National Republican., 1883-09-15
Is Hanged Before an Appreciative
Audience in Richmond
The MurdCross Willing TO Die Because She Know
She was "Going 10 Heaven"
She ConTesscs Her Crime Before Going on
the GaIlOYs.
SnecfnL Dfsnnfnh.


convicted of being nm accessory 70 the MUIR
der of her husband Daniel Miller. Charles
Lee, the paramour Of Barbara Miller, was
hung on the third of August, but the ex-
element manifested on tho part of the public |
was twice as great to-day as when Lee paid
the penalty of his crime. She is the
first woman hung in Richmond since
1852, when the notorious Jane Williams was
executed:near thecity almshouse for the muir
der of Mrs Winston, and is about the fourth |
or fifth ever hung in Virginia. Early this
morning crowds of people from every direc-
tion, some from counties adjacent to Rich |
mond, attracted by morbid curiosity, were
seen vending their way to the place oil execu-
tion. Some eight or ten special guards were
on duty to preserve order, but in such n crowd
their attempt was futile, and for hours the
crowd was .swayingl backward and forward,
aud were yelling and talking
This morning the woman was in cheerful
spirits and ate heartily. Her breakfast con-
sisted of pint of coffee, fried tripe, veal cut
let's cakes, and bread. Last night she asked
Sheriff Southwark to write out her last con-
fession, and in making it she said: "This is
my last statement about the death of my hus-
band, Daniel Miller. The first time had q
talk with Lee about the killing of Miller was
last September. At that time objected to it.
In November, think, Charles bought some
tea and Charles put the poison
in it and gave it to Mr..
Miller himself. knew about it, though it
did not kill him. 1t seemed TO cure his pain
in the side, and he got much better afterward.
Charles and myself talked about killing Mr..
Miller nearly every day after the poisoning.
On Saturday before Mr.. Miller was killed
Charles told me when l left to go to Rich
mond that he intended to kill Daniel that
night, and / expected to find him dead when
got homo that night. The first time that l
ever consented for Charles to kill Daniel was
on tho thirteenth day of Febru-
ary, and he killed him on the four
teenth, as we both agreed to do.
l never talked to Charles about the killing
after l consented to it until he killed him.
When Charles left the house that morning
knew it was to kill my husband, as Charles
and myself had talked the matter over the
night before, and Charles acted with my con-
sent when he killed my husband. When
he got back to his home he had blood
on his coat, vest. and pants
washed all his clothes afterward
If Charles and myself had not been arrested
we would have been married between that
time and Christmas. Charles worried me to
let him do it, He killed him at my sugges-
tion. was not present when he killed him.
am willing to die for my guilt, as l know L
am going to Heaven"
When the above confession was written out,
the woman signed it in the presence of the
sheriff, saying, as she did so, that il was the
last statement she would make on earth.
This morning religious services were held
in her cell They were conducted by Revs.
Boswell and Ferguson of the Baptist church.
The cell was crowded with coored church
members, and, shouting, praying, and
singing lasted from early in the
morning until 12 o'clock. There was
also prayer meeting held in the woman's
cell last night from 1890 until o'clock.
Two colored women remained with the pris-
Oner the remainder of tho night. When the
sheriff entered the cell this morning early,
Barbara said, as a smile played over her face,
"My cell was lighted with angels last night"
The night before she dreamed that three
angels carried her to heaven just as the
sheriff was about to put the moose around her
neck, and that Lee came down in the shape
of spirit aud beckoned her to fly heaven
ward.
On being asked if she intended to wear
shoes to the scaifold, she said, u satisfactory
grin covered her face, mo, sir, | am going i'll
my white stockings and get golden slippers in
the eternal home" Just previous to her de-
parture for the gallows her spiritual adviser,
Rev. George Boswell, lined the hymn, "Amaz-
ing Grace" "As the minister said, "Once
was lost but now l am free" Barbara shouted,
"Yes, is" "Towas grace that taught my
heart to feel" exclaimed the minister,
"eyer was" shouted Barbara, and all along
she calculated after the same manner. She
then offered up ten minutes prayer Her
face was to the wall, and she moved to and
fro, tho rapidity of her movements being in
proportion to the amount of shouting she did.
Other prayers followed this one and at II
o'clock Sheriff Southward went into the cell
and announced that the hour for the eXecu-
tion had arrived. The visitors departed, and
the condemned woman Immediately followed
hnht tYI thn oh nriH hIui
Burwell.
On her way to the scaffold she shook hands
with one or two friends, aud now and then
wiped her eyes with white handkerchief
which she carried in her left hand. Sho was
attired in Swiss muslin dress made at her
suggestion. 1t had two flOunces, and around
her neck she wore white lace, q large bouquet
of orange blossoms was pinned on her bosom,
and she always wore large red earrings.
In ascending the scatlold she hung her
skirts several times, and each time stopped
down and unfastened them from the steps,
Upon reaching the top of the scatiold, which
was twenty feet from the ground, she sat
down in u chair and prayer was offered in
her behalf by Rev. George Boswell, who took
occasion to reprove some young men who sat
above his head on the wall, making noise
during the solemn moments.
The deputy sheriff subsequently, drew his
pistol to prevent those on the wall from
Jumping down on the scatfold. This was af-
ter the drop was sprung but before the body
was cut down. The sheriff read tho death
warrant, and when he had concluded Barbara
stepped to the edge of the scaiIolG and en-
deavored to make speech She talked few
moments in an indistinct way. The only audi
BILE werds were, "ralke a lesson from poor me.
Meet me in Heaven, Farewell to you ALL"
The moose was then adjusted the black cap
placed over her head, and everything put in
readiness, for the drop to be sprung.
After the black cap had been drawn tightly
around her neck shc muttered few more
indistinct words. The sheriff stepped for
ward waved his handkerchief, and quickly
dropped it, This was the signal, and in
stanty the drop was sprung, and in the
twinkling of an eye the body shot through
the opening, dropping seven feet. Death
ensued from strangulation, the body being so
light as not TO break the neck. She weighed
97 pounds, and measured five feet three
inches. She struggled four minutes and a half,
and her muscles then ceased to move.
Tho drop was sprung at 1920 and the body
cut down twenty minutes atterward, placed
in q coffin, and taken to Henrico for burial.
When the drop was sprung Della Quarles, a
colored woman, who saw aud heard 1t, tainted
and fell into the arms Of an officer. Two
other women were 80 pressed and jammed in
the crowd on the outside that they tainted,
and one Of them came near being suuocated'
-S-
The Organ Recital at All SOULS
Ia tUl,n has lQtglU hann