The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1888-03-01
nEcx WITH TO BE HANGED TO-DAY.
The story OF the Murder Of vanderceck In
q Hut on the Austeriitz Mountains.

HUDSON, Feb. 29.-Arrangements for the
hanging OF Oscar I. Beckwith are nearly
completed, M tho doomed man has become
more %reconcilcd to his condition. Last night
he rested well nftor q hearty supper. When
informed by the Sheriff that the Governor
would not commute his sentence he exclaimed,
- appeal to tho United States Supreme Court"
and requested Sheriff Feets to notify President
Cleveland. This morning ho requested a rela-
tive residing Mt Athens, Groeno county. to In
ter his body with those OF his father and mother
at Austerlitz. Tho hanging will be conducted
strictly In conformity with the law Mt 10 A. NJ.
tomorrow. The Twcnty-third Separate Com
pany will do duty about the jul.
Beckwith and his victim. Simon A. Wander
cock. were partners In q gold mining scheme
in the mountains Of Austerlitz, Columbia coun-
ty. They had found ore, and 1t had been as
sayed. but did not produce very large profits.
The two quarrelled, and Beckwith was anxious
to s2i get rid o OF tHSn n ,I,sp /, az b, was shown hqNros IN th 9
desire to have him Killed. About Jan. 10, 1889.
N,andercock suddenly disappeared. and Har-
with's rude hut. in tho woods. went to the hut
and incurred OF Beckwith IL he knew where
until spring. There was 2 smell Of burning
flesh about tho house. which Beckwith said
did not enter tho house. but returned home.
His suspicious were aroused, and the next day
Calkins and neighbors visited the hut. Beck.
with had disappeared. In tho stove was found
the partly. consumed skull. hands. and other
discovered the clothes of tho victim. Under q
bunk { In ono corner Of the room were portions
OF the body. which had been chopped up into
lengths about a foot long. An axe stained. with
blood was also. found. There was no doubt
V9ndere2ek had been murdered by Beckwith.
largo reward was offered and active search
was made for him.. At length u letter to his
daughter, which was intercepted. gave the in
formation that he was living at South River. In
the. Perry Sound district, Province OF Ontario,
under the name Of Charles White. On Feb. 20.
Sheriff Henry A. Hammer OF Columbia county.
He was extradited and brought here. He was
tried and found guilty OF murder on Nov. 20.
1885. and sentenced to be, hanged on Jan. 8.
1885. An appeal was taken to the General
Term. which Affirmed the sentence, and from
there tho case went to the Court of Appeals,
which granted him 2 new trial on newly dis
covered evidence. The second trial was begun
on Feb. 2. 1887, and he was again found guilty
and sentenced to be hanged on March "a. 1887.
Court Of Appeals. which affirmed the sentence,
and the date Of its execution was fixed for
March l. 1888. Beckwith has been tried twice,
sentenced six times. and had his case reviewed
before twenty Judges at different times. The
Governor was appealed to on Feb. "a as a last
Beckwith Is q native Of Columbia county. and
his reputation has always been bad. According
to his own story, he has been in prison in Mas
sachusetts for stealing; broke Jail in Pough-
keepsie. whore he WAS confined on q charge OF
horse stealing; travelled in Illinois as a Baptist
thieves who had their rendezvous in the town
of AuStorlitZ.