The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1885-11-21
WILKINSON HANGED.
officer Lawrence's Murderer Exc
cuted at Thomaston Yesterday.
He Walks to the callows Without a
Tremor,
And Makes a Jocular Remark as the
Moose is Adjusted.

hung this morning in the prison yard. This morn
ing he was calm and cool as the hour of his exc
cution approached. He adhered firmly to the con-
yietion, as an alien he had not had fair play and
that no alien could in this country. He thought the
Governor and Council were strongly against him.
A guard remained in the corridor all night and
visited his cell every half hour to note his condi-
tion. At O'Clock the prisoner was sleeping; at
$50 the guard could not tell whether he was
asleep or not and called his name twice. Wilkin-
son aroused himself, rubbed his eyes and stared
at the guard. sWere you asleep?" the guard
asked. Wilkinton said he was. He slept soundly
till half past IL O'Clock, when he woke up, but
soon went to sleep again and his slumber was
heavy till half-past a. M, when he awoke and
asked the time. He went to sleep again in the
hour and slept till halfpast four, when he got up
and dressed himself. He ate his bread and cof-
fee at the usual hour and with customary appe-
tite He devoured all they gave him. He told
Deputy Warden Hinckley that he slept well and
was feeling first rate. The prisoners anti-relig-
ious feeling showed no signs of change. In an
interview with the chaplain he said he was bred
an Episcopalian and was baptized and went to
Sunday school, but he had forsaken his old ideas
and formed his present views after years of de-
liberation and it would require years of de-
liberation to change them. The chaplain made
an attempt to excite contrition and asked the
prisoner the following question: "H you had in
your power the men who you claim have
wronged you would you injure them?" Wikin-
son replied: eyes, 1 would take my revenge"
After eating he smoked cigar, ane made the re-
mark that he should die firmly and with resigna-
ton.
HIS LAST FORENOON ON EARTH.
change, however, came over Wilkinson in
the last forenoon of his life. When Chaplain<T0w-
ers visited the man at 10 O'Clock he found him
less defiant, less sanguine, and more easily af-
fected. He Joined with the chaplain in his
prayers, a thing he never did before, and asked
the chaplain to pray for him, the first request of
this kind. He CRIED and tears welled to the chap
lan's eyes. Wilkinson had never given any indi-
cation of having a soft spot anywhere in him be-
fore. Wilkinson finally said he was yet dubious
about future state. but he did not assert as be-
fore his confident belief that there was none.
Wilkinson made one very remarkable state
ment. He told the chaplain he had made up his
mind never to die on the gallows and proposed to
kill himself in his CELL Last evening he would
have committed suicide but for a letter he re-
ceived from Mrs. Knowles, the Augusta lady who
had been corresponding with him. After reading
the letter he determined to meet his hard end like
a man.
Wilkinson repeated his desire that his folks
should never know of his death. His parents are
living near London, and his father is trades
man. The murderer said that his own weight was
$50 pounds, and that he was the SMALLEST of the
family and the weakest every way" When told
about the law in regard to the disposal of his
body after his DEATH he replied that he desired to
be buried in the prison cemetery.
DRAMATIC INCIDENT.
A few moments before IL O'Clock, while forty
persons, including officers and witnesses, were in
the prison guard room waiting for the noon bell
to ring, there was a furry at the entrance.
Warden Bean was called out and dramatic
incidentI occurred. A lady with a face
pale as death, accompanied by little girl of
or 10 years, had arrived at the prison and asked
to see Wilkinson. She introduced herself as
Mrs. Belle Knowles of Augusta, Will1inson's lady
correspondent. The little girl was her daughter
They passed quietly through the guard room and
into the corridor where Wilkinson was. ST come
in the name of Christi, said Mrs. Knowles. "I am
gladto see you, said the prisoner, in a low tone;
''you and your daughter are the only two friends
have on this side of the water. 81 want you to
put your trust in Christi you know he forgaye
the thief on the cross" Wilkinson said he wished
he could, but expressed no change in his views re-
garding religion. He gave Mrs. Knowles and her
daughter Lizzie copy of the book Of prayer and
a book of Scriptural allegories with their names
written in them by his own hand. The interview
lasted five or six minutes. few words were
said, and Wilkinson bade his visitor a fearful
goodbye. When Mrs. Knowles came up the stone
steps into the guard room there was startling
whiteDess on her cheeks, and her eyes looked as
if she was going to faint. She hestated, put her
hand to her head and would have fallen over
backward if an officer had not caught her arm
and carried her into the wardens Office. Mrs.
Knowles, apparently, is 40 years old. Her hair
and eyes are coal black, while her face is color
less She does not look well or strong. She was
neatly but plainly, dressed. 81 feared that l
shouldn't live to get here" she said; 81 did not
sleep any last night night and was dreadful sick
all the way coming down here. My folks did not
want me to come. l have heart trouble and
they feared it would kill me. They gave me to I'M
derstand that the execution had been postponed
for month. Last evening found out that he
was to be hanged today, and was SO afraid I
would not get here in time, did not know what
to do made the acquaintance of Wilkinson in
the Augusta jail, where I frequently visit the
prisoners. 1 take an interest in suffering human
ity everywhere, and do what can to make men
better"
Chaplain Towers shook hands with her. She
rested in the wardens room a moment, then went
down town before the hour of the execution.
ON THE WAY TO THE sCAFFoLD.
About il o'clock, Sheriff Irish,' in company
with Rev. F. Tower, officers Porter and Peabody,
DR.. Levensaler, the city marshal of Lewiston,
Sheriff Wadsworth of Waldo county, andSheriff
Chapman of Penobscot, proceeded to the cell of
Wilkinson He was calm and when pinioned ap-
peared to be the most unconcerned man in the
crowd. Warden Bean placed the warrant OF the
State In the sheriff's hand. Sheriff Irish then
read it to him, performing the delicate and terri
BILE duty with frmness and gentleness Sheriff
Irish and Rev. F. Tower then led the way to the
seaffold followed by Wilkinson, led by officers
Porter and Peabody on either side.
at quarter of IL o'clock, the procession
emerged from the western door of the prison, and
crossed the yard, through the carriage shop to
the scaffold Accompanying the sheriff and his
charge were Deputies Porter and Mansfield, J.W.
Peabody of Thomaston, Ira NJ True of Hallowell,
Officer Cook of Rockland the City Marshal of
Bath, and Rev. F. Tower, his spiritual adviser,
clad in the robes of the Church of England. Will
kinson was dressed in the murderers suit of
black alpaca blouse and pants, and his Farms were
tied to his sides. He walked carefully, with his
head bowed down. He had seven minutes to live
when he stepped on the trap. He was seen by
thirty persons, including the officers. The most
of them stood on the ground below the scaffold,
which stood in the same space whence it sent the
two Italians to their death.
jokes WITH THE OFFICER.
While Deputy Sheriff Parker was binding his
feet and Deputy Morton was tying the moose I'M
der his ears, Wilkinson broke the silence by say
ing in voice so low that only those very near
could hear him, "This is the way you murder
men for fifty dollars head, isn't it?"
THE END.
He then compressed his lips, contracted his eye
brows and looked down sulenly at the crowd
more red in his face than his predecessors on that
trap. At a signal from Sheriff Irish Chaplain
Towers stepped upon the scaffold, whispered in
Wilkinson's ear, pressed his hand, stepped back
and began ntoning the last service 1t was the
book of prayer headed: "Yistation of Prisoners"
and beginning, SIN the midst of life we are in
DEATH" Wilkinson listened intently, but his face
did not change. 30 Lord lift up thy countenance
upon us and guide us both now and forever
more, Amen" These were the chaplain's, last
words.
"Have you anything to say, Mr.. Wilkinson?"
asked the sheriff. "No SIR said the prisoner.