New-York tribune., 1879-01-15
RETRIEVED TOO LATE.

RETRIEVED TOO LATE.
rXrCI.TION OF CHARLES sHARPL AND JAMES
N'poxxEIL FOR THE MURDER OF GEORGE n
SMITH MORE THAN FIFTEEN YEARS AGo-A ht-
PRIEvs FROM TIE GOVERNOR ONE-HALI MIN
UTE TOO IAIE.
MARCH CHUNK. Penn, Jan. II, 1O:4O a. n.-
The drop has just fallen and Charles sharpe and James
Mcdonnell are dead. A te;cgrapbic rcpreVe mas just
arrived but it about Oue-half minute too late
CRIME OF FIFTEEN YEARS AGO.
The crime for which they have been executed was the
murder OF George X Smith the night of November D.
1868. Smith was a coal operator at Audenned ana
although he was highly respectable man, he was men
aislikcd by the BucksbOts as the present " Moie
MAcuires were then called. As BODY they resisted
the draft and 1t is supposed mat Hml'H
only offence was pointing out to the officers OF e Gov
erpment individuals who had 50 resisted On thc nlgh'
OF the murder. about O'Clock, three men with Daek'
enct faces and wearing the earO of miners pre-
sented themselves at Smiths door and insisted
upon an interview with him, saying they hau
letter from the superintendent OF the Lehlgh NdieS
Railroad Mr. Smith being sick in bed, Mrs smth Ic'
fused 10 permit them up stairs, when one OF 'he
fred of pistol crowd OF men who had been lurkihE
outside burst open the door immediately and poured
into the hous,, wouudnS Mr.. Ulrch' one
OF the inmates, and knocking Mrs smith down smith,
VINO known 30 ne fearless man, ielt MS ueu 'nu
down stdrs TO defend his Rome, bat ne ",S S
surrounded, and some one pointing pistol 10 'he o"oA
d dl,I
Toe Buckshots" then fed; not one OF them was ar
rested nor were Lev suspected until tne diSc!os
WAS not u fourteen years after the murder that these
two men were arrested They were tired at Mauch
Chunk last April aud although the CDlef witnesses
against th,m were James Kerrgan, The Squeaer,'
Charles Muhearn and Kelly. The Bnn,'3thTeG ser,
confessed murderers-tney were Ooth louuu Sui'9 u
SINGULAR fatality has followed the participants the
smith murder Long John" Donohue, who was sup
posed to be the who presented Mrs smith wlth the
letter. was shot at luscarora; f3w JACK pOHGpuGg G
bl pd a Ian
the same tate last month at PottsviIle, and today
Sharpe Mcdonnell have eXpilied the crime upon thc
TIE DOOMED MEMS LAST HOURS.
The condemned slept quietly last night Mcdonnell
left orders upon retiring 10 be called at midnight Tor
PRAYER At that hour Sharpe fast asleep Neither
Of them ate any breakfast this morning The priests,
Fathers Buncc and Ueiuan, arrived about o'clock,
ana mass was said in McDonneS cell in the presence
Of a number OF relatives Of the doomed men. AT half
past the doors ~ the prison opened to those
who had passes and the corridors were soon well
filed With mixed crowd who examined The ropes, wit
ucsed the attaching of thcu TO the soaioidnesIn and
ync IN e"' cryd,mrrJ men did not appear for some
east fear. The prisoners the priests policemen ana the
Sheriff Al once went upon the Scahold After short
service the sheriff said: james Mcdonnell, have you
inytuing TO say before proceed further - Mcdonnell
culed Speaking in firm voice: Il am as innocent Of
hc murder smith the cnid unborn. have already
od the only Grim. was engaged IN reerruE 10 the
Burns murder am sorry ever alieated myseli from
py 10 the Sncls question sharpe said ne was innocent
have read statement written Tor him by Mr Ho'lc of
lie CO0i GG-eH but he ""EG not and asked tha gen
ticman To be sure ana publish IT, The men then were
Ihack!od, and the uTICsts Ehs sea them goodbye.
Sharpe SAID he wished to leave bis thanks with the
sheriff and officers Of the jail Mcdonnell said suhsan-
tally the The men then kissed their CruciXes
passOnacy ana the priests hpered words OF cOusoa-
lion IN their ears.
Except the doomed men left the sraiod and u" sheriff
taking ho OF he rope attached 10 ne spring awaited
et4I E4t be A
hand. ana the sheriff pulled the drop. The fan was
more than three tce ana The meu came down heavily.
Mcdonnell seemed TO die instantly, but Sharpe siug-
gled violently.
Areprcve waa received al Mauch Chunk by telegraph
lt 1887 a. H. and the manager OF the Western Union
Telegraph office rushed to the Jail with it, He rang the
bell violently for about half minute and shouted to the
roorkccpcr Tnc latter. howeyI did 10, III TO under
ttand that the diepaych 4 rcpricve II was from
Governor J. f. Hartranft and granted rcprcye until
Monday There was great excitement In the when
The news OF the Tepricve was made KNOWN
The friends o. the lI snes j3oA cjdIse OF 'he ood'es'
The sheriff he had dca tnat rcprteye would
lies here anticipate such a contingency.
SCENE OF INTFNSE EXCITEMENT.
When the Governors rcprieyc arrived at the jail this
morung scene Of great excitement took place. hut
although the cuprIs had only been hanging few min
utes there was movement made toward
cutting them down. The telegraph me,sel,-
ccr reached the iaIl door before the drop
le but no attention wae paid to his knocking ana InS
Ing the wife of the culpIit having previously
been extremely violent outside. When the drop fell III"
Knocking and RINGING continued aud the sheriff sent out
man to arrest the persons whom be imagined TO bc
treating a disturbance. 1t was tEcn found TO
be the telegraph messenger with rtpriCyc.
brother 0t Mcdonnell, who had been Enerling 10y the
.cafiOld. aud oNcltrdly charged tde Sheriff and
the the WIZ, l ~, , i r'g ~ - y" NJ " va One IA t
priests. who cXoneratcd him irOm all hl me Amidst
ihs excitement, and the IepToaches Of the maddenrd
brother Of Mcdonnell, and tie Nd'.nEs OF the be-
reivcd faulty outside, thc cuprs were foI-
gotten and thcy remained hanging for thirty
minutes after the drop fcll. There Is no reasonable
prieve came After the bodies were cut down they
weIe placed IN q coffin and gwen TO Their families,
whose cries COud be- heard several blocks, adding
greatly 10 the prevailing excitement
CAUSE OF THR GOVERNOR'S DELAY.
HARRISBURG Penn, Jan. l4-Goyemor Hartranft,
finally aged to extend the time for the
execution Of Sharpe and Mcdonnell 10 the 20th
inst but the Of the execution in
answer 10 his tc!egrapnic icpleye Of course
nut an end to au further Efforts to the men, No
hopes were entertained OF hnIl pardon, and the GOV
suor would oulv ,raIt rrrIcve Tor few days. The
l;oyrruor did reach his office until quarter before
10 o'clock Ills morning Afer hearing the attorneys
llea for respite, he decided, at about 1870
,r.ock 10 grant il. The gram then written,
He'd in the telegraph office at 1O:JJ, and srnt
~ 1926 further reason for the delay in issuing the
each hi. Office unt tne time above Indicated shows
sraf very tlr time lost after hearing the reasons
lOr the request for ieprlcvc
EXECUTION IN NEW-BRCNSWI
in0MAs DowD HANGED Al 81. ANDREWS FOR HE