Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1883-04-06
A STRANGE EXECUTION.


no mood to cry over. Now you've got it..
A STRANGE EXECUTION.
| THE FIRST WOMAN EVER EXECUTED IN
vERMONT-nOw THE DEAF VICTIM WAS
COMMUNICATED wITH-A STRANGE IN :
TERvIEw BETWEEN MOTHER AND SON.
&C., &C.. &C., &c.
One of the strangest executions that we
have read of in this country, and &C
companied by more odd scenes. took place
in the Vermont State prison at Windsor,
last Friday. The condemned woman was
Mrs. Emiline Lucy Meaker. aged forty
four years, and the wife Of a small but
we'll TODD farmer. She had been convict
ed of the cruel murder of her husband s
half sister, to obtain the property Of the
dead child, who was only nine years old !,
and she had been deserted by her.husband
and all her family, except her son Almon
who was her accomplish in the crime and
ing States evidence and getting off with a
lie sentence. A correspondent of the N.
Y. Sun writing from Windsor on Friday
last, March 30th, says:
At half past eight this morning Mrs.
Meaker was examining the scaffold on
which she was to die within FIVE hours. 1t
stood in the northeast corner Of the west
ern corridor of the State prison. Sheriff
Amsden took her out Of her cell to see it
at her request. She assembled the steps to
the platform. why. it is not half so bad
as thought it was," she said. Taking
| bold OF tie moose that dangled over the
| trap, she put one foot on the drop, then
turned about and SUI veyed the corridor
and galleries from her emnence. After
She had returned to her cell she s; i'd to
Frank Waterbury, who was instrumental
in causing her arrest TELL Nellie (her
daughter) [ have been up on the gallows
and looked it all over, all alone. Mr.. Ams-
den just had hold of my arm. She added
that she wanted to send kiss to her hus-
band, aud also to ber daughter.
A noteworthy interview bet ween the
| mother and her son occurred yesterday
forenoon On Monday he wrote her
letter urging her to confess. the truth be-
fore she was executed, protesting his own
faith in God and asking Der to have like
faith. When she received this let er the
mother said she wanted to see her son
They met in the presence OF several Otfi-
GERS of the prison in Mrs. Meeker's cell.
The 10 other and son shook hands, neither
betraying any emotion. They began to
talk of what was uppermost in their minds
Soon the mother became excl ed, and ask
ed her son what he meant by bringing her
to tie gallows through his lying His
confession had been PLACED in her hands,
and as she read it she denied separately
the assertions accusing her. The young
man declared that all his statements were
true, and he advised her to tell the whole
truth. DO you want me to tell alp"
she asked in threatening tones and with
an inquiring look. AS she read in the
confession tn at she proposed at one time
to take little Alice into the mountains
and leave her there to starve. the wman
laughed heartily, and said she rever
thought of such thing. When she asked
him it he meant to make such an asser-
tion he replied that he did, and she
Strengthened up and said; Il never did"
The intervie " lasted about an hour. In
the course of it she asked him, "Who got
you to make that confession v'' and he
replied God" Almon started to kiss
his mother az they were about to be sepa-
rated, but she repulsed him. g. why do
you want to kiss me?,' she asked. BE
cause you are my MOTHER he said She |
relented and they kissed each other. The
son wept considerably in the course of the
interview. The mother betrayed no emo
ton save anger till her son had been ia
ken from her presence, when she burst
into tears.
Mrs. Meaker went to bed at 10 o'clock
last night aud slept till 6 O'Clock this
morning, watched by Warden Cakes and
Keeper Spaulding. Miss Bnrkee, the
prison matron. assisted her to dress. The
woman put on the black cambria gown in
which she died. She combed her hair
down smoothly over Ler temples, depart
ing from her custom Of cOmbing it back
from her fore head without parting it. she
was told that she looked like a girl of 16,
whereat she laug he'd heartily, and said she
fancied she did look pretty well. A large |
beef steak, with potatoes, bread and but
ter. coffee, and mince pie, was her break
ia st. Chaplain j. M. Hull visited her in |
tn fore noon, remaining with her nearly |
all of the time till she was hanged, Her |
dinner consisted Of TWO boiled eggs, two |
slices of toast. one potato. dOughnut |
and a cup of coffee. 1t was eaten at about |
noon. In her conversation with those |
who saw her in the course Of the forenoon |
she frequently asserted that she was lnno- |
cent.
AtI:25 Sheriff Amsden and three depu- |
ties went to her Cell and pinioned her |
arms. A strap was put around her wrists, |
holding her hands together in front. 1t |
was 1872 o'clock when the door opened, !
and SIZE entered the corridor supported |
by Deputies Wallace and Lowell. Sheriff
Amsden and Chaplain Hull walked in
front, and Deputy Locke behind. Thu
woman's face wore an ashen hue. Her
eyes were cast down aud her lips CON-
pressed She looked like a woman of SO
years, of medium height, and rather thick
set, weighing. perhaps, $50 pounds. Her
black cambria gown was made with waist
and skirt separate. The belt was fastened
with hooks and eyes. The bottom of the
skirt and the sleeves at the Wrists were
trimmed with plating Of the same mate
rial. She wore no dress under tina, and
no corset. On her feet were heavy shoes,
laced up. Her dark brown hair. streaked
with gray, was done up IN coil high on
her head, and fastened with large black
comb. She wore neither finger rings nor
earrings, There was ruffle of white ma
terial around her neck, and large white
DOW trimmed with lace at the ends, was
at her throat. A few DAYS pre-
viously. when the matron asked her to
try On tie black gown, she said "You
IAN It fool me; that's my shroud." 80 it
proved, but she came t think differently.
md gave directions as to where the gar
nents could be found in which to bury
Ter.
The way to the galiows WAS aiopy the i
corridor toward the east, some sixty feet,
ben toward TIE north some thirty feet