The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-01-15
west virginia.

Hpolis wese sunk as the first assault. At 1;
O'clock the gorge appeared here, and has.
been passing al the afternoon. The river
Is full Of massive ice from shore to shore.
The loss OF steamers, wharf-boats, and
other property above and below, is i'm.
mense. Here all IS safe, and no loss, owing
70 the daily and nightly vigilance Of. Cap
tains Dunn and Mallory, Of the Chesapeake
and Ohio Railway Company 17 5us
Death Of Former Citizen or Rich
.par, .5,.z<.,.,g,.,r,. montl. -
--4-- Especial telearam to The Dispatch.1
rLYNcHBURG, January 14.-Wilson P. .Bry-
ant, a1leading citizen and member OF the
City Council, and for many years promi-
nent merchant OF Richmond and Baltimore,
died to-day aged sixiy-eight years. r..
IT,. .hE a Double Execution ;...r5 .
TWO MoLLIE NAGrIREs RANGED-A REPRIEvE
wHICH ARRIVED HALF A MINUTE, TOO LATE
GREAT EXCITEMENT. =, - - ~.
MAUcH CHUNK, PA., January 14.-Sharpe
and Mcdonnell were executed for murder
to-day. = The drop fell at 1910. .-e,....,r-
nmIag. THE CONDENSED MEN s, ~
slept quietly last night. Mcdonnell left
ofderslupon retiring to be called at mid
night for prayer. At that hour Sharp was
fast asleep. Neither of them eat any break
fast this morning. The priests-Fa Fathers
Bunce and Heiman-arriveda about o. clock,
ana mass was said in McDonnclPs cell in the
presence Of number Of relatives OF the
doomed men. At haf-past the doors OF
the prison were opened to those who had
passes, and the corridors were soon filled
with mixed crowd, who examined the
ropes, witnessed the attaching OF them to
the scafold-beam, and the other prepare
tions. It was serious time, and the sheriff
gqve strict orders to his assistants to allow
no levity on the part of the crowd. At 1925
the sheriff knocked on the doors OF the cells
as signals that he was ready. The con-
demned men did not appear for some time,
but when they did they did not show the
least fear. The prisoners, the priests, police
men, and the sheriff at once went
UPON THE sCAFFOLD.
After short service the sheriff said
"James Mcdonnell. have you anything to
say before l proceed further?' Melon
| nell replied, speaking IN firm voice: "
am is innocent of the murder Of Smith as
the child unborn. have already told OF the
only crime l was engaged in (referring tc
the Burns murder). / am sorry I ever
alienated myself from the Holy Catholic
Church. / forgive everybody" In reply
| to the Sherif'S question, Sharpe said he wa:
| innocent Of the murder Of Smith. He sale
| he had intended to have read q statemen
written for him by Mr.. Boyle, of the Goa
! Gazette, but he would not, and asked tina
gentleman to be sure to publish it. Th
men were then shacklad and the priest
| kissed them goodbye.
THE CLOSING SCENE.
! The sheriff was about to put on the whit
caps when Sharpe said lie wished to lcav
his thanks with the sheriff and the officers O
the Jail. Mcdonnell simply said the same
The men then kissed their crucitXes pas
sionatcly and the priests whispered word
OF consolation in their ears. As the whit
caps were drawn over their heads every on
left the scaffold but the doomed men. TIL
sheriff took hold OF the rope attached to tn
spring, and waited q signal from Fathe
| Buncc. In q moment white handkerchie
fell from the latter's hand, and the sheri
pulled the drop. The fall was over tire
feet, and the men came down heavily. Nc
Donneil seemed to die instantly, but Sharp
StIuSSlcll NlOIeHtil' AIcpiicfS W us itEeNc'
at lIauch Chunk by telegraph at 1887, an
the manager of the Western Union TELEGRAPH
office rushed to the Jail with it. He ran
the bell violently about half minute bcfor
the drop fell, and he then shouted loudly t
the doorkeeper. Mrs. Mcdonnell and lie
children were also at the door Weepin
loudly, But the doorkeeper did not seer
to understand that the dispatch was a re
prieve. 1t was from Governor j. +. Hal
tranft, and granted reprieve until Monday
THERE WAS GREAT EXCITEMENT
in the town when the news o! the repriev
! was made known. The friends OF tn
prisoners took charge OF the bodies, whic
were put into collins inside the Jail. TIL
sheriff said he had no idea that repriev
would be granted by the Governor, nor di
any Of the authorities here anticipate sue
contingency.
THE DELAY IN TIE EEPRIEvE.
HARRISBURG, Pa, January 1G.-Governo
Hartranft, who returned from Washington
early this morning, finally agreed to extern
the time for the execution Of Sharpe an
Mcdonnell to the Goth instant, but the new
Of the execution, in answer TO his tele
graphic reprieve, OF course put an end t
all further efforts to save the men. n
hopes were enter tanned for Il final pardon
and the Governor would only grant re
prieve for q few days. The Governor dlt
not reach bis office until quarter before
O'Clock this morning. After hearing tn
attorneys plea for respite he decide,
about 1890 to grant If. The telegram wa
written, fled in the telegraph office at 1885
and sent at 1926. No further reason TO
the delay in issuing the respite is given, bu
the fact that the Governor did not reach hi
office until the time above indicated show
that very little time was lost after hearin!
the reasons for the request for a reprieye.
.a... [Second Dispatch.l
MAUcu CHUNK, january 14--When tn
Governors reprieve arrived at the jail
scene OF intense excitement occurred but
/ although the cuIprits had only been hangin!
| for a few. minutes, there was no moyemen
i Inatlc towards cutting them down. TIL
I telegraph manager reached the jail-door be
fore the drop fell. but no heed was taken o
his knocking and ringing, wife OF one
the cuIpritS having. previously been eX
! tremeIy violent outside. When the drol
fell the knocking and ringing continued
and the sheriff sent out q mau, to arrest IN
! parties whom he imagined TO be creating tn
disturbance. 1t was then found to be the teie
graph manager with the reprieve. \ brothe
OF Mcdonnell, who had been kneeling be
side the scatfold, arose and excitedly charged
the sheriff and bystandcrs with the murde
OF his brother. The excitement spread. AM
the sheriff appealed to one OF the priests
who exonerated him from blame. Amids
this excitement, the reproaches Of tie mad
4: dened brother OF Mcdonnell, and the wall
ings OF the bereaved families outside, tn
fcuIprits seem to have been forgotten, ant
they remained hanging for thirty minute
| after the dIop fell. There is no REASONABLE