The evening world., 1889-08-22
LAST edition.
THEIR LAST DAY.
The -Four MurdererS Hear the Ham
meT Strokes on. the
SCaffOld.
They Have All Embraced Religion
and Are Resigned.
CarOlin Asks Permission to See Els
GallOWs.
They Will Be Hanged Two at a Time
In the Tombs Yard TO-MOrr0W.
Carolin Writes a ValedIctory Letter
To "The Evening World"

% te fdtOT ~ inc EreHthV HOrhF
SIN | have 10 inform you that I am so far
III very good health. and | will keep up nv
courage till the last minute. when l have to
meet this fearful death on the gallows.
| have made up my mind to die. and I
be fully prepared 10 meet my death, in the
most unconcerned way. Why? Because l
have to 20 unius ly out of this world without
committing such crime as they believed, and
thereof / an brought to say, l am mo
cent, and | must die inocent: and I am sure
that my soul will meet in heaven. like other
good Christians do.
Then, only our God knows that I am ino-
cent. ind he will be the only one, who will
give a poor innocent soul as l am, pardon
and justice.
For II poor soul no matter who he is. in
nocent or not, will get never any justice in
thi, country. They get convicted and
sentenced to dead, or going for long terms.
or life for prison. That is the way how they
TO act with the poor prisoners.
And the rich, they mostly all go free for
committing such crimes, because their
money gives him justice. For the money
is the law in this country. And hat is
wrong. Now, l nm here III the Tombs for
bCNtnlCGu hlOuthS, ulACuhJ SOhNiS'ON oANN
sentenced aud ready to die tomorrow. There
is So far as l know, no help for me. My
case was brought up, for the Court of APP
peale and they didn't care for me, to give me
u uCwe iral.
ly allie them. 1 had plenty of newe evil
dences What was forgotten during my trial
AAd my lawyer. Ii | had, He was careless
for me, Because l had no means to provide
my money Tor him.. II l had l would get
granted n newe trial. And # it was given to
me men | expected for sure that l would be
acquitted: So they give me no Shove; at all.
because | am poor. but lnocent. and SO
lave TO go unJustly away outer this world.
Very well, | consider myself as a happy man
till my asst minute should come to me. J.
will meet dead with 6rmnesS, And die as an
inocent man. That shall be my last WORD,
whenever / stay un er the Gallowes. I'm ino-
cent, aud only my Godknowsi 1t. City prison
Good by to oil.
A small man. with a round, red, chubby
face, gray hair, and an old s raw hat nittea
in and out Of the Tombs to-day.
Men, women and children stood on the
sidewalk on Franklin street. sluddered and
moved away every tlme the little man came
near them. And the whisper went around:
There is Joe Atkinson. the hangman."
At day ight this morning he began to build
the scatfulds on which four men will be-
hanged tomorrow oInInR
The ~gallows Tree on the Leonard street side
was put up first. 49,,
Atkinson aud his assistants made as little
noise rs they could, and the fall of hammers
an hatchets were ouly family heard In the
murderers' cage. nearly a block away.
Faint a. the sounds were the doomed men
heard them. though, and understood what
the noises meant. ~
HEARD THE HAMMER BLOWS.
"Humph, they are building the scaffold,"
said Jack L,wIs, and HIS companions N
/ misery stood around him and listened.
Yes, there was no m.staklnG the sounds.
There was the crash of lumber being thrown
nj out now and then n saw was heard; the
steady strike of the hammer continued Iegu-
larry, and now and then a hoarse snout from
: Atkinson could lie heard.
The men grew pale and moved uneaaily
about. All except Glblln.
lie sat alone.
Siucu the @ ,od news was carried to him by
nu EVENING WORLD reporter yesterday that
Coy. Hill hld respited him for sixty days ne
has been left TO himself.
The other four do not begrudge him his
good fortune, but they ieel hat he is not OF
tnem any longer. -.
Ihe men ate treakfast mechanically, aud as
the day wore on the sound OF hammer and
saw came nearer 10 them. Atkinson was
building the second scaifuld on the franklin
street side within whispering distance OF the
men Gagged In the old 9son. -
CAROLYN EXCITED.
Carolin becam excited.
Are they 40 NJ thai right" he asked
Under Sheriff Sexton, VINO was near him.
Eyes, yes" ne answered, ~neryously.
"Well | don't know now. You know L
want to see that work i ne properly. Which
scnu old am | going to be hanged ON, lnyhow?
want to see 1t and test it," CAROLYN ram
blcd ON.
Mr.. sexton could not say which. Rallows he
would be executed on. but he promised him
that he would ind out and let him examine
il hi~ afternoon,
With this assurance CArolIn subsidized.
PAcKENHAM SAID NOTHING.
Packenham 81 d nothing. He became very
quiet, but pulled his cigar in a quick. ner-