The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1884-01-10
EXECUTED IN PRISON.
The Hanging OF Six DesperadOes by
the Inmates of the AndersOnvillc
StOckade.

On the 30th OF june under the lead.
ership of q mysterious character known
as Timber JIM" but the re name of
whom has never yet been ascertained, a
vigilance committee was organized in
Andersonville, and the members of it
were known in camp as the regulars"
The original object of the organization
was the breaking up of the band
of raid..s and the enforcement of order
throughout the camp. Timber
Jim" was the leading spirit of the vigil
direction number of raiders were
arrested. The rebel authorities, who
were at least interested in preventing
the camp from being infested with a
pack of human wolves, thereby render
ing the duties of their troops less
burdensome in keeping the encamp-
ment in subsection, consented that the
arrested raiders should be tried by
Union soldiers, and, if found guilty,
sentenced to execution. It was believed
that this course would have a whole
some effect, and full liberty was extended
to the vigilance committee to do what
they pleased with the offenders
They were tried under form of law
extemporized for the occasion, and six
of the men were found guilty of muir
der and sentenced to be hung. The
18th of July was set as the day for ex-
ecution, and before noon scaflold was
erected in the camp under one of the
most enchanting of Georgia skies.
When marched into the camp the
wretched men were left face to face
with their executioners, and not less
than 10000 stood around them. A
Catholic priest who had been with the
half dozen desperadoes fulfilling the
duties of his Office as spiritual adviser,
made an earnest, impassioned appeal
for the preservation of their lives;
but, seeing his efforts unavailing, he
sought the condemned men to turn
their attention to God, who alone could
whose hands had been stained with
Thousand crimes, if not with the blood
OF their fellow-prisoners, We're COM
PEELED to ascend the scatlold, and the
execution was proceeded with.
Pending the contamination of the ar
engagements, one of the men broke from
the platform on which the six were
standing with the executioner, who was
none other than Timber jim" and his
aids, and made n desperate struggle for
life. The crowd gave way for the in
slant and let him through the living
environment out into the open camp.
The pursuit, however, was as desperate as
the flight, and the wretched man was re-
captureI and brouobt lacl, IN tho ,,1ooa
of execution. Bags were drawn over
the heads of the trembling culprits, and
the ropes with which they were to
be hung were adjusted around their
necks. Timber Jim" was the last
man to leave the platform. As he
descended the rough ladder he halted
for n moment, and, touching spring.
sent the half dozen men down the fatal
leap. An exclamation of horror was
heard from 10000 lips In the fall the
ringleader had broken his rope and fell
unframed at the foot of the vast con
course. 1t was but the work of an
instant seemingly, by which his execu-
TONERS forced him to reasccnd the scat
fold. With face winter than ghost
the doomed leader glanced mt his asso-
ciates struggling with death at his side
just as the bag was again forced over
his head, shutting out forever the light
of day from his sight, he cried out with
Unreasonable agony of mind, Boys,
pray for mel" being the last words he
ever uttered. The executioner, Lin
Der JIM" was Immediately guarded
out of camp, and was never again seen
inside the stockade.