The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1892-12-20
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Anru,ai apraoFsF sgasFs ths:Ronalty Of

an Awfoflorims.
sNa SING, N. Y, Dec. 1o.-The day OF
death for the murderer Fred Mcclure
| daShed Aifh cloudy skies. The
doomed man slept we'll last night and
this morning evidenced no sign Of
breaking down. He ate a light break
fast, converted with Rev. D. Z. GonkE-
ling and Chaplain Edgerton, OF the
prison, and as the time approached Tor
the summons to take his place IN tho
death chair, seemed to be fully resigned
to the fate which awaited him. He con
fessed his guilt Of the crime Tor wnlcn
he was convicted! He assumed tull re-
sponsibility for the murder Of Mrs. Gre
CORY, and went to his dooma penitent
man. All the preparations were COM
pleted early this morning and Of ~
o'clock the witnesses had all assembled.
The witnesses at 1856 were summon
ed toHthe wardeh's parlor. At eleven
o'clock they all entered the death
chamber. Electrician Davis was IN his
short sleeves preparing the electrical
apparatus for the test.
at 11:09 the warden requested every
one present to keep quiet and remain
lin their seats. At 11:10 the warden
and Head Keeper oonnaughton went
into the cell where Mcclure was con-
fined. Ahalf minute later the warden,
Connaughton and Mcclure, the latter
between Chaplain Edgerton and Rev.
Mr, Cepklin, entered the death cham
Der. Mcclure walked steadily between
the two ministers holding tight onto
their arms. He appeared calm and
even stolid. He stepped quickly to the
chair, sitting down as calmly as he
would have done in any ordinary chair.
| ( AS ,MeGpITe sat down the two minis
ters began chanting the burial service.
The guards and attendants quickly
bound Mcclure in the chair. The
electrocutors were placed at his head
and on the calf Of his right leg. The
leg of his trousers was slit in order to
apply the instruments to his flesh.
After he had been fastened in the chair
DR., Abbott and Prison Surgeon Irvine
examined the bindings, and stepping
back Dr. Abbott gave the signal for
Electrician Davis. 1t was then ten
minutes and thirty seconds after II
o'clock. at this moment the first cur
rent was turned on.
| The first shock lasted fifty seconds. II
was turned on again at IL o'clock IL
minutes and II seconds. This was the
second shock and only lasted q few sec
onds. Only. two. schocks were admins
tered. Mcclure was killed by the first
schock. DR.. Abbott said that Mcclure
was killed in twelve seconds. The Sec
ond current was only turned on as q
precautionary measure Mcclure was
then examined by the doctors and as
far as could be seen no marks OF scorch-
ing could be found, or was there any dis
coIorationo Of his flesh.
Fred Mcclure was q farm hand en-
gagged during the summer OF 1891 by
| Noah Gregory, whose farm was amile
and half from Middletown, N. Y. On
4 the afternoon Of October IL, 1891, while
| Mr.. Gregory and all OF his men except
MCGUIRE We're at work in the celery
field Mrs. McGs Gregory was found by her
son, Arthur, lying in poollof blood IN
the sitting room Of the house. The boy
gave the alarm, and Mr.. Me regory and
his men ran to the house, where an
awful sight met their gaze. The floor
was soaked with blood and the furniture
and walls were spattered with it. Two
bullet wounds in the woman's head and
"a gaping wound in her skull told the
story Of her death. A,cigar box in the
bed room, where the money was kept,
had been broken open and the amount,
something over 500, was gone. Nc
llGuire confessed to the murder.
He came upon his victim unobseryed
land shot her as she stopped to pick q
ipiece Of wood from the kitchen floor,
IlShe fell but struggled to her feet, ran
Into the sitting room and closed and
| iheld the door against her assailant, who
pursued her to complete his work.
Finding the door resisted his efforts, he
fired through it and as his victim re;
Taxed her grasp upon the knob pushed
his way into the room and discharged
three more shots at the unfortunate
woman. She fell to the floor but ap-
parently did not die quickly enough for
the fend, for as she lay gasping' out her
Life he repeatedly struck her with an
earthen vessel until he believed she had
expired Mcclure then went into the
bed room N here he ransacked the
bua46SSG6 ana ttosets until he found the
money which prompted him to commit
the crime. Leaving the bedroom, and
passing the supposed corpse, hesheard
his name "Fred' uttered in a feeble
voice like that from another world.
Turning he saw faint heaying OF the
chest OF his victim, and rushing to her
side with the heavy heel OF his boot he
stamped aud tfampled upon her head
until the skull was crushed like a shell.
Fully satisfied now that his work was
done he left the house, little thinking
that this last tiendish act would cause
his arrest and execution. A bloody
footprint upon the front door step fur
htshed a clew. which followed with un.
firing diligence developed others, until
| finally McGnire, surrounded by anet
| . . v u Il a i- .