Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-15
rupEc1,1. TELEGRAM TO THE pIspArcH.l

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPATcH.I
PHILADELPHIA, November 14.-The
distorted face, the CHASTITY tear in the neck,
and the cold and stiff form of Joseph W.
Hillman, the murderer who was SO bung-
ingly executed at Woodbury. yesterday
have been viewed BY the family, despite the
efforts of Sheriff Ridgeway to bury Hillman
without his friends again looking on his
face The body was disinterred as soon as
the Deputy Sheritfs left the grave, Wednes-
nesday afternoon, and was carried into the
house, where it was guarded throughout
the entire night by the murderer's family.
When the limp form of Hillman was
taken from the gallows it was placed in the
coffin and given into the charge of Under
taker Jeffries. As the undertaken started
for the grave, under the apple tree in his
fathers yard, two deputy sherifs, William
Smith and James Carr, followed in a car
riage directly in the rear of the hearse.
NOT A SIGHT ALLOWED.
When the body arrived at the grave the
family requested that the coffin be opened,
but the deputy sheriffs would not permit it.
Before the body was half covered the family
left the grave and returned to the house,
followed by the officers. AS the deputies
entered the house Lawyer Harris invited
them to accompany him to Blackwoodtown
and partake of dinner at the almshouse.
They accepted, and, after bidding goodby to
the family, the officers, undertaken and Mr..
Harris drove away through the drenchlng
rain.
Hardly had the sound of the carriage
wheels died away before Ephraim Hillman,
the dead mans brother, and the aged father
of the murderer seized a shovel each, and
out in the pouring rain commenced digging
the mud from the grave of the son and
brother. When the box containing the
coffin was reached, assisted by two other
male relatives of the dead man,
THE FOUR LIFTED THE BODY
to the surface of the ground and carried it
into the house. No time was lost in un-
screwing the lid of the coffin, and soon the
body of the murderer was disclosed to view.
While the deputies were enjoying their
dinner, a few miles away, satisfied that their
work was well executed, the family of Hill
man were bending over his coffin, weeping
historically and calling for their boy to
speak to them again. As the lid was lifted
from the coffin, showing the distorted face of
her boy, Mrs. Hillman uttered a scream, and
throwing herself over the coffin, rested her
head on the boys face, and Sobbing, kissed
the cold forehead and called to him to speak
to her. The father and brother of Hillman
stood by, crying bitterly, while the wife of
the executed man and his sister bent over
the foot of the coffin and sobbed aloud. Sew
eral other near relatives of Hillman viewed
the CHASTITY corpse.
THE FACE WAS BLACK,
and wore an expression of intense agony.
The cash in his throat made by the slipping
of the rope was still fresh and bloody.
Around the neck of the dead man could be
distinctly seen thin, blue circle, the i'm
print of the rope as the man strangled to
death. The sight nearly drove his mother
wild, and for hours she hung over the coffin,
until she was prostrated with grief.
The body was kept IN the house during
the entire night, closely guarded by the
family, who, one and all, sat near the coffin.
This morning the lid was again placed on
the coffin, and the body lowered into the
grave in the presence of the family. A re-
quest of a doctor to hold post-mortem ex-
animation on the body of Hillman has
caused the old father of the murderer much
anxiety. He fears that someone will at
tempt to steal his boys body. Amy such
attempt
WILL PROVE DISASTROUS,
as Mr.. Hillman has an old army musket,
heavily loaded with large shot, which he
says he will empty into anyone caught lurk-
ing around his boys grave. The aged father
intends keeping watch over the grave for
some time.
Lawyer Harry ScOvel, to whom Hillman,
on the morning of his execution, gave
proof of his photograph, mounted on paste
board, to give to his wife, sent the picture
to-day to the person for whom it was in
tended. On the back of the picture is writ
ted: From Joseph W. Hillman to his
dear wife. November 19, 1897