Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-08-18
PRIVATE EXECUTION.
WILLIAM G. TAYLOR HANGED FOR THE
MURDER or HIS WIFE.
Dead In Eighteen Minutes Aftsr the Drop
Feil-His Body Goes to the Uni.
versity Of Virginia.

DUBLIN. VA, August i7.-(special)-
william q. Taylor was hanged to-day at
Newborn at 10 O'Clock for the murder
within the walls of the old courthouse
building, which was destroyed by fire last
November. The doors and windows were
planked up and complete privacy was
secured. Taylor met his fate with In
difference and assembled the scaffold with
Rev. X. A. Kelly. his spiritual adviser
who had been with him In his cell since
early morning. lie expressed himself as
prepared for death. He was perfectly
cool and collected; dressed ina suit OF
black. and cleanly shaved. He remained
Of his brother without emotion. and took
his place in the procession. on taking
his position on the scaffold he looked
up at the beam. and discovering that he
was not directly under II. changed his
position accordingly.
WITHOUT A STRUGGLE.
The black cap and moose were adjusted,
and at a given signal the trap was sprunA
by Sheriff W. I. Carper. who was stand
ing outside OF the building. Taylors body
shot down six feet, and without a struggle
he passed into eternity. His heart ceased
to beat In exactly eighteen minutes after
the drop fell, and thirty minutes after
entering the building his corpse was
brought out TO be viewed by the crowd.
Probably 1900 persons were In town, but
the actual spectators were not more than
fifteen.
Taylors body will be shipped TO the
University OF Virginia by express tonight,
no one claiming it, The execution WAS
the first in Pulaski county for over hfty
years.
HISTORY OF THE CRIME.
Early on the morning Of July 49, 1888.
news reached Dublin that the VIE OF
William G.. Taylor had been brutally muir
dered in her bed. A deputy sheriff.
magistrate, and hastily-summoned coro-
ner's jury went at once TO the house.
cabin about three miles from DuDiih'
with two rooms--one on the ground moor
and one above They found the woman
body as described. with her skull crushed
I'm and brains and blood scattered about
the walls. The axe with which the bloody
work was done was found outside. CIR
cumstances pointed TO Taylor at once. ana
his explanation-viZ.. that man had
come into the house and struck his wire
with the axe--had no weight win the
Jury. Two Of his children NEARLY growm
testified to frequent quarreis between
their father and mother. That fact. with
the apparent impossibility of the murder
occurring as described by him. and MS
well-known ungovernable temper, caused
the iury to bring In a verdict against
him.
A FULL CONFESSION.
lie was taken to Jail that afternoon,
and q few days afterwards made 1ull
and free confession in the presence of
two. citizens for whom he had sent. His
statement was in effect as follows: He
had been Jealous Of his wife for some
cause Imaginary cause as there seemed
10 he no foundation for III, and had been
plotting for some time to take her life.
They had a quarrel the evening before
and he determined TO do 1t then. lie
waited until they all had gone to bed-his
wife and one child in one bed down
stairs and the two older children up
stairs. When all was quiet, after mo
night. he got the axe. went to the bed
side. and struck his wife on the head, but
succeeded In stunning her only. the
noise awoke the child with her ana theh
the boy and girl up stairs reused up
He called them down stairs. tod theH
some one had come in and struck ther
mother, and sent all three OF them away
to the neighbors. the boy in one direction
and the two girls in another. for help.
AS soon as they were safely away lie
took hold of his wife who in the mean
time had raised herself TO sitting post
ure. put her back on the bed, and struck
ter two more blows with the axe. ray
Ior was tried and convicted at the October
term of the County Court, and appeals
were taken to the Circuit Court and SUI
preme Court with the result of Affirming
the decision Of the court below.
The Governor also as stated in the DIS
patch, refused to commute the sentence
or grant a respite.