Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-08
WAS FIRST TO HANG.
Louis NapoleOn's Mas the Initial EIecu'
ton During the Late Var.
CONVICTED OF CONTEMPLATING.
How His Confederate, George Eiam'
Escaped-The Laftcr's shnmetoi
Treatment of Pretty Charlotte Gil
MANA Mothers Devotion.

that eny person t0uha Bu'ty VI eo"'eei
,eiting Confederate States Treasury notes
should be punished by hanging. II was
Ascertained that a good deal OF counter
feiting had been done. and the detective
forces were on the alert 10 find the guilty
parties. Many persons were arrested.
charged with the offence. but upon ex-
animation Il was found that the evidence
against them was not sufficient to sus-
tain the charge. and they were released
But In the spring of 1862 John Richard
son alias Louis Napoleon and George
Elam. both Of Richmond. were arrested
and confined in Castle Goodwin. charged
with the offence OF counterfeiting Con-
federate Treasury notes. Castle GOWN
was the first military prison established IN
the city. and II was situated in the vaiiey
Just below the Exchange Hotel, ana was
the building previously used by MI
Lumpkin for the keeping and retehtioh
OF negro slaves whom he held TOT saie
II was well known as "Lrmpkln jail
THE PRELIMINARY HEARING.
Napoleon was carried before Confede-
rate States Commissioner william r.
Watson, who held a preliminary eNaihi-
nation, and having found suincieht eNi-
dence 10 induce him TO believe that there
was probable cause Of guilt, sent the ac-
cused on 20 be indicted In the oon-
federate States District Court. Wiihain
F. Watson was q whole-souled, genlai
son Of OLD Erin, beloved by everybody Tor
his companlonable qualities, good law
yer. and the law partner OF Robert w.
Hughes. still surviving as an eminent
fudge OF the United States Dlstrict court
In this city.
The District Court OF the Confederacy
was presided over by judge William ID,
HALLIBURTON. an honest man and good
Awyer. Patrick Henry Aylett the YER
satile genius. the accomplished writer
and the skilful lawyer, was the District
Attorney, and John Harmer Gilmer, ESD
was Napoleon's counsel.
NAPOLEON'S EXECUTION.
Napoleon was indicted before the court
for CONTRIBUTING Confederate notes
tried. found guilty. and sentenced 10
be hanged by the neck until he was dead.
His execution was postponed for some
months, in order that other parties. VINO
were implicated with him. might be tried,
the witnesses In these cases not having
then been found. Finally, on the 2lst
day OF August. 1862, he was executed
His was the first execution directed by
the District Court for the violation OF
laws of the Congress Of the Confederate
States
Napoleon. after his conviction, he'd been
sent TO Danville to be confined in jail
there for safe-keeping. on the 2Otn ne
was brought back TO Richmond and put
In the city Jail. He told Henry Myers the
Deputy Confederate States Marsha! under
Colonel Wiley 0he marshal who super
intended his execution, that II mad Decn
his intention, as he came from DanViie
on the cars. to have killed his custodlahs
and make his escape: but he was 50 close
~ watched that he had no opportunity
to do so. From an early hour on the isl
Rev. Father Baratta was with Napoleon
et the jail, administering TO him the con-
Iolations of religion.
Al fifteen minutes TO II o'clock the
fail doors were opened and the prisoner
appeared. looking calm and self-possessed.
He took off his hat and bowed to the
large crowd which was before him, pre-
yously TO being seated upon his coiiin'
which was in an ordinary furnlture-
wagon on the street A detachment OF
Colonel Wyate NJ. Elllott's City Battalion,
under command of Lieutenant Johnson,
formed a hollow square around the We
hcle and escorted the prisoner up Val
lev street to the place OF execution. which
was situated 10 the east of the aims
house. near the spot where, In 49, Reed
md Clements convicted of piracy, ana
afterwards John and James Williams
loonyicted of the murder OF Mrs. winston
and her child, were hanged. Napoleon
and the soldiers were followed by about
pne thousand persons, among whom were
many women.
STANDING ON THE DROP.
Af,pr arriving at the scaffold the con-
Iemned man. with Deputy-Marshal Myers
and Father Baratta, ascended the pisV-
form, and stood upon the drop. over one
half an hour was spent by the prisoner
In conference with his spiritual ADVISER
hiring which time he confessed the crime
~ which he had been convicted. Five min
utes before ~ o'clock the black cap was
srawn over his head, and at IL precisely
The drop fell, and Napoleon was soon
mass OF inanimate clay, dangling between
Heaven and earth He fell about four
Seet-a distance sufficient to nave broken
his neck: and but few twitcnings were
observable after the fall. His oody was
then lowered. and. the rope being care
fully removed. his corpse was put IN the
eoffn.
He was about 30 years OF age. and made
his living by peddling fruit around the
nity. IL Is lust 10 state that my memory
of the scene about which i am Writing
has been refreshed by recent Inspection
Of the contemporaneous accounts OF IL
published IN the newspapers or that
period and II Is, therefore. quite accurate
and vivid. Napoleon stated, In his con-
fession that George Elan and himseii
went 70 the photographic establishment
of Hoyer & Ludwig, who were employed
by the government to engrave the notes.
ELAN broke open the door. and they FOUND
on the table in the room eight sheets OF
el0 notes. already printed. They then put
the 500 plate upon the form, and struck
of $500 for each of them. They then left'
and went TO a house near Mayos bridge.
and the proprietor gave them good note
from which they counterfeited the sigma
lures on those which they had. Elan,
being a good writer. II was said. did the
counterfeiting. Napoleon passed good
deal OF the money, and had often gone
into stores and suggested that, perhaps,
bis notes might be bad. but parties al-
ways took them.
THE TRIAL OF ELAN.
George Elan was also arraigned for
trial, but his trial was postponed until
the next term OF the court. and he was
rcmanded TO the city Jail for safe-keeping
until II could come OF and until absent
witnesses could be found. Judge William
w. Crump. the last and sole survivor
of the distinguished criminal lawyers who
practiced their profession in Richmond
+. between 1910 and 1850. and the peer OF
the best Of them. vas his counsel He
moved the court TO quash the indict-
ment against Elan upon the ground
that It was insufficient and not properly
drawn, and the Court sustained his mo-
ton.
Charlotte Gilman was an important wit
ness against Elan. He was her lover,
and, woman-like, she determined not to