The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-02-20
THE DEATH PENALTY.

On Thursday OF last week DR.. L. q
Beach, Of Altoona, was legally straugIed n
the yard OF the HOiidaysburg Jail for the
muTder OF his wife in Altoona, on the 9Th
OF April last, On Wednesday evening Beach
ate his supper with apparent relish and
passed the evening until II O'Clock in religi-
Gus exercises, when be retired to bed and
slept sOundly until six o'clock when he got
up and ate hearty breakfast His spiritu-
al ADVISER, Rev. E. Il. hillIugeT, of HOlti-
daysbuTg, arrived in a short time and after
cOnVersing with him, Beach remarked :
You have been an angel of light to me-
Had it not been for you / could aud would
have taken my life long ago. This paper
contains enough poison to have produced nv
death in three hours" Beach then banded
Mr.. kiilingeT a paper containing twenty
morphine pills that he had successfully Sc
creted and kept about him. having kept
them in The hem OF his shirt. Up until II
O'Clock his time was occupied in religious
preparation for his last end, being constant
ly attended by his spiritual advisers and
preserving a calm demeanOT. He drank
cup of coffee at noon bat refused any thing
more At /. % or being told that the time
bad come be remarked Pm ready" He
was then marched to the scaffod which be
mounted without assistance aud with appa-
rent calmness, when ReY. Killidger read the
following:
BEACH 3 LAST STATEMENT.
This is my last statement before God aud man
concerning the crime for which I at this mo-
meut to suffer the stern eulct OF the law. / sol
EMMY ahhrm before my God and Maker, into
Whose presence am nov about 90 enter. thet I
vas irresponsible az the time for the death OF her
for whose NE am now to atone ! s1ielnly de-
clare that did not premeditate her death or had
the fsintest idea Of taxing her life. There was
no dltncultJ ~ tne time between ns, 10 cause the
commission OF the deed. Our relations to each
other &C the time of retiring we're Of the most
icaDle ture- As look back TO that night the
deed seems Ike a dream TO me. must certainly
have been IL 50 irresponsible state, or IN an un-
eonscious condition OF mind, resutunz rsm the
influence OF medicine taken that night, OF from q
delusion Of some Kind which involuntariiy con-
trolied me. Not single act OF the whole TRACE
dy Is clear or distinct to my mental vision. All
the clrcumstances indicate tina, must have taken
her u lie To- there vas no Que else there 70 do It.
but DO empbatically deny taking her lite wiiful.
ly or consciously. had been IN a somewhat ex-
cited state Of mind for some weeks previous ow-
ing TO nv anxiety concerning my spiritual condf-
tiOn and a determined disposition TO live In the
future a strictly religious liie- As to ny prepa-
rations for aud hope Of heaven / will refer you
for Information 70 my spiritual advisors. II
seems hard iOr one in the prime Of LIE 70 be the
victim o such unfortunate circumstances and to
be thus called away. But am perfectly submis-
siVe 70 God, and resigned 70 nv fate harbor
woman. / forgive all ! know I am forgiven
BY my Father in Heaven through the merits Of
His Son, my savior. ] bad hoped that the law
would see the true condition Of nv case ar the
time and that would stul be spared 10 do still
moro 70 alleviate the suferinEs Of ny fellow men,
but the decree has gone forth aud submit. 1 re-
turn my sincere thanks 70 my legal council, % my
nd 70 all others who have shown acts OF kind
ness. hsreuuto subscribe my name this twelfth
day OF February, eighteen Hundred aud eighty
i've l.. U. BEACH.
Beach was then asked if he bad anything
20 say when be replied. Nothing" His
arms and legs we're then pt1ioned, the rope
and black cap adjusted, when the sheriff
stepped back ana touched the spring and
Beach's earthly career vas at All end, his
neck being broken 10y the fall s1d Ia thir-
teen minutes he was pronounced dead His
body was buried Ia the aimshouse cemetery
on Jne afternoon of tie same day. All the
details for tine execution were well managed
and Suerii Fay was nightly credited Tor The
manner in 7'hIch hs performed his uupieas
anJ dUty.