The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1882-01-10
TRAP AND ROPE.
a Few More Items Concerning the
Hanging of Phelps.

Inc doomed man laughed AMI i0ktG
with ;hose around him till the very last
hour oi hi- lifr.
The scstiold was made At the shop Of
+. X. Pag-. of Marshall The rope was
purchased in 81. Louis
--"iieorge, want To leave good record
behind me" was what Phelps said 10 a
friend on the day beior. his death.
Til. thanks al the RAzoo are due
Sheriff tason, AMI his deputies, for courte-
sies shcxn its representatives. while at Mar
shall
On The way u the scafiold PHELPS said
h. hal n"ver wanted his :. ntence changed
or respite granted; that he was sure OF
heaven and wanted TO die.
Early in the day OF his execution,
Phelps called for the wife and little girl of
Mr.. Cason, the sherif, and babe them Il
long, ati,cti0nate, farewell.
-On the day before the executions,
PheIP' va interviewed by Dean Dasgins,
sd. who l. the prosecuting attorney Tor
the COur:v, ~ regard TO Woods completely
in tie crime.
On The 10Th day al pecembvr, 1851,
Phelps made flare veil" confession. which
very little differed from the one made before.
lie c'nt,~-"l that h. did the deed, but
that Wood was al accOmpiice, in advising
him I" commit the murder
In an interview with reporter.
Pheip, pro:,sssd that he was not afraid To
die, and TIA, he WIS held up in his fear
fully trying Position by his religious faith
Phelps has heau clo-e reader of the
Bible Oi late. ami almost read the new
Testament through
-When Phelps learned oil DR.. Christians
unsuccessful attempt To obtain a respite in.
his Gaze from the governor, he did not
seem to be much Impressed. but simply
turned around and said: "Oh, well. that
don't surprise NV q bit. never expected
anything from the governor"
Wood, the man who Phe bps asserted
was his accomplice, called A. the Jail on
the day before the hanging and met his
sccustr face tn iace. lie endeavored TO
talk with him about the charge he had
madr, but Phelps would not speak. Very
lev persons give credence To Phelps state
ment and believe Wood, who is nephew
OF the murdered man, 90 be innocent of
any completely in the crime.
The following card was published BY
Phelps two days before the hanging 40
the public: NV tune is drawing near. /
have very little 10 say, but / cannot help
feeling, down in the bottom Of my heart,
the kindness that has been shown me BY
Deputy Sheriff 5. NJ Ayers, since l have
been a prisoner in the Saline county Jail
Ii had been dear relative OF his he
could Not have teen more kind and attsn-
tive To- nv every want. He has made Lille
in Jail a. pleasant n possible under the
And | GO To the gallows
JSo. \ PHELPS.
On the day before the hanging the
Jail was thronged with visitors 10 see the
man who VAS about 10 pay the extremd
penalty of the law-ladies. children, OILS.
and young men. farmers and MANY otherd
One old lady whose countenance b-.Okenee
great trouble brought Phelps but,onhcle
bouquet. Another lady brought him some
Jelly cake which he put away untasted. He
-tood on his feet all the time and treated
his callers with a great deal of courtesy.
He talked necessarily about his approach
ing end with no apparen; fear, but said he
had PLACED his ease i'm the care of his
Saviour and was ready 10 go at any time.
-One Of the m"-t conspicuous men at
the hanging was an old man named Fu-
gctt. = school teacher from Holden, who,
Shen preparations were made to close the
earthly career OF young PHELPS on the gal /
lows. cried cut To- the sheriff, "Oh. please,
Mr.. Sheriff, don't hang him." To which the !
replied, That's all right, Mr. !
Sheriff go on" Mr. Fugett never lets an
pass to attend a:hanging pic
Me, except it be Tor the reason that he
can't be at two places At the same time, rs
vas the case last Friday, when he missed
The double hanging at st. Louis. He has |
.een West hung at Boonville, Davidson
AMI DAM. Is at Wsrrensburg, Brown at
and Patterson at Clinton.
1t was the request OF Phelps that Sam
L. Allen, farmer residing ten miles from
he city, take charge of his body and bury |
q. Mr. Allen was willing To do this and !
I'VE n:ioned that he would deposit it in Mrs |
Iurctts private cemetery, whose consent I
he had SO to do, but others who had friends |
buried there objected. In this connection. !
Mr.. Allen has published the following
ard:
CARD TO THE PUBLIC.
A letter from me tn Mr.. Cason in regard |
10 the burial of Jno. A. Phelps ut Mrs. !
burying ground, having been pub
ished, automatically on nv part. take
his method to inform those concerned that
he will not be buried there on account OF
outside parties who have relatives buried |
here directing. The family did not OBJ |
ect. Resp ctively,
Jan. ., 1881. SAM'L p. ALLEN.
The following letter dated January I'd, |
1852, from his sister, WAS received by !
Phelps only . day or two before his exc
,ution:
My DEAR BROTHER: Your kind and |
,ffectionate letter was at hand Friday.
I'm not hardly able to sit up. Brother,
his 10 too much for this poor girl to bear
am writing to you, dear brother, with
bleeding heart. do not think can long
tand il, my brother. Just think Of the |
'wful death my poor brother will have to