Morning journal and courier., 1889-04-19
THE DEATR PENALTY.

OA a. OAIe6T O1 DkBB1 a k1Ons HARTFORD, April 18.-John H. Swift, the wife murderer, paid the penalty of his crime on the ecaffold to-day. Till the last he pre- served a cool demeanor, and said near the end, in reply to an inquiry, that he was not ill; that in fact his bodily health was never better in his life.
 His devoted mother and sister took an af- fectionate farewell of him last night They left the jail about 10 o'clock. From that hour until midnight the condemned mans time was employed in consultation with his spiritual adviser, the Rev. Father Corcoran.
 Swift retired shortly after midnight and slept peacefully until long after daylight. Soon after 7 o'clock Father Corcoran, accom- panied by another priest, returned to the jail. The last rites were administered the condemned, and shortly after he sat down to breakfast. He ate heartily.
 The gallows stood at the southern end of the main corridor within the jail. It is the same instrument of death that was used in the execution of Palledoni, the Italian, spring in the flooring, which releases the drop. Permission to witness the execution was restricted the representa- tives of the press and officers of the law. The gallows stood not over 100 feet from the condemned mans cell. On the first gallery, overlooking the gallows, were about fifty representatives of the press, while in the corridor were gathered special depdties and other spectators.
 At 10 o'clock the spectators were cleared from that portion of the corridor between the cell and the gallows and kept back by a line of police.
 At 10:15 the procession left the cell. It was headed by the sheriffs. Then came the condemned man between the two priests, while four deputies brought up the rear. Swift looked quite pale, but seemed to be composed. His arms were pinioned. Ar- rived on the scaffold the priests intoned the last service, the condemned man responding in low voice.
 In the meantime his legs had been pinion- ed and at 1O:1S the black cap was slipped over his head and the drop instantly fell There was no rebound of the body, but it fell like 8 dead weight to the extreme length of the rope and there hung.
 The legs were spasmodically drawn up two or three times. and there was 8 slight twitching of the hands, and then the body hung motionless.
 The body was taken down at 10:42, hay ing been hanging twenty-four minutes. The heartbeats were perceptible for about ff- teen minutes. His neck was broken, but the physicians say that notwithstanding
  tion.
 The body was delivered to his brother and placed in a casket, which had been brought to the jail. After brief funeral service at the jail, at which only the relatives were present, the body was taken to the depot and sent to New York city for burial.
 Swift was married when only nineteen years old. His wife was two years his senior. She was forced to leave him on account of his idle and dissipated habits. On July 2, 1887, he publicly declared his intention to kill his wife. This declaration was made in a saloon where he was employed as piano player.
 To emphasize his remarks he drew reyol- yer and fourished it around for several sec- onds. A few hours later Swift met his wife returning home from the shop in which she was employed. Swift asked her to live with him. She refused, and, frightened by her husbands manner, started to run away. The latter then fired the shot that caused her death.
 She lived long enough to make brief ante-mortem statement. Swift Was tried in the Superior court, found guilty of murder in the first degree and sentenced to be hanged April 5. The case was appealed and the sentence was confirmed. Swift then peti- toned the legislature for G communication to imprisonment for life. A resolution grant, ing the communication was passed, but the governor vetoed 1t.
 The senate passed the resolution over the veto, but the house sustained the vete. Since that time intellectual efforts have been made to pass resolution referring the matter to the board of pardons.
 NOTES.
 The only time Swift took his eyes off the cruci6x was when he first stepped out upon the trap. Then he glanced out around the platform for an instant with 8 sharp look. but soon returned to the cruci6x.
 The rope was of fve-eighths inch hemp and was twisted nine times above the moose and tied in a regulation hangman's knot.
 Swift was not over five feet five inches in height and weighed not over 125 pounds. It was thought by many that the fall would not break the neck of a man of such slight build, but it seems it did.
 The remains went through New Haven on the train from Hartford leaving here at 1:30.
 A police detail of eight men had charge of the yard under Chief Packard.
 The pictures in the Hartford papers of the murderer and his victim are unrecognizably different.
 Chip Smith was executed on the gallows Swift was hung from; also Hamlin, the State prison murderer, Hoyt and Palledoni at Bridge port, also Starkwesther and Wilson.
 The sheriff had been importuned for passes from all sources. The curious-the men who say they would like nothing better than to see the hanging-cranks, in fact all sorts and conditions of men, had even begged that they might be admitted. Smith asked that the execution be as quiet as possible. The sheriff so ordered.
 The condemned mans friends made the in- terior of his cell, where he had spent over twenty -one months, as cheerful and home like as possible. Here and there were evil dences of female hand and taste. For fur niture in the room were a rocking chair, a single straight back chair, 8 table and comfortable cot. On the walls were hung a number of pictures, and on shelf near the cot were usually to be found number of papers, books and magazines, the perusal of which afforded the inmate amusement and entertainment.
 Swift was an inveterate smoker, and for the most part consumed cigarettes, the smoke of which he inhaled. He certainly was pos sessed of an iron constitution, for, added to his intemperate habits, when he went to the jail he was diseased and in 80 poor health that the attendance of 8 physician was neces- sary. In the course of few months the regularity of habits, as far as sleep, food and exercise were concerned, wrought wonder ful change, and the prisoner became Q new man and sounder in body than he had been for years. The only exercise Swift could take was in walking about the corridor.
 ocean steamers.
 NEW OhA, ApElI 1O.-AEEitcu3 stSAL0SIe Valencia, South American ports; Olympia, Mediterranean port; Vindobala, Trieste.
 LONDON, April 1S.-Steamer City of Berlin from New York passed Brow Head to-day; steamer Gallia from New York passed Brow Head today.
 BOSTON, April 1s.-Arrived, steamer Kan sas from Liverpool.
 NEW YORK, April 16.-A1rived, steamers Amicita, Baracoa; Niagara, Vera Cruz; Ozama, Azua; Advance, Santos; Marcia, Cape Hay- tien; Alvena, Fortune Island; Victoria, Ma coris; Colorado, Cardenas.
 LONDON, April 1s.-Sailed: Steamers Is tran, Liverpool for Boston to-day; Oregon and Circassiaa, Liverpool for Montreal. Death of a Wealthy Connecticut
 Farmer.
 WATERBURY, April 1S.-Francis A. Att wood, we'll known and wealthy farmer of Watertown, died this afternoon, aged fifty eight years. He leaves wife, four daugh- ters and son. It is said of him that he probably holds more mortgages, mostly on property in Waterbury and all the adjoin-