Daily Republican., 1886-04-16
FOURTH EDITION
THE LAST SCENE.

Robinson Hanged ct Noon To-Day-Hs
Passed Comfortable Night and
was Calm this Morning and
RssIgned to His Fate.
New Castle Jail, always gloomy even
ut the best, was shis morning even more
gloomy than usual, and sadness
seemed 20 pervade the whole tnstitu.
zion.
The occupied cells were all closed and
silence prevailed that was only
broken by the sound of singing and do
votion, which came from the cell OF the
condemned man. In answer 70 ques
ton, the warden said that Robinson
had passed . fairly comfortable night,
but Did not fall asleep until about l
O'clock, and that he slept soundly until
O'Clock, when he awoke seemingly
much refreshed.
| From that time until nearly one o..
clock he was engaged with his spiritual
advisers, Revs. j. X. Adams and Aaron
Roy. of New Castle, and the Rev. Jas.
II, Hopkins, Of this city, who were
| constant In their attendance.
He had been removed from the cell
which he formerly occupied on the
lower tier to cell No. 81 on the upper
corridof, and shortly before IL O'Clock
he came out aud made o rambling
lspeech to those assembled In tie lower
corridor. In which he protested his in
nocence OF the crime.
At l2.35 o'clock the ministers came
cut of the cell for few minutes,
while Sheriff Ford entered and read the
death warrant, after which the minis
ters again went In.
At ~ 40 o'clock Deputy Sheriff Toy
entered the cell with pair Of haRd-
ouffe, with which his wrists were fast
lened behind him. His arms were also
Ipinioned ut the elbows, and ri
1880 o'clock he was brought out and
the procession started for the gallows.
which was erected in the north corner
of the east yard. and Is the same that
has been used on several like occasions,
the last being the execution Of James
Residing, August rs, 1882 The plat
form Is abont eight feet In heieh t, and
Is reached by twelve steps.
IL 10 ten or twelve feet square, and
the trap IL about two feet square.
Large joists on each side support O
beam overhead, TO which the rope wac
attached. The trap was held in position
TO the rear OF the scaffold.
He walked with firm step and had
his eyes uplifted, while his lips moved
as though engaged in prayer. When
he reached the foot of the steps lea1iul
TO the scAffold he seemed TO falter, and
was assisted to ascend by the ministers
one Of whom took his arm on each side
| As SCOT ~ h. reached the platform
the Rev. j. K Adams read the psalm
commencing "rhs Lord Is Ny
Shspberd." after which he gu
lgaged In prayer, in which Thu
prisoner juIneJ, but before thu
close broke Into another rambling
speech, In witch he warned those pres
ent that many OF them were going u
hell, bus said lie felt cure that he wa
going TO heaven and would soon DO
Jesus.
III He then commenced to pray again
and thanked God that he was not guilt!
Of the crime for which he was about i
suffer death, and prayed that the Lor'
would have mercy on John 7. Alfrey
the juror who had sworn TO hang him
He then bid all good bye and toll,
them to be sure II they ever hun
another man that he was guilty. II
denounced the way In which he wa
! tried, and said that the witnesses wer
allowed to say what they pleased Will
he could net say anything.
III After whispering something 10 Sheri
Ford, he again bid all goodbye an
= took bis place on the fatal trap, whe
his feet we're tied together at the ADkl,
= with n thin rope.
Il As the deputy sheriff was sdjuStin
the moose around his neok, he directt
} him in the coolest manner possible no
to place IL, and where the knot shoul
lrest.
Il The black cap was drawn over h
Ifaoe. and Just as he said Lord, ha'
r mercy upon me. Good bye 10 ALL" u
Sheriff cut the rope and he fell al
i lance of fully six ieet, dislocating u
n neck.
He was struck off at / 03 O'Clock, al
= the convulsive movements OF his bot
CONTINUED tor eight minutes, when
relaxed and Dts. Ozle and Back pr
e nounced him dead.
After leaving the body hang abo
II twenty five minutes IL was cut dow
4 and placed in o coffin which mad be-
provided.
vi Tiers were as many persons prese
as the iaw alloGs, among them bell
! the following jury: VIM. Herbert, fol
: man; Levi, @ Eliason, secretar
y George w. Humphrey, Charles
Kyle, William Holschulnslser, Thorn
!. l. Russell, GeorRe G. Rothwe
u, William Fl. Miller, Thomas To
+ John Guthrie, James 7. Toms
Joseph j. Dousherty and Samuel
ID Baynard with Representatives of t
- lpress from New York, Philadelphia n
~ this city.
III The crime for which Robinson 81
fered the extreme penalty Of the II
81 was committed on Saturday, OStol
3 /, 1885, and bis. victim was Ella
Gardner, married woman. residi
r. with hor husband IN Black bird HI
dred, about one mile from Clayton
Y the lower part OF the county. She
, O leges that on the day mentioned, abb
! O'clock in the afternoon, while I
III was busy canning tomatoes. Robin
came to her house and asked her
cook piece Of meat for him. She
never saw him before, but a. he seen
10 anxious to hsve the meat cooked
agreed TO do it,and he entered the no
and sat down. After the meat WAS cool
he asked for drink Of water and
wehtto the spring and got Buckets
and then went In the house, but '
followed by Robinson, who shut