The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-03-31
THE GALLONS.
Execution of Mrs. Meaker at Windsor, VT
Firm to the Last.

s
WINDSOR, VT, March 30.-Mrs. Meaker
slept soundly last night, and, after break
fasting, in accordance with request made
yesterday TO see the gallows, was led out BY
the sheriff to examine it. She closely scru-
tinized every part of the structure assembled
the steps of the scaffold alone with a firm
tread and without emotion, and inquired OF
the Sheriff if she would be required to climb
the fatal stairs unassisted at the final mo-
ment. The drop and the mode of its work
ing was looked upon with an air of morbid
curiosity, and cycling the trap, she asked;
us that the placer
After returning to her quarters she was
visited by the chaplain, and manifested the
most stolid indifference, but later on was
visited by Sheriff Atherton. She inquired
after her husband and daughter, and then,
yith much agitation. said: Tell them am
- be murdered to-day. 1 am an innocent
woman" She alluded to her sons COMES
sion as lie, and said he had brought her to
The ~aliows. When Atherton rose 10 leave
= she began to cry, and kissed his right hand
twice, and sending her love to the folks at
home, she cried Good bye, good bye" as
he left
Her husband and daughter have refused TO
receive her dead body, and would not make
a farewell visit before the execution. Mrs.
Meaker is but forty-four years old, and was
married at the age of eighteen to e. G.
Meaker She, with her son, committed the
murder of Alice Meaker, in Waterbury,
April 49, 1880. Mrs. Meaker took the girl
and her weak-minded son in a wagon off by
lonely road into the woods, forced her vic
tim to drink poison and placed her body in q
will nj ba
( character of the woman, as otherwise revealed
upon the trial, showed her to be a monster
in tyranny and violence of her control over
those within her reach.
Mrs Meaker ate hearty dinner. Her son,
Almon was left in his cell. Mrs Mcakers
arms were pinioned before she left the cell,
and the procession moved to the gallows,
where she was seated in a chair. She evil
IDENTITY did not like the crowd After
PRAYER by the chaplain the sheriff handed
her a paper with these words: "Emeline
Meaker, il you have anything to say why
execution of sentence should not take place,
you have now opportunity" This was done
on account of her defense. She was calm
and pale, and sat with closed eyes. Good
bye, Mr.. Hull; have nothing more to say,
only forgive you for hanging me-" Her
legs were then tied, she standing all the time
and showing no signs of trembling She
said MAY God forgive you ALL" The drop
fell at 1870 After hanging thirty minutes
without scarcely a struggle, and was buried
in the prison cemetery this afternoon
Colored Boy Hanged in Virginia for Rape.
WASHINGTON, March 30-Charles William
Beaver, a colored youth, was hanged in the
Jail yard at Leesburg Va, this morning, for
rape. The hanging was witnessed by not
over fifty persons. He spent quiet night
and ate a hearty breakfast The condemned
boy walked firmly to the scaffold and as the
black cap was drawn said Farewell friends
tand fellow-creatures. The trap was sprung
at 6:52 and his neck was broken by the fall.
Beaver yesterday signed written confession
of the crime.
Beaver was a dusky mulatto, between six
teen and seventeen years of age. His crime
was committed upon ten-year old daughter
of George A. Hunt who knew Beaver WE'LL
and whom Beaver assaulted in public road
as she was returning from school. The child
recovered from her injuries, and upon her
testimony Beaver was convicted. An at
tempt to lynch Beaver was made two days
after his crime, but precautions had been
taken in advance against such attempt
Governor Cameron was appealed to to COM
mute his sentence to imprisonment for life,
but he refused
A South Carolina Villain Swung OFF.
COLUMBIA, March 30.--At Camden s. c.
this morning Oliver Bristow colored, was
., hanged as the accomplice of Joe Wilson, also
colored, in the murder of F. N. Mcdowell, a
well-to-do farmer and highly esteemed cit-
zen of Kershaw, ON the Both of November
last Wilson was shot and killed by ferry
man, whilst endeavoring to make his escape
across the Catawba river into North Carolina.
Bristow slept soundly last night but ate moth
ing this morning He assembled the gallows
at ten minutes past II, protesting his inno-
cehce to the last. The dron was snrung at
p twenty minutes past II, the fall being four
feet. Bristow's neck was not broken The
execution was private.
,uA MRS. A. B. BELL, of Hartford, Conn, who has
rbeen troubled with bronchial cough for sew
raj years, and recently got so bad that she