The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-05-29
kings CRIME,
-, +, Condign ard Awful Punish
h' msnt.
=. Extreme Penalty Of the La"
,.s,t.d Upon the First Man Ever
NH Hanged in Monroe County.
, marx 1sy in the History of Woods
field.
u,,,nsn's Day 10 the Country at
' Large Yesterday.

s s'a .T,,sp. penalty of the law.
Z. s'.- .,rly morning, and even th'
-, b.iore, people had been coming II
y :. toTp irom the surrounding country
= ~ N sort, OF conveyAuces- A circle Q
-, = nile. Oh all sides would not take ii
= =, -. a. Dtople who were attracted by
- ~ c.riosity which is hideous at al
-, and vas uniquely 50 when it il
IN -. ia. the only qualification the feel
- w.. r,oJd have vas in standing about the
-, = and looking upon the outside o.
-. .,..iye stone pile within which the
- ,nd shocking tragedy was enacted
~, oJt and holry.headed, or in the
10 AZ 4 life, or youths laughing at thei'
,, =. .,r.I.s. jes,s; women, old, middle
so,fD the inst days Of womanhoOdr
-. bs,ring infants in their arms, or
i.'5ior children scarcely older by the
S,,5 tbropsed the streets throughout the
- t....oon. So eager were people to catch
,snpse Of the scsfold or the unfortu'
-. criminal that q line Of guards was
..C...sry - about the jail yard.
Tusin The Jail lEo ministers, Rev. W,
q RrJsr Of Woodstield, and aconyerted
I.E n,nej Gerrge Ebert, spent the great
- Al The tirst half OF the day with
:. doomed man. and upon leaving him
.5sy ,pDouncrd that he had msde bis
ss,c. sith God, and was ready Tor eterni'
Hs,op. o'clock all those who were fortu'
,,,: enough TO secure cards OF admission
- S,tbered within the hall in which the
~ b,d been erected. The Ohio law
1ss1irey the execution Of criminal to be
,7rnA, only the physicians, ministers,
s,,fifF, ASSISTANTS and limited number
Jab.rt, members OF the press, friends
i he condemued man or OF the Sheriff
bsng allowed in the apartment.
THE scAFToLD
uIpeat structure, built under the per
ppL supervision Of Sheriff Read. Two
v,5sb,. about Eve feet apart and eleven
ts kigh, supported the top crossbar, tc
1kisb The rope was fastened. The plat
Inn vas eigh, feet square, four feet above
II, floor, and had in the middle an inge
rlaasy arranged tap, 80 made that The
p1EipI Of 1 lever allowed 1t 10 drop TO the
5ot. Upon this, on two blocks Of wood
VsI board, Al an elevation Of about thres
inches above the trap. Persons who az
aaiped the scafold were satisfied that the
ii!I eould not dislocAte the mans neck
Bat il eoald rot be increased on secouni
q tie loEness Of the ceiling.
Among the spectators were Daniel Mil
ef. sheriff OF Noble county, and ex.
shsrf ". H. Hayes, OF Belmont county,
Ebo hanged Tom Carr for the murder oi
IOuiss Fox, At :. ClairsVille, some yeArs
10 Coroner James F. Anderson was
a., present., BY request Of the Prosecuting
4roinev, the law making il his duty u
"a y .xecutioner, If for any reason the
sherid should fail TO do 90.
At about quarter OF one King wa
bDaghi 10 trom his cell, and the buzz o.
conversation wH pushed in deathlik'
Eilness, and the spectators hearts beA
most Gudibly as with steady step he en-
Rfed the room aud Ascended the seatold
4sbe climbed the steps he cast . curioui
box over the scafold, and then At thos'
lAo had gathered TO witness the execu
hOa.
Eu I youth Of twenty-one, OF Sigh
bsId, and anything but an intelligent ex
preston. His frmness Of nerve, and ab
S!uts !lek Of either timidity or brAysdo
asded to restore the confidence Of thos'
prsent, many OF whom had been led y
expect a scene BY = remark OF Kings =
he ISTuIIGEScER representative shortl.
Itsr noon. Being asked il he though b
cad stand the ordeal without f1inehing
be answered neryously, while the tear
Eood in bis eyes: ~ don't know Theth
e can or not"
Instantly upon Kings appearance the
tTo ministers Gscended the platform, ant
Rev. Ryder read passage Of Scripture
lsGIh 1lv, -: Look unto me and D.
yeayei, all the ends Of the earth, for
An aGo6, and there Is none else" H'
then m,de brief prayer, saying:
"0thou who's property it Is to hav,
nsrey, thou Who Srt the unsiumoerlnl
l9Ter Of our whole race, and who dds
AVs the publican and hAriGt, and wreau
TIE bruVs Of the demoniacs With thin
oEn tlciIl gIrlGnds save, We beSeecG tnee
us oar brother now and forever, Amen
Rev. Ebert followed this with q similar
J! briei PRAYER:
% nov Lord give him that faith thH
viii not shrink though pressed by ever
Toe; Lord sustain him in this trying houi
and ave US all through Christ our redee
2er Amen
Tbe sheriff, in 4 voice visibly afecte
bysz, 9tion, asked: "Mr. King, have 20
anything 20 say 70 those present? II 20
King replied: 81 have not much. BIT
there bave been 4 god many reports 9
iog around 10 the efecs that John y
ln!Orl has not treated me rlstat W
''st eAGrc 1tuIlpa- uANS AGf
~! cause TO complain, but have Alwaf
been treated kindly"
Have you anything further?" asks
y have nothing" said King. frmly.
The sherd then pinioned Kings E
eoEs behind him, tied his knees, adluste
iHhI'e cap over bis face, the skirt OF
ih'urg about his shoulders, and shAkin
h'ods with him. bade him goodbye 70
ever. Il EGs precisely tEentY.three an
hall minutes past one when the trigRt
NH pulled, aud the board which had lai
% The tap, fell 70 the floor. King fell
NE iull length Of the rope and rebounde
several inches, again settling down.
!he board which rested upon the dro
Iai 30 that it rested upon the blocks h
had been under it, and Kings toes, a. |
swung shout, half rested upon it tWie
AID hnAlly kicked Il oh.
his ne"k was not broken, As predicte
1at be writhed and kicked for q spa
that seemed To the horri6ed spectatr
several minutes, bot which was in
Aiiy much less. Nervous tEitehing v
Noticeable IN the limbs, however, Tor q
efal minutes.
AIS! minutes before two the man v