The sun., 1879-01-12
THE CIMDEN BARB1RITY.
what One OF the Spectators Mt the Hunter
Hanging says Of the scene.

Eop ne PhGti,ipttn Prs.
l was present to-day when Benjamin
Hunter was hauled up to the ceiling OF the cor
ridor in the basement Of the Camden Court
House. and strangled to death. and do not
hesitate to say that had II been possible for the
whole people OF the United States to have wit
messed tho horrible scene. as | saw IT, capital
punishment would be abolished. or the exccu-
tion Of the law No;:ld hereafter bo intrustsd to
officers who appreciate the soemnity and pro-
prcties Of 50 awful an occasion.
Imagine two hundred people crowded into
four corridors. smoking cigars. telling stories.
laughing aud Joking. and sometimes cursing
with the sheriff himself towering above them
all. with lit cigar in his mouth. tossing a
/ word of recognition here and there to his old
| friends and shaking hands and cracking II
/ Joke with his now ones. The square in the
/ centre uf "a Greek cross, harricHdct by tcmpu-
/ rary railing. over which hung score of ns nm
/ gOdly faces as could be found in penlteutary,
/ was the place of execution. and every now and
/ then. when the pressure from the rear was on
/ pre5sivc gentle admonltion of Where the
are you pushingt Ihis amt no cock
pit and such like. gave the gentry Of the front
/ places temporary respite
At ahout twenty minutes past II o'clock,
| through a dense cloud ot tobacco smoke. Ben
jnmin Hunter. drunk and stupshed. was hauled
down three flights of stairs uy four men To meet
his God. pj you ever sec poor Desotted
/ wretch carried In wheelbarr9w to station
/ house Su'h WIS Just the condition of the cul-
! prlt hero. H. was literally dumlcd down into
thus quadrangle ten by ten. aud tho only recOg-
uitiou o' the Tact that soul WIS about to be- car
, ri"d INTO the august presence Of is Creator
! came from am INDIGNANT philadephian. who
/ exclaimed. Hats of. gentlemen" Then toll
/ lp,y.l ana unsy -tciuH;ir. confused manipulation
| hy a tio7,n hands Of the moose, the cap. and the
/ uuloriuuatc victim. while the crowd pressed
CLOSER and closer at the risk OF tho barriradcs.
Brmhmin Hunter. hnvs, you nnythng TO
| say E. asked one Of tho officials; TO which. ot
I coarse. came no reply from the unconscious
prisoner. BENJAMIN Hunter have you any,
thiua. to say WIS then yelled iuto his ear. and
] this only produced an uumruuluE, t'sott'd
movement ot the lips. Theuthc moose was tight
cr-. ana u, poor wretch almost Jay upon mo
floor. utterly obliYuus oi au tua WIS going
ou around MIN; suddenly | saw thr body
lrit the npor-hs knees were not unhont ev"n
but when / saw the sheriff and hdt "a do1'n
others clutch Ut the rope and haul the lim1er
hoiy like the carrasS ~ an OK to the ceiling.
reH'Us'd that the " machinery ut d"atu mad
lallrd and that tine bystaudsrs wore executing
tA" law. ! have seen score ol executions IN
IVY lite. Al Of Them wore iu lrr-sINo. solemn.
ni,! NV, -tir.u J., iilt THIS one Thcsurround-
iuc- o' ile dra'l ot benjamin Hunter were un-
Tvrlur-;i1ns ar. worth considering by jour
M. -is. arising uutoi this dsgracuiul business:
Fir-,-Ou-lt 'Ac death penalty t. pc executed
upon drum sen man not IN the possession Of
scronl-s loud these mechanical expert
meniS be- prrmlttad longer 10 shock the sensi-
Respectfully. AZ EYEWITNESS.
PHILADELruiA. Jan. 10. 1873
A HuNrrE, HOUSE.
E,a %, rit,l.Il,' ra-a
Uunter's thr..,--tory brick house. nt 1904
South reuth .trrrt had It's shutters bowed ye=-
t.r,.u. About o'tl1 one ot tho twin dnugh-
tris of Hunter cume out with bucket ana scrub
I hng brush unl cl'uu-ed th" Iron; stop. occupy
] ing cuu-llrruDI" time iu th" operation and
giving o. lu.!i "itioAlu beer outward d"mcAuupr
that this day ln her history was an exception
T uhIruu' While su" WAS washing thv steps q
l.!y -hh.r sioIucd Hnt tulkNd with her 3.
iev i,,.m"n.-. hu. 10 uiu.ion Wa maie t. the
-ItI- NUucr~ lup"udlu. doom. About noon.
f Wl'u tar body was expected 80 reach tn" fam IS
r,-i.iou zee. tAr people D. 'gau g. gather ON the
/ corners with q Na-.u" idea thgt they might get
ngumps" oi ,ue tuN containing tho muir l"rcr s
body. By o'io'N thsre wrra hundreds con-
grrgatt 3. wutcAin4, On" house. Uut wonder ng
when tls body would arrive. Most ui them
VIZ" n"l NhoWr Inn lnt ,.',; L,.,4s o"nNcrii
S..'' -, 80. az no f.,,,,t H., &. =
word II -ymp pnthy tor the muri rer was heard
hut pity ior nl- family was freely expressed
i Oun pa.ul y-'lre--.i nltn. evidently % mo rharic
nui whose family. no Stt. inter 'haug"d Wis u
T with H.nfer tii fht Hunter ought o. nave
Nerl -h. lnus a-n; that whii- ne WIS a
/ k.ul husband ANA luuuErnt fnfh"r. ANA m
many rO-gr.t- good nriSh1or he Was
utterly n0n-..su sutsl'-s whore MS pass ms
urre tlu. .r.u.ds fuat hs would bring
ai--rl..' .fI ru.N infn any nc4.h-
htr- infniis O. -tuuiF ll, W.-Ae- nud that oven
r..t.i.-.. u' d.I nHi command his r'-
money moss So %" wouul si'rr n' rNleas, %
...t.r. ID a - .,rr''t r.i.f hv n.4ry - H.
ntI-a ~. .n iatt. i.., s,ps." person Ant 9
-sIHf.l .IN. AN'if - ilIT rIN