Lexington weekly intelligencer., 1880-04-10
coND1GN PUNISHMENT

IN the name OF the law.
At Winsor. w. a negro boy, Edward
Tatrs, was hanged for the murder OF
woman named Butler. In his speech
from the scaffold he pointed his plnien-
ed hands at the woman's husband VINO
stood near, and selemnly declared that
he did the murder under the influence
OF liquor and at the instlgation OF the
husband. His speech was very impress
siye. and at its conclusion Butler was
ghastly pale. and the perspiratlon stood
in huge drops on his forehead. The
boy died crying aloud to God ior forgive
ness and mercy. He dropped six feet
but his neck was not broken. and he
struggled for some minutes before he
died OF strangulation.
At Macon, Miss, three negroes, An
drew Macon, james Brown and Samuel
Boiler were executed. Macon!. anu
Brown for the murder of Tarlton Macon,
father of Macon and tather-in-law OF
Brown; and Boiler for the murder OF
Frank Reed, white man. All three
asserted their innocence. Their three
necks were broken and they died easily.
Gustave Breaux, celored, was hanged
in West Baton Rouge parish for the
murder of Jean Cazes, manager OF the
Antonio plantation. In November 1879.
Breaux ascended the gallews smiling.
said he had made peace with God and
all men, and warned his friends to be-
ware of the fate that had befallen him.
When, the drop fell he died almost with
out struggle.
At Louisville, Robert Anderson,
white. for wife-murder, and Charles
Webster, colored, for rape on child,
were hanged in the jail-yard. Webster
protested that he was innocent.
Both mon were dead in few minutes
after the trap was sprung.
Joseph Walker was executed in East
Carroll parish, La, and Robert Rob
ertson, who was to have been hanged
in St. Landry parish, was at the last
moment reprieved by the governor.
The execution which has been more
talked of, however, than all Of these to-
gether was that of James Madison Wy
att Stone, a mulatto, about Sc years OF
age, who was hanged in the Jail yard
at Washington City, for the murder of
his wife on the night of Oct. ., 1879.
The crime which Stone expiated with
his life was an awful one-a crime
chivalric men regard as among the
most loathsome and cowardly, the
abuse first and then the striking down
In cold bleod of a weak and helpless
weman-but it is not the Nervousness
of his crime that has attracted attention
to his case. Hanging as means ol
executing criminals has long been con-
sidered barbarous and behind the age
First it is apt to fail as to instantaneous
death; second, bungling officers ane
exceptional causes often bring abou
sheckingly unlocked for scenes. Ii
the case OF Tatro, mentioned above, WI
have the first objection illustrated, ,and il
the case OF Stone the second. Th
gallows upon which Stone wa
executed was twenty feet high; tn
r drop five feet. The official accoun
, says of the event CAT 1:1O p. m. tn
moose was placed around Stene's neck
# the knot under the lett ear, the sigma
y was given and the drop fell. The bod
q lell to the ground and it was supposed th
4 head had slipped through the moose b'
in an instant the head which had bee
entirely severed from the body fe
., from the moose about 4 feet from tt
body. Blood spurted from the bod
- and spattered the beams of the gallov
but in two minutes all muscular actio
. had ceased. The head was picked I
N by a physician. The face appeart
;, placid and the lips moved as if abo
to say something" The horror of til
of scene may be easily lmagined-t
10 head OF human being literally jerk
nt from the body, tearing asunder
,b muscles, nerves and vertebra of t
90 neck and the body falling to the grou
d. palpitatlng, bleeding trunk. L
it. theory is that hanging breaks the nee
w produces paralysis. and that the m
"a. dies painlessly; the fact is that in
inn ly one half the cases this Is not tr
~ Then in the name OF humanity son
10 thing better should be substituted
no, it. While this is true, while huma
lat feelings prompt society toward me-
bo in the inhiction of necessary puni
;oo ments, it is wholesome to see that cri
M is once more becoming odious in
country. The reckless spirit OF the
,oll entered tor Il long time inte public
to timent, even TO an invasion OF our tt
q pies OF justice, and CRIMINALS had pre-
;ts much their own way. but the pee
r;s- have determined to have peace
oes quiet, to have safety for person and pr
has erty, and they are enforcing the la
nth 1t should never be lost sight Of that
and laws have been good enough all ale
of but that the people-the juries-h
: been toe lenient, and too remiss in II
Il ing them what they are intended to
, in a terror to evil doers.