Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1888-05-04
DIscoe Paws The Penalty For ri a.

biscoe rays Ihe Penalty For III.
Crime. " sterday, John Benjamin Biscoe
the murdere- Of Captain Robert Il. Dixon. AZ
Ter the lapse Of nearly two years, paid Ii,
death penalty for his offence. In the execu.
ton Of Biscoe, after every defence and subter.
fuge known to the profession Of law had beer
resoried to, the law is fully indicated and
justice, though slow, demanded her rights n
the language Of the Scripture, "a life for !
life"
Not until within few hours Of the execu.
ton did the prisoner show any signs Of fear
On the evening before the execution the militia.
ry guard, LeonardtOwn Rifles, N. O.. Can.
tain w +. Chesley, was stationed in and
about the Court House. and remained on duty
under strict military rules until after the
execution.
When the Sheriff and reporters visited the
Jail TO prepare for the exit TO the gallows.
Biscoe was found in the presence Of Rev. FIR.
Jenkins. lie was seated on the stove and
seemed 10 be comparatively composed. While
the leg irons were being unAstened he asked
TO see Tailor Conneley and when he came.
Whispered TO him to tell Simmy Stone to take
charge Of his clothes The procession left the
Jail at 1920, and proceeded to the gallows.
Biscoe walked firm and hurriedly with down
cast eyes and assembled the scatold without a
perceptIble tremor. When on the scolT,ld
Rev Fir jenkins announced that Biscoe had
requested him to say tor him (Biscoe that MI
had neen said TO the reporters, and that he
asked all present TO pray for tie repose Of his
soul All this time Biscoe stood upon the
platform rs calm and undisturbed as though
nothing was transporting. The rope anhcap
were then adjusted, and at 1898, the Sheriff
hade Bseoe good bye, and left the scatfold -
In half minute the trap was sprung aud the
soul Of the unfortunate man was hurled into
eternity. The rope slipped and his neck was
not broken and death was caused from stran-
gulation. At l2;4s, nine minutes after the
fall, Biscoe was pronounced dead by the at
tending physician, DR.. John T. Spalding. At
1855 he was cut down, laid in thu coffin and
Immediately taken to st. Aloysius burying
ground for interment
It will be remembered that the murder was
committed on the sloop, Mary l., on the 2gth
day of August, 1886, while in the
Potomac river on the Virginia side, just oppo-
site Breton's Bay After the murder and
Dixon had been hauled out OF the cabin aud
thrown overheard by Biscoe, the sloop was
steered fer the Maryland shore aud took up on
Higgins bar, where she was abandoned by the
only occupant, Biscoe, who rowed ashore and
landed ia the lower extremity of Medley S
Neck, this county From thence Biscoe made
his way to Breton Neck and there renal ned
until Sep lst 1886, when he came to this
village and boarded the steamer Thompson
lying at Leomrdtown wharf.
The late Sheriff John f. Fenwick, assisted
by Bailiff Harry h. Graves, having intimadon
of Biscoe's whereabouts, searched the boat,
and found Biscoe lying Gu II se;tee with coat
drawn over his face lie was promptly ar
rested aud lodged in Jail. On the following
dai he confessed to having been present At the
murder, but claimed that it was commited
by muatto man, name unknown to him
Subsequently he made two confessions, in one
Of which, he claimed to have killed Captain
Dixon because he did t like him, lin the 9TH
er, that it was willful and for gain. When
arrested he had u carpet bag, in which, we're
found several articles Of the dead mans cloth
ing the cabin clock, &c. These were after
wards identified by the daughter of CaDtain
Dixon, and it is supposed (hope fled induced
him 10 confess the fearful crime
Soon after Bis oe was lodged in Jail he hal
severe attack of typhoid fever and it was
thought for sometime that he would die, but
he recovered just in time to appear in court,
and ask for tue renewal Of his Case to Charles
county, under the plea that he didn't believe
he could get justice in st. Mary's. Accord
iugly he was removed there and tried at the
November session and convicted of murder in
the first degree, but the case went up to the
Court Of Appeals on objections to the admis-
sih'ity Of certain testimony and was remand
ed for q new tial
Biscoe was again tried NJ the May term. 81
Of the Charles county Circuit Court, and again
convicted of murder in the drSi degree The
c,se was taken to the Court Of ApneaIs a y,in