Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-07-07


grim man goes away. The grim man is
Robert Strong. who has hanged thirteen
murderers here, and who by and by will
put the moose around the neck Of Guiteau.
Soon he returns, unobserved by the throng
and walks silently to the east corridor
Behind him is a short man with slouched
hat, drawn so as to conceal his features
Strong, the grlm, and the short unknown
stand for moment at the gatef OF the east
corridor.
READING THE DEATH WARRANT-GUI-
TEAU COMPosEDLY ASKS THE PRIV
ILEGE OF GIVING THE SIGN TO
THE HANGMAN.
Away across the rotunda stands Ward.
On Croker. He is talking with Marshal
Henry, but he is thinking Of something
else. for his eyes are on Strong and Strong Is
companion. When be catches their glance
he mods, the wire wicket gate is opened
and Strong goes in, followed by the shorl
man, who shufles along like prisoner
But when the short man gets into the cor.
ridor his step changes and he walks rapid
ly to little cell right abreast the gallows
This he enters and Strong shuts the door.
The short man fastens curtain to the gra
ted window of the cell that opens upon the
gallows. There is little hole in this cur.
tain, and the eye of the short man will be
at this hole that be may see the signal and
pull the slender rope that hangs in the
cell. He is the executioner.
There seems to be some understanding
between the Warden and the United States
Lieutenant who, in his full-dress uniform
commands the SO marines, and the Ward
en-, although be seems nervous, fOrgets nc
details, for when Strong and the execu.
toner pass down the corridor the brilliant.
ly dressed Lieutenant is in his place. bis
eyes searching the corridor for the Ward
on, and sign is exchanged between them.
Then the Lieutenant, turning to his men,
gives them an order in a low tone, and
ing clear across the rotunda. The musKets
are brought with ringing clanR O. order
arms, to the stone floor. Then bringing
the bayoneted guns to parade rest, the mel
stand waiting. Warden Croker steps a
little nearer to the noisy little Seth Thom.
as clock. the minute hand of which is
steadily approaching the hour hand at IA.
The condemned has eaten his dinner, and
one of his ruling passions, the desire for
prompt and abundant meals. gives place
to another, the love of cleanliness. He
calls for bowl of water and bathes his
face and hands with his usual care and de-
Iteration.
At length the little clock wheezed out
~. Warden Croker, nervously feeling In
the breast pocket of his black coat, pulled
large envelope partly out, thrust it back
and slowly walked over to the secluded
corridor. The outer guard saw him and
the key at once clanked in the lock, and
the Warden went in. The inner guard
saw him, and the ciapboarded gate that
conceals the corridor squeaked on its hing
es, and the Warden passed on. The death
watch saw him, and at once arose from
his chair, and the Warden stood in front
of the cell Of the condemned. Drawing
from his pocket again the envelope, and
taking from it large paper with the great
seal of the court upon 1t, the Warden be-
gan to read. It was the death warrant.
AS he began to read Guiteau stepped out
into the corridor, and stood there careful
ly brushing his hair, though listening.
His step was brisk, and when the reading
was finished he turned to his cell and COM
pleted his toilet.
But if he was undisturbed the Warden
was not, for he sat in the death watch
glass of water. Guiteau, however, be-
gan to finish his dressing. He put on a
black waistcoat and then. As hr was draw
ing black coat over his shoulders, asked
the Warden With cDnsummate coolnr.s #
he could have little favor granted. Glad
of anything to divert his own mind, the
Warden jumped eagerly from his chair,
and said to the man whom he was about
to hang:
81 should be very glad to grant any re-
quest of yours that can consistently"
Guiteau said: 'Oh you can grant this,
I guess. I want to have the execution go
off promptly. l don't want any accidents
at all. I want you to see to it thare is DO
delay and no trouble, and 1 woull like to
ask you if / may not give the signal myself
for the end"
Warden Crocker had heard no message
to-day which delighted him SO much as
this, for he had rather 90 through ten days
of preparation for hanging than to draw
his handkerchief and wave it to the silent
executloner in the cell. So he said to
Guiteau:
Il should be very glad indeed to have
you give the signal, for should ba glad
to he relieved myself of that painful duty.
[ would suggest that will give you,a pa
per after the religious exercises have end
ed and when you are ready just drop the
paper"
"All right" said Guiteau, ''th.t suits
me perfectly. And now, Warden, should
like little time for preparation, and then
I shall be entirely ready to 60 to see my
God.:,
There we're NO farewells said and no dig
nified and painful formalities INDUCED ia
Gull eau always detested expressions of
sentiments Of that kind, and the Warden
was very glad to be relieved from the me-
cessity. Whom Guiteau finished dressing
himself he took white silk handkerchief
and threw it around his neck He had no
collar on, for it had been sug zested to him
by Strong that it would be we'll to leave
that off. but he was so punctilious respect
ing little matters of persona! appearance
that he did not care to go to .he scaffold
without any necK covering. He said lit
tie or nothing to DR.. Hicks, who was in
his cell at the time, until he had finished
dressing. Then there was absolutely moth
Ing more to do. He gave DR.. Hicks his
prayer and also his verses, and asked DR.
Hicks to hold them for him on the sraffold
80 that he could read them. DR.. Hicks
asked him if he thought he would be COM
posed enough to read them, and his reply
was:
"Why not? Of course T shall be-"
So far as DR.. Hicks could observe. there
was then not the slightest apprehension
and not the smallest indication OF fear.
AS DR.. Hicks opened the Bible and read a
passage to him. be did cry little, but he
said he was crying for joy at the thought
Of his speedy union with his God. DR..
Hicks then left the cell for few moments.
THE GALLONS sCENE--RKADING HIS
PRAYER AND CHANTING HIS HYMN
HIS DEATH APPARENTLY EASY.
Meanwhile there were some mysterious
noticeable among the prison
deputies. The outer guard, after an OK.
,hange of mutually understood signal,
opened the iron grating and admitted