New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-10-20
THE HANGING OF HOVEY.
HE PAYS THE PENALTY OF MURDER.
copIoUs TEARS, BUT NO sHRINKING-THE STORY
OF HIS CRIME.

,onrn;nG Edward Hovey was hanged in the court
ward of the Tombs Prison for the murder OF NIT
night of Thursday Sheriff Davidson went to see
him. In their conversation Hoyey Informed, the
sheriff that he might rest assured that ne would Ge
like man and give him as little trouble as possible
He thanked him for the kindness that had beeh
shown him since his incorporation in the Iombs.
After the sheriff had gone he requested warden
Finn to get him some raw oysters which with a
plate of toast he ate with relish. lie TAXED ior
about two hours with Deputy Sherns Brodhe da
ing of Sindram and Mc(lOin. He assured them, as
he had assured the sheriff that he was prepared to
meet his fate bTaye Az a. ne br Cn ana TO-
bed. He tossed about restlessly for
while but succeeded Sao in falling Rahfg into HcIocR
he awoke and dressing himself took seat by the
stove. He complained that his head panied him
but showed no signs Of weakening An honr later
tered the last sacrament to Hovey in his cell. Az
z the condemned man went to the hydrant ana
washed his face and hands, and shortly a1terwahLa
received his counsel, William F. Knitting AS ne
babe his lawyer gOOd-by, Hovey began to cry, but
soon recovered his cOmposure. As the time for the
execution drew near his agitation grew greater ana
about 745 DR.. Fitch administered hyp0dermio
injection of one-third OF grain OF morphine III
little before 8 o'clock Sheriff Davidson. with
Under-Sherf Stems and posse of deputies arrived
at the prison. Each man wore his badge ana car
RED tuncheon They were ADMITTED Te s ohC of 20
square of which the gallows formed the fourth.
Ten minutes later the reporters ana otners hdNlng
permits were admitted to the yard. The galloWs
was erected directly in front of the door OF the
female department, 1t was the same ,, lnStrl-
ment used in the execution of McGloin
and Malone. To reach it Hovey. had to
walk pretty nearly the whole length of the
ward. 1t was feared by the deputies that ne might
break down. and it was with difficulty that Under
Sheriff Stevens could get two deputies to go In with
him to bring out the, prisoner Messrs. McGomgle
and Goodman were finally selected. -
At five minutes before HOvey came out Of the
entrance TO the mems prison.. He was plainly
dressed in dark business suit. The rope was
around his neck and the black cap on his head. lie
was deathly pale, but walked with urn
step as if he meant TO keep his promise
to bear up like a man., He was preceded
on Under-Sheriff Stevenss arm Immediately be-
hind them came the two deputies and the eXecu-
TONERS assistant As HOvey passed the line OF dep
uty sheriffs he shook hands with those who had
been with him during the death-watCh, and hade
then g99d6E re seemed 70 r s ns WORKED
convulsivey, BY the time he reached the gal;
lows. however, he had become calm, and
though his face was cOlOrleSs he showed no
signs of weakness Dr. GuilbeTt read from the
Episcopal service the commendatory prayers for the
visitation of the sick. moment before ne finlshed
reading the eXecutiOners assistant adjusted the
moose and pulled the black cap aver the cond6mned
mans face. At three minutes of Under-Sherh
Stevens, who was behind HOvey, dropped his hand
kerchief as signal 10 the eXecutl9ner: Inc rope
was cut. 1t ran through the block with walrr
and HGEey shot s% %2Emt 70 four a6d if fret
his shoulders twitChed cOnvulsively and his legs
were drawn up once or twice. At the end of two
minutes he had ceased to struggle and was lowered
until his feet were about six inches from the pave
1nent. Dr. NJ. S. Buttles, the sherifs physician,
Depntv-Coron NJ J. b. MESSENGER and Drs. L. b.
present and examined the body. They said that
death had resulted from disocation of the odontold
process in simple language that the neck had been
broken. DR.. MESSENGER however IN me
death certificate gave the cause Of death
as asphyXia from stranGuation. Consciousness
ceased within twenty minutes after the rope was
cut. The pulse ceased to beat at the wrist at the
end of six minutes. After twelve minutes the
heart pusated at the rate of seventy-two beats to
the minute and two minutes later the pulsatiOns
ceased altogether, and HOvey was pronounced
dead. At 500 the body was lowered into a plain
coffin, after having been suspended twenty-five
minutes. The assistant executioner removed the
black cap. Beyond slight congestion around the
mouth and nose and the mark of the rope on the
neck, there was nothing to indicate that the muir
dereT had not died a natural death. The face was
not in the least distorted.
the dead mans family, by I. c. Freeborn of No.
2236 Third-ave. There it was viewed in the after
noon by large number OF people, among whom
were some of Hovcy's old associates. The funeral
will take place at WOodlawn Cemetery this morn
ing and the services will be conducted by DR.. Gull
bert. Inspector Murray, assisted by Captain Petty,
Sergeants Meal;in and Thompson, were in charge OF
the police arrangements. They had five men each
from the First, Fourth, Seventh, Eleventh,
Thirteenth Seventeenth, Eighteenth, and
Twenty-first Precincts, and thirty men
around the prison to keep back an immense crowd
that had gathered there at an early hour, and it
took all the efforts of the police to keep Centre
and Elm SITS. clear for traffic In the prison yard
while the preparations were going on an number or
the prisoners endeayored to get glimpse OF the
hanging by means of pieces Of looking glass thrust
through the bars of their windows
The crime for which Hovey was hanged Yesterday
was of peculiarly brutal and cOld-bloodcd charac-
ter. He painter by trade. but an idle dlssl-
pated youth, and terror TO all who knew him. lie
had been several times in the pententary for steal
ing. In 1880 he married Lizzie McCulloch, whom
he treated with great brutality. While he was
serving term in the pcntentiary for theft his wife
went to live with her sister Mrs. fanny nd6rmyea
ANYTHING to do with him. He then Threatened TO
take her life. Before he could cause any further
trouble however, he was again convicted of theft,
and served another term in the penltentiary. On
his second release he called his wife in an lntox-
icated condition, but turned out. He then
Threatened harm to his sister-in-law for inducing
his wife to leave him. Some days later he erected
reconciliation by swearing to quit drinking liquor
On April 20, 1882, however he came home drunk,
and although his baby was dying of scarlet fever,
he began his usual brutal treatment OF ms w1e.
Mrs. Vermilyea demonstrated with nm. ne elt
the house, but returned N lew minutes haVlhg
pawned his coat for pistol and with this weapon
deliberately shot his sister-in-law in the breast
shock killed his sick child, and not long after the
murderer's mother died. He was tried In
the Court Of General Sessions, and was
the Jury celebrating only fifteen minutes.
He was sentenced TO death on November IL 1852.
An appeal was made to the Supreme Court where the
Judgment of the Sessions was upheld. Inc Court
of Appeals also affirmed the Judgment, and he was
brought before the General Term OF the supreme
Cont and again sentenced this time to be hanged
on NAV 81 1888 On the ground Of newly discov-
cred evidence new trial was applied for, but JUS
tce DonOhue denied the application; an appeal was
taken to the General Term, but the court affirmed
Judge DonOhue's decision to the Court OF APP
peals The Governor respited Hovey until Oct0-
Der 10 in order to allow the Court Of Appeals to re-
view the case On the 9th inst. that court also
confirmed Judge DOnOhue's decision. A last appeal
was made TO the Governor for Communication OF the
sentence, but it proved unavailing, and the SEN
tence was carried out yesterday.
THE BROOKLYN GAS WAR ENDED.
The gas war between the Brooklyn and Fulton
Municipal Gas Companies in Brooklyn, which has
heen Carried for several months. il announced u