The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1886-07-17

fist ministers, by whom they were baptized
, on Thursday at noon. partaking of the sac
t rament OF the Lords Supper at 8 O'Clock
: that afternoon. Thursday morning the iron
$ shackles which they had worn since thei,
7 conviction were removed, but an officer
was constantly on guard in the hall outside
, their cell door until the hour of execution
THE HALI1ows
had been erected against the south end OF
!, the courthouse, with the steps leading
from the door Of the jail hallway up to the
platform. It was constructed on the same
plan as those upon which Gustaye Paul and
J the Arrieux murderers were hanged, and
was completely enclosed by tarpaulinA
which concealed it from the view of all ex-
cepting the fifteen or twenty persons who
were admitted inside the enclosure by
special permission of the officer in charge
of the arrangements. From an early hour
of the fatal morning crowds of people
nearly all eolored-had been gathering in
the vicinity, and by noon there were fully
=
house and Jail enclosure, hoping to catch a
| view of the hanging.
4 TIE EXECUTION.
Geo. Solomon did not close his eyes in
sleep Thursday night, but passed the time
in silent or low voiced prayer. Roland
sleep from $50 to midnight. Friday morn
ing neither of the prisoners would eat any
of the tempting breakfast which JaiIer
DuRel had prepared for them, but each
| drank glass of iced claret and smoked a
cigar. Roland was visited at 1880 by his
wife, mother, brother, two sisters and a
niece, and his parting with them was af-
fecting. He assured them of his willing
ness to go and asked them to prepare to
meet him in heaven.
Solomon had visit on Thursday from
bis divorced wife but no one came to see
| him on Friday. He said he had no rela-
tives excepting mother, and was ignorant
of her whereabouts.
| At IL O'Clock the men were dressed in
clean suits of clothing, comprising calico
| suits, jeans pantloons, alpaca coats, white
| socks and slippers of black leather. Revs.
Brown. Butler, Williams and Jas. Davis
| were admitted and remained at the cell
door until a few moments before IL, con-
Quoting religious exercises in which the
condemned fervently joined. At 1906 the
hall of the Jail was cleared of all excepting
the officers; the prisoners were taken from
the cell and their hands tied behind their
backs, the physicians, representatives of
the press and other witnesses were ad-
mitted to the gallows enclosure, and at
1916 the prisoners assembled the gallows
steps, Solomon supported by Rev. Bntler
and Roland by Rev. Brown. The accused
walked with firm step and listened calmly
while Deputy Sheriff Israel read the death
warrants. Roland was then asked by the
officer if he had anything to say, and re-
sponded virtually as follows, speaking in
clear, steady tone:
Friends, / am going willingly. My Lord is
sitting In glory, and waiting to receive mo. My
friends, you have gone as far as you can 90; you
nave done al yon can for me. want you ali to
meet me IN heaven, sitting at the right hand of
my rather, on judgment day. l am done with
this world. There will be no moro trouble. no
more dominating. where am going. My Father
has justified me-, and am ready to go to Him. |
Ihat rs I'LL L have to say. hope my mother |
and friends will be prepared to meet me
above.
10 the inquiry of the officer, "Solomon,
have you anything to say?" that individual
responded:
NY rebedience to tho congregation. Friends |
ana relatives. am stranger to most Of you,
out not II to God. There He is waiting for My
no ~ moro harm. You've done all you can do. !
NO moro the Sheriff Will be hunting for George
solomon, saying, ! come to arrest you to-day
will meet you in the morning Angels Will |
come down to meet us, and l will say, Sit |
down. George. sit down; Sit down, Sampson,
SIT down. and we won't be no more George or
sampson, but will be angels. No more trouble !
and pam. We got nothing against anybody |
You, Mr. oe and Mr.. Edgar Undressing the |
Jaller ana Town Constablel meet me in Heay-
en-. Elders Brown and Butter, will you meet |
you'll come, too, if You We got that faith III you.
Angels are on the wall Sec our belief. Soc |
how we stand. Mr.. Jerry Undressing ). j. Sui |
Hvan Will you try to meet me there?
Solomon had been growing more and |
more excited, stamping his foot at the !
close of each sentence. and responses from
female voices in the crowd outside began
to be heard. Deputy Sheriff Israel ad-
AA>NAAADAASA
ne complied at once, saying, "I done said
all I've got to say. When Christ is with
a man he can't help but talk" During
solomon's speech Roland uttered such
responses as " See how we stand!' "Ready
to gop' "Nothing against nobody" and
although he perspired freely he gave no
other outward evidence of extraordinary
mental excitement. The Lords prayer
was read by Rev. Butler and repeated by
the condemned in unison, after which the
ministers left the platform, the hangman
in black domino, cowl and mask.
led the prisoners forward upon the trap,
tied their legs together, pulled the black
caps over their faces and adjusted the
nooses around their neeks. The rope
which supported the trap passed through
the window of the old jailer's room, and
returning swiftly inside this apartment
the executioner severed the rope, and at
1880 precisely the drop fell and the con-
demned men were dangling in the air.
There was the usual movement of the
bodies termed in scientific parlance "reflex
action" longer continued and
more violent in the case of Ro-
land.
At l O'Clock the bodies were cut down,
Drs. Duffel of Donaldsonville, Wives Of
and Deslattes of st. James
having declared life extinct. An examina-
ton of the necks indicated that neither had
I