Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1879-06-20
A Suicide at the End Of Death Sentence
A STRANGE SCENE IN A COURT ROOM
ANTICIPATING THE GALLONS.

A STRANGE SCENE IN A COURT ROOM
ANTICIPATING THE GALLONS.
&C., &C., sc.
Edward Parr, on bright May morning
but little more than month ago had his
hands stained in the blood that flowed from
fourteen wounds on his daughters body
that shoemaker's sharp knife in his ner-
vous fingers had Inflicted. On Saturday
last, while in the presence OF court that was
about passing upon him the last, dread
sentence of the law, he attempted to take
his own life by poison. The following ac-
count of the thrilling affair we take from
the Philadelphia s'Times :"
A SCENE IN THE DOCK.
When Judge Elcock began TALKING
lump that could not be swallowed arose IN
the prisoners throat, his under lip trembled
slightly and he drew himself up and threw
back his shoulders, as though trying Il
summon all his fortltude to his aid. Ihei
he again became seemingly firm. When
til Judge said, Let me implOre you, IOi
the last ime, to cast aside your bravado,
PARIS hands grasped nervOusly at the sides
of the dock, by which he supported him
self. and twltchings were noticeable IN MS
legs and on one side of his face. Wheb
the Judge arose to enunciate the dreadful
mandate of the law slight spasms racked
PARIS frame and his every limb twitched
so nervously that many said, aside, s'The
brute at last has proved cur" All as
cribed his peculiar movements to a break
ing down of the fearlesness that the pris-
oner affected throughout the trial. When
Judge Elcock uttered the dread words,
land he be there hanged by the neck un-
til he is dead" Parr, without waiting for
the courts concluding appeal for Gods
mercy, Sat down as though his limbs had
become withered and would no longer sup
port him. At the crooking of a court
officers finger Parr made motion to leave
the dock, but he was unable to rise, and
after shutting motion of his feet along
the floor his limbs refused their office, and
with CHASTITY look upon his countenance
he sank b ok in his chair. Two tipstaves
were about removing him from the dock
when acting upon a whispered order OF
Judge Elcock, Assistant Crier Thomas
called out: LET the prisoner lie still.
Get him glass of water" Pdrr for few
moments sat quietly in the dock and every
one supposed that he had merely been at
fected with nervous spasm. While the
officers we're surrounding him he was sud
Q6uly dCbdCkGu WILL d COuV uIolO1 Uu~o
made rigid every muscle and that required
the assistance of several men to hold him
in restraint. When he had somewhat re-
covered, his counsel approached him and
talked to him kindly.
AN ETERNAL FAREWELL.
At this time Farr had his head thrown
back and pallOr Overspread his cOunte-
nance. After his lawyers had spoken to
L fNt,( At1 n Inv m
hand, and Parr said:
"Good-bye, Mr.. Carson, Good-bye."
"Oh, no; not good bye, Palr," said Mr..
Carson; ''Mr. Adams and will be down
to prison tomorrow to see you.
mo, no;' replied the prisoner. "you
will never see me after to-day" AS Mr..
Carson said afterwards ''Even did not
suspect anything wrong. l merely thought
that Ill his weakened condition Parr was
thinking of some future attempt upon his
life that be meditated.
When his counsel had left him, crowd
of officers and lawyers surrounded the
shook his frame. Occasionally the convul-
sions were most violent and in his agony
the .pris ner murmured: God. have
mercy on my soul. Pray for me-" Again
the paroxvsm passed away and then Parr
spoke again. in weakened tones:
where's Barney? Where's my sonf
Where's my son Barney?''
s'Barney is not here" answered tip.
stave.
'Well, tell Barney" and the man spoke
in low accents and with many pauses.
tell Barney to place me Ill a dale coffin
dale c0ffin-and to place me beside the
body of-my wifi. Tell him to have nc
tearse. Tell him to have an Episcopal
clergyman say The servict5 over my grave.
Then be muttered Pm going to die
God have mercy on me-"
"Die? Why?' asked some one standing
TASK me no questions" was the prison
er's only response, and then he was attack
ed with d CONFUSION that made terSe Every
limb and drove every vestige OF color from
his face aud gave linn the appearance OF .
corpse. Four court officers then picked
the prisoner up and carried him into real
room used as retiring apartment by the
court attaches. The word spread through
the audience that Parr had committed
suicide, and the excitement became so in
tense that the court room was ordered to
be cleared.
AN ATTEMPT AT SUICIDE.
The murderer was carried into a room
fronting on Sixth street, and while his
COuuSOi duO LlPbtdfOo oui1ouiiuou I1Ab1 q
message was sent to the Philadelphia dis
pensary, on Fifth street, below Chestnut,
for physician. Meanwhile, the crowd that
had previously been in the court room. had
with augmented numbers, crowded the
sidewalks without, and tried to satisfy its
curiosity by looking to the open window
above, where the moving forms of men
could be seen, and there the crowd stood
until nightfall. Dr. Hazlett and another
physician from the dispensary soon put in
an appearance, and they at once set to
work with an earneStneSS OF will that ar
gued badly for the prisoners chance OF es-
cape from the laws rough pathway to
eternity.
"What's the matter. doctor?" asked a
number of surrounding lawyers, who
looked upon PARIS ailment as nothing
more than a breaking down Of his bra
vado.
"Poison,' was DR.. HaZlett's quiet reply.
The lawyers laughed derisivaly in cho-
rus, and then the doctor said again and
quietly. as he noticed the spasms that
shook PARIS body, "strychnine "
Again the lawyers laughed, and then
DR.. Hazlett said: "Gentlemen you are law
yers and therefore you are presumed to
know something about the law, am a
doctor although a young one-and there
fore, if you'll permit me, am supposed to
know something about incidence and
then the doctors set to work. First they
attempted to administer an emetic, but the
prisoner fought and struggled and refused
to relax his jaws. Although 60 years old
ha 10 over civ feet hiuh and Of nOWprful