mrs. Watson, this will meyer
do. . Quick as flash she turned on
him, replying: II should not have
expected this from minister. When
| was married promised to cleave
to my husband for better or for
worse. l promised this to a minis
ter. and | am going to keep my
word as far as God will let me-
Precisely at II o'clock Sheriff
Dallas led the way to the jail-yard.
About one hundred witnesses were
there assembled. Holding her hus-
bands hand the little woman ascend !
ed the scaffold. Two chairs we're |
placed over the fatal trap. One was
assigned to Watson, the other to his
wife. She tenderly took his hand, !
caressed it, and then fell sobbing
on his shoulder. Then the Rev. Mr..
Wainscott began to reada carefully |
prepared prayer from manuscript,
and on closing the prayer said
Brother Watson, be calm and trust
in God" ~
Meanwhile the cuIprit sat in his
chair unmoved. A heart-brokeG
wife was sobbing on bis bosom,
strong men sobbed. but the man
about to be hanged seemed an unin-
terested spectator of the absorbing
scene Of which he was the central
figure. For fully five minutes he sat
there without the least perceptible
twitch of a muscle. There was no
in this composure it was
rather the calmness of resignation.
Then the sheriff said, "Stand up,
Walter Watson" s
Mrs. Watson arose with her hus.
band. She threw herself on his
breast and said, "Good bye, Waiter"
kissed him passionately ON the lips,
turned her white face. full of bitter,
ness and reproach, on the multitude,
stepped back and fell into the arms
Of good Christian ladies who stood 4
aear to receive her, and was led
away, Tie ordeal was a terrible
one for the doomed man. For an
instant his face relaxed as his wife
pronounced the last goodbye. A
5remor passed over his frame, but in
another moment he recovered him.
self, and stood as nnmoved as a
block of stone while the sheriff read
he death warrant. The next in
stant the drop fell. In thirteen
minutes the physicians pronounced
Watson dead.
In the sheriff residence the wid-
1W who had beer. weepinu bltterlvi