The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1882-06-20
THE DEATH WATCH. ON.
explArtoN's INSTRUMENT READY

For tie fietlm-rhe Seanold Upon Which Gal.
teas viii Meet ffis Doom-f How Il Performs
ltl Work Of Observation-Disclosures
Daily Llfe-No vIslto, Allowed.
(. WASHINGTON, June 1880 far as tho
preparations Tor the hanging Of Guiteau
are concerned, nothing Is needed to be
done-for the instrument OF death already
awaits its victim-unless It be to put little
oil upon the hinges Of the trap, to prevent
any annoyance to the spectators from
creaking or rubbing OF iron work. The
scailold upon which Guiteau in all probabil.
ity will pay the penalty Of his awful crime
has been ready from the first. 1t has stood
In i,s present position, q menace to Grim
inals, for three years. Three men have
already met death Mt its fatal trap door.
The first was James Madison Wyatt Stone.
He was negro, or rather "yellow" man,
as they classify the colored people in the
South, and was Of tlne physique, his weight
being 200 pounds few days prior to his
execution. He was convicted OF the mur.
der OF his wife, from whom at the time,
he was separated. suspecting that
she was keeping company with certain
person, Stone went to her residence, ex.
pectipg TO find her there, but in this he
va. disappointed. So furious was he in his
desire to shed the blood OF his wife's para-
nour that he turned TO her aud made a
desperate pass at her throat with q razor or
knife, almost severing her head from her
body. With the wife at the time lived her
sister. She, also, Stone tried to murder, but
though he inflicted II terrible. wound she
ultimately recovered. The murderer was
captured and in due time was tried, con.
victed and sentenced TO be hanged on the
2sth OF May, 1870. 4 terrible scene was
enacted ut the hanging. The murderers
neck was Of thick, tiabby tissue, and the
rope when it tightened about his throat
seemed to part the flesh almost US would
sharp edged instrument. The spectators
were surprised
r. WHEN, TIE DROP FELL,
to see Stones body fall to. the pavement
under the scafold, while his head ,umbled
to one side. Blood spurted in q stream,
from the hcadless trunk. besmearing every
object with crimson stains. Providen,ial.
ly almost, it seemed, the murderer who
had nearly succeeded in severing his wite's
head from her body was himself decapita.
ted Us neatly as il the Instrument had
been gulilotine instead OF IN inch rope,
II stood right here by the trap" said one
of the guards Of the Jail to me in describ.
ing the scene, "and Us soon as Stone
dropped the rope came up with a rebound
and | though, it had parted near the
moose, but soon learned my mistake"
. The next 10 suffer upon this same scat
fold which w::s erected for Stone were
"Babe" Bedford and Ed Quenan, both oi
whom were colored. They, with two other
co!oFed men, on the evening OF January {,
1850. assaulted on q dark Street vounv
man named Hir.h, who was grocer and
also treasurer OF n church society, and
thought to usually carry large suus OF
money. While in the hands OF the rob.
bers Hirth recognized one OF them, and TO
prevent detection when thus known they
determined TO kill their victim. Bedford,
Quenan and their accomplices were caught
und tried. T"Burt" johnson, fellow whom
the police had been for years accustomed
to watch, turned States evidence,
and SANDY" rinn, The fourth mem,
ber with the quatlctte, with Quenan and
Bedford, was convicted and sentenced TO
be hanged. He had previously borne a
good character, aud from this and other
cxtenuating iac;s in the case, President
Hayes was led to commute his sentence to
for life. On the 10Th of Nov.
ember, 1850, Bedford and Quenan
were brought Upon the scafIold
and together they plunged down
that awful chasm limited only Z by
death. They died with but few struggles.
Bedford WAS large, powerful, full blooIed
negro, but Quenan WIS small and OF
lighter hue. Both had spent most OF their
short lives in iail, neither beius more than
twenty or twenty-one years OF aye, and
cruel as may be the thought people said the
world was better of without them.
sIScE THEIR EXECUTION
the seaGold has stood as a grim monument
to the eternity OF justice. It's position is in
the extreme northeastern corner Of the iail,
where the view from the windows is one OF
dreary waste and desolation. The eastern
branch Of the Potomac flows lis,lessly by
toward the main stream, generating marsh
and mud along Its banks. The Jail, 10 dc.
scribe it roughly, is a long, rectangular
running north and south, its height
which is considerable-being dwari.d
thereby. Short transep,s Just from the CEN
trail part, which is mainly large rotunda,
thus making the north and south parts
into two divisions or wings, each laO feet in
length. In the west transept is the en-.
trance and office OF the Jail. The east
!ransept is used in the preparation Of food
Tor the prisoners. The tiers OF cells. OF
which there are number, one above an
other, are built down the center OF these
wings, being sixteen feet IRON the outer
walls. The cells, two rows in each
tier, open out into corridor which is di. |
vided by q brick partition into two, TINS
leaving to each row OF cells one narrow cor.
ridor by which uccess is had to each of
them. In the northeastern corridor, there
lore, is found the scaGold. From The 70.
tunda one must descend broad iron
staircase to the floor OF the corridor, which
is, rs Ihave already said, .l0xleO feet. At
; distance the scaaold appears to be lightly |
built, but nearer approach shows it to BE-
otherwise. The framework is OF tmbers
5x6 inches. The floor or platform Is twelve |
'eet high, and reached by d flight Of fifteen |
steps. At the center Of the east and west
sides an upright Gx6 inches extends upward
:wenty: one feet to support the crossbeam,
which is OF the same size with the other
IN extra timber several feet in
ength being laid upon and fastened to the
to impart additional strength to |
meet the sudden strain when the victim
alls through the trap. Through the cross.
beam are bored three sinai! holes, for as