The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-04-19
SVIFH'S SWINGING.
The Connecticut Wife Murderer
Hanged Yesterday,
STORY OF HIS AWFUL CRIME,
The desperate Efforts of his Friends
to'Get a Communication of his Sen,
tence-He Coolly Meets Death,
End of u Celebrated Case,

HARTFORD, Conn.,, April ls.-John H,
Swift was hanged at lO;lS a, M. The
gallows stood not over 100 feet from the
condemnedman's cell, where two clergy
men stood administering the last conso-
lations ofreligion, On the gallows were
about fifty representatives Of the press,
while in the corridor were gathered
deputies and other spectators. At l0;l5
the little procession left the cell. Itwas
headed by the Sheriff. Then came the
condemned man between the two priests
while four deputies brought up the rear,
Swift loOkedquite pale but walked firmly.
When on the scaffold the priests offered
prayer, The prisoners legs were then
piniOned, aud at 1918 the black cap was
slipped over his head and the drop in.
stantly fell. There was no rebound Of
the body, but it fell like dead weight
to the extreme length OF tho rope. The
legs were spasmodically drawn up three
times, aud there was a slight twitChing
Of hands and then the body hung mo-
tionless.
Swift was married when only 10 years
old To woman two years older than he,
but his idle and dissipated habits soon
forced the wife to leave him. On July
Z, 1887, while in a saloon where he had
been employed as piano player, he OK.
pressed an Intention OF killing his wife
and displayed q revolver. A few hours
later he met her returning from the shop
where she worked, and asked her 10 |
live with him, and upon her refusing
and turning TO run away, fired the fatal
shot, She lived only long enough to |
make q brief ante mortem statement.
Swift was tried in the Superior Court, |
found guilty OF murder in the first de.
gree aud sentenced to be hanged April
3, 1880. The case was carried TO the
Supreme Court OF Appeals. This court
by unanimous vote OF the judges con.
frmed the sentence OF the lower court.
Swift then petitioned the Legislature for
a Communication to imprisonment for lie.
A resolution making the Communication
passed both branches, but was vetoed by
Governor Buckley, who reprieved Swift
for two weeks. The Senate passed the
resolution over the veto, but the House
the veto. Since that time in
etiectual efforts have been made to pass
a resolution referring the matter to the
Board OF Pardons. The sisterof the con.
demned man has labored earnestly with
the Legislaturei In behalf OF her brother.
His mother and sister babe him last
good bye at 10 o'clock last evening.
Father Corcoran was with him from that
time until midnight. From then until |
after daylight he was alone with the
deputies and apparently slept peacefully
most Of the time. Father CorCoran and |
another priest returned to the Jail soon |
after Z O'Clock, at which time Swift had
his breakfast Of steak, coffee, ETC., Of
which he ate heartily. The gallows
stand at the south end Of the main CORR. |
dor within the jail, In front OF block Of |
cells, the prisoners In which have been
placed in other quarters. Thirteen
policemen were on duty as extra guards,
but everything was quiet and their ser. |
vices were not needed.