Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1886-12-17
THE CONFESSION.
CLUvERIUs SAID TO HAVE CON.
FESSED.

dlN lofi, lutlt ~ Ntil- -iohiiA'h
suspicion that he has in the past
two days confessed that he commit
ted the crime for which he is soon
to pay the penalty. The Rev.
DR.. Hatcher, Baptist divine, VINO
has known Cluyerius for many
years, is with him daily, and al.
though he is reticent, he has said
enough to Justify the conclusion
that the prisoner has acknowledge
ed the commission of the crime.
1t is thought that the prisoners
confession will be read from the
scallOld.
The Richmond Wing says:
ale seems to believe in the old
adage that so long as there Is lie
there is hope;' and, even if he
should confess, it is hardly proba-
BILE that ne will do so before the day
of execution, when the last ray of
hope is gone. Whether he will
make "A confession even then is a
matter Of great doubt to those who
know him well. DR.. Hatcher, his
spiritual adviser, did not call upon
him Saturday. What passes be-
tween DR.. Hatcher and Cluverlus
is entirely unknOwn,as their confer
ences, or religious cOmmuniOns, are
always held i'm private in the cell,
not even the Waterman being pres
cnt. There was a rumOr abroad on
Saturday that DIR. Hatcher had
intmated that Cluverius had made
"a confession of the crime to him,
but the Doctor says he has not
given the slightest indication OF
any such statement. He regards
his relations with the prisoner
purely religious, anG that therefore
it would be utterly improper for
him to become the channel Of com
municaiion through which any re
port Of the prisoners actions or
conversation should be made pub
lie. For manifest reasons his IN
terviews with Clnverius are sacred
" private. The New York confess
sor has not been heard from since.
Ills letter was the third of the kind
that had been received. Whether
all were written by the same person
is not known"
The Richmond Ntdicof 18th says !:
MUST 4 MAN CONFESS BEFORE HE
CAN BE FORGIVEN :
IL is said that Cluyerius, while a
member Of Little Plymouth Baptist
church, held that a man must con
fcs, before ne can be forgiven
Whether this doctrine holds good
with him now is not known.
"Is il the doctrine Of your church
that "a person must confess his sins
TO man and then ask forgiveness
before God will pardon him" was
asked prominent member Of the
Baptist church. TO whom state re-
porter was conversing this morning
in regard 20 the spiritual condition
Of Cluyctius.
He answered ave have no doc
trnrs except those contained III the
New Testament, which clearly teach
that confession must precede for
eivcness of SINS
WuEN JETERPHlLLIPS CONFESSED.
How many days was it before the
execution that Jeter Phillips made
his confession ! asked Stdtc re-
porter this morning Of Rev. DIR. y.
+. Dickinson, who was one OF Phil
lips spiritual advisers.
II thini, il was three or four days
before the execution answered the
Doctor. 81 was then pastor OF
Leigh Street Baptist church, and
had been going to see him constant
~ for several months. \ few days
before the cxecution--l think it was
three or four days referred to
the matter very gently, saying that
il he was really guilty | did not see
how he could 90 OUT of the world
with a false statement upon his lips,
having proleSsed a change OF heart.
He said that he proposed to tell me
all he knew about the affair, and
then confessed that he was guilty,
| said to him, DO not say any
more, as | do not wish to hear this
information alone. will 90 M
aud get DR.. Jetcr, and we will hear
it together The next morning |
went down with Dr. Jeter, and in
the presence OF us both the pris'
oner told all about the murderer
and | wrote it down. ! do not
think it was made public until the
day of the execution. and do not
remember whether ! read the con
fession from the scallold."
CLUVERIUS' CONDITION.
Sergeant Smith says Cluyerius
was in much better spirits this
than he was last week
that the prisoners appetite is good
and that his food is still furnished |
him by the cOlored woman who has |
been cooking his meals for some |
time. The condemned man still re- |
fuses to see any visitor except his /
and his spiritual adviser.
His complexion is not as ruddy as
it was month ago, and he now
passes much Of his time in deep |
He appears in better
spirits on some occasions than on
others, and it is said that he has
stated that he is prepared for death.
TIE sCAFFOLD.
If he is TO be hung upon the scat
fold which was erected for the exc
,ution of Charles Lee and Barbara
Miller at the lIenricO courthouse
.hree men will be required TO do
The dreadful work. One man will
ascend the scailold with the pris-
,ner to afix the moose, while two
others remain upon the ground to
ERIK the ropes when the officer upon
he scallold gives the signal. This
,caiTold has two trap-dOors, and
hese doors are opened simultane-
,usly 10y the two men who pull the
.opes. The aperture through which
he condemned man will fall is
lbout three feet square. The men
Who pull the ropes do not stand to-
gether, but one stands on one side
If the scafIold while the other takes
/ position on the opposite slde.-
Each has n trap-door to jerk.