Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-04-22
MUSCOE is HANGED.
he sMoKEoA PIPE AND ASKED FOR A
CHEW or TOBACCO.
His Enscts Distributed Among the Female
Observation-Disclosures ssrviccs-Dead In
Nine szinutes-The Crime.
Ispccla, telegram 70 the Dispatch.l

Especial telegram 70 the Dispatch.l
CsAaIorrrsvrrLR Va. April 2l.-- William
Muacoe alas William T. Jordan. convict
ed Of the murder Of Policeman George T.,
Seal, OF this place, on the evening OF De-
cember 81. 1888, was hanged this morning
in the city jail-yard a; 9o'clock in the
presence Of Company ID (Monticello
Guard and about atty other spectators
several colored men among the number.
The condemned man sept soundly last
night. retiring about II O'clock. and this
morning ate light breakfast.
A FULL. CONFESSION.
Before be was removed from the cell he
made full confession Of tho crino 20 Mr..
Robinson. giving @ detailed account OF
the shooting. his escape. and capture. and
until the last moment no was perfectly
cool and self-possessed. He asked for q
chew of tobacco. smoked pipe, and in oil
party. just before he was taken 10 the
soaEold he distributed his money and
trinkets among the female prisoners.
RELIGIOUS SERVICES.
He requested that his body and wearing
apparel be sent TO his parents in Lynch
burg. The shackles were then removed
aud religious services were held by Mr.
Robinson, Mnscoe joining heartily in
SINGING, Fade, fade each earthly JOY"
Muscoe then offered aferyent prayer. After
shaking hands with all the officers and
visitors and stating that he forgive them
oil and that his trust was in the LoId, the
PROCESSION was formed and he assembled
the scaffold with firm step. On the
soaffold Muscoe joined in singing
Nearer, my God, TO Thee" Prayer was
offered by Rev. Lee Jones (colored). by
, whom he was converted.
HIS LAST WORDS.
After the cap was drawn over his head he
caid: "God bless everybody" The trap
was sprung at o'clock by Policeman Will
liam Dove. successor TO the murdered man,
! and In nine and half minutes the pulse
ceased TO beat, and in fourteen minutes
the body was cut down. His neck was not
broken. The body was turned over TO the
medical school OF the University OF Viz
Rinia. There was not the least bungling
or disturbance of any sort.
HISTORY OF THE CRIME.
The crime for which Muscoe to-day paid
the death penalty was the murder on the
evening Of December 81. 1883. of Policeman
Z q. IT.. Seal, on west Main street in Char:
lottesyille, while attempting the arrest of
Muscoe for the larceny Of some trifing
article. Mr.. Seal was bold, fearless. and
portly man in the prime of life, and after
he was shot lived only few minutes.
After firing the fatal shot Muscoe ran
through some of the back streets of the
city, making good his. escape, although
closely pursued by another policeman who
had reached the scene and who fred
several shots at the fleeing criminal. At
the first trial it was clearly proven that
the murderer had said he would shoot any
; policeman who attempted his arrest.
CAPTURED.
The murderer was captured the next day
under some hay in the barn OF Mr.. Il.
johnson Barbour. near Barboursville, in
Orange county. The capture was made by
Colonel Grigsby, Messrs. +. b. Treiber, and
Brice Edwards. In the mean time the
country had been secured for him IN all
directions. negro man was arrested IN
Clifton Forge for the offence, but easily
proved that he was the wrong party. Mus
coe was brought TO Charlottesville by Ser
geant s. j. Dudley, who bad been tele-
graphed TO of the capture. At the depot
the day he was brought back an immense
crowd had congregated, but the Sergeant,
waiting Just outside the city limits, into
which the prisoner was thrust and rapidly
driven to and safely lodged in the city jail.
IN RICHMOND.
That night be was carried to the city of
Richmond for safekeeping, where he re-
NAMED until his first trial which took
place Of the January, 1889, term OF the
Corporation Court, when he was sentenced
TO be hanged on the 10th of March of that
year. A motion was made by his counsel.
James Hayes, colored lawyer OF Rich
pmond, for q new trial, the defence set up
Neing that the attempt 10 arrest the pri-
soneT for an alleged misdemeanor. not wit
messed by the policeman and without q
warrant. was unlawful The jury passed
upon this question, which the defendants
counsel claimed was q point OF law and
should have been decided by the Judge:
On this ground the case was appealed, and
the Supreme Court reversed the lower
court and the prisoner was granted new
trial.
INDIGNATION.
When the news Of the decision of the
Supreme Court was telegraphed TO Char
lottesvIlle a wave of indignation spread
over the entire community, and Company
ID Monticello Guard, of this city, was
ordered out TO protect the prisoner. II
was finally decided by the authorities to
secretly take him to Lynchburg for safe
keeping, where he remained until his So
cond trial, February, 1890, when he was
again sentenced TO be hanged-this time on
the oath of March. jury had to be sum-
moned from Stanton for this trial.
ANOTHER APPEAL.
Again the case was taken to the Supreme
Court and once more the prisoner was
taken TO Lynchburg for fear of Judge
Lynch. Three complaints were contained
in the petition for writ of error. These
were First, that the defendants request
for a change of uenue after he was ar
raigned had been denied second, that i'm
proper instructions had been given to the
jury; third, that certain evidence adj
mitted should have been excluded. The
Supreme Court decided against Muscoe,
affirming the lower court, one judge dis
senting, and the case was sent back TO the
CORPORATION Court for resentence, which
was.pronounced at the last February term.
AN EXPENSIVE PRISONER.
Altogether Muscoe has been an expen-
sive and troublesome prisoner, having
cost the Commonwealth about $1,000, and
our people are relieved that the long
delayed execution has at last taken place.
This is the first execution that has oc-
eurred under the new city government.