Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1884-01-04
HANGING AN IDIOT
Thoulht Right and Fropsr in New
IarseY.
A DOUBLE EXECUTION AT NEWARK.
Martin, the Wife Murderer, Meets Death
COcIy, but Graves, the lnbeciIe,
is Carried Moaning to
the SCaffold.

NEWARK, N. j., January 3.-Before Y
break this morning the prison here beer me
scene OF hustle aud activity. Breakfast
was being made ready for the inmates and
preparations were being made to remove
The prisoners in the cells to the east CORR.
cor so that they could not witness the
hanging of Robert Martin and James B.
Graves. At p. NJ. the Rev. A. L. Wood.
one OF Martins spiritual advisers, arrived.
Martin was awake when the clergyman
came. In short lime sfterward the cou.
dtmned man was engaged in prayer At :
o'clock the doors OF the cells were unlock
md dressed themselves they were formed
IN line 10 receive breakfast. The close
proximity OF the sC3'IDld did not seem to
have any dcprt ssing fleet on the appeti;es
served the occupants OF the east corridor
were marched around in Indian file to the
other siie Of the prison passing the scafiOld
on the way. As soon as they had been re-
moved the hgngIurn tested the gallowS.
The muslin curtains OF windows were
drawn down, and the eXeCutiOner was
Ready for His Work.
The police stretched ropes across the in.
tersections OF the streets surrounding the
Jail, aid tins made 1t comparauEr.y easy
~ keep back intruderS. Sheriff Wright
and his assistants arrived at o clock. Al
so The SherIi! S jury VS. Ushered into the
corrIUOr. After Martin had received the
E"iy sacrament through his clergyman,
lis hrs Nkiast was brought - him FROM the
MarGtG'S private table. Martin ate but
luie. He Was not in as buoyant spirits as
ug was tweGtylOur hours previously, and
lhcre were not few hoeXr:eSseda doubt
whether after al, he would remain tirru
until the last moment Martins spIr,rLl.
aCVi. ers did everything possible ID comfort
nim, and TO all appearances sUCC eedet To q
r"I siderable extent. Graves was alaO at
this time an object OF very much attention.
He was crying like a child, and there ap-
peared not the sIigdtCst dJabt that he
would have 10 he carried from the bed TO
tue Ga!loNs. The Sheriff realized that he
"ou.d have 4 good deal oi trouble with
Graves.
Martin Shed Fears for Eis Children.
and requested that they be sent for as he
did not consider that he sade Them fare
well on the previous evening when he
parted with them. He was finally told il
would he impossible to comply with it
The sheriff auj clereymen were OF the
opinion that If Martin had another inter
view with his children he would certainly
break down. When the sheriff gave the
signal TO start for the gallows the clergy
men, who had been frequently praying
with Martin, Joined in the procession, both
reCilinG prayers as they went. AS soon rs
The condemned man reached the iron gate
opening into the COrrlUOr his gaze irll
urou the gallows. \ few strps.mOre and
ae was under tbs dauglingrope. The hang.
man gentry rUshed Martin 10 the CHALK
mark under rns Crussbeam, and then u liCs-
down the blac!. cIp. IN Iess HfIE ten sec.
0rds the trap was sprung and Martins :
body slot suddenly upward The drop tell
AT Iu:-7. The UsUa, pontul scene was wit
rr,scd. After The body hCd been sus'
rrr. .ded about fifteen minutes 1t was lover
ID sun Cientiy i.r the physicians 10 exam
ne u. Alter hanging for twenty-five
minutes the body Was taken down, aud the
,c.!lu. was then rot in readiness for
The Execution OF Graycs.
Nart.r. died in great sgany, his arms
having been Improperly pinned, he raised
his lgii d III tlIu sAttl NAN NAS 'OfS'
.trurg.ins wildly Tor as much as three
minutes THc rope slipped and he slowly
,tIsnglrd to death.
Graves was hung a. II IT, and was car
ried to the sCalIOid. Graves was recsuse,
ald - wears of axe. In the house where
n. lived wa . family raued SOden, which
included bov named Eddie. Graves was
a,noyed by the boys, among them Eddie
soden, and on the night of D7Cen 1er ~,
1851. crept MP behind Eddie while the lat
ter as lighting lamp and shot him
dead.
The two Episcopal clergymen who were
in attendance upon Marlin made very
earnest effort to induce Graves toavoW ms
rr!ief in God and die Christian. All the
uLcniuuS arguments Of the clergVmen d.o
not have The desired effect and seemed
oplv TO make the unfortunate man inCEt
niCrose and more pronounced IN ms op'h
ions. II was impossible to leaia VIVA
views Graves had about religion, AS Wei
as could be made out from
His IncOhcrcDt Talk.
be was an iutide in the widest sense Of thu
word. Graves had nobody to visit him
md, indeed, seemed not to care whcthe
&C had or not. He had no friends IN NJ"
.rk. amp little sympathy was felt for him
TWO brothers paid the expenses OF the tri u
Martin vas condemned to death f)r th'
murder Oi his vile ard child. He was D.
wears fage and was born in EngIsnd.