Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1895-10-05
Special to the Register.

in 1859, took place here to-day when
Andrew J. Scott, colored aged 27, was
hanged in the jail yard for the murder
Of his wife Elizabeth N. Scott, aged 20
years, Scott was small in stature,
about Eve fee, three inches in height
and weighed about 100 pounds.
Early this morning your correspond,
ent visited Scott in his cell and found
him cheerful and happy spiritually.
He rested well last night, but eat a
LIGHT breakfast this morning. He was
calm and said he was prepared 10 meet
his fate When asked if he had any
thing 20 say for publication he said:
IL have nothing to say. My mind
has been on the Lord for mere than q
week and do not want 20 think or talk
Of anything else If You had come to
d See me sooner there were some things
[ would have said but the good Lord
has taken them from my mind now and
| don't want to talk about them
After stating that his wife was only
rs years old, when they were married
In 1898. although they told a falsehood
% obtain the license. saying she was q
me said further. This is what l get for
-hat Ee but God has forgiven me-"
RELIGIOUS SERVICES.
were held this morning by two minis
-ers In his eel and Scott has beenar-
der-ly praying for more than a week.
He appeared TO be labOriug under re-
ligi0us excitement The jail is located
near the center of the town on thesoutA
west corner Of Public Square and op-
pOsica the court house The sCaffOld
was erected in the northwest corner Of
The jail yard close TO the building and
was protected from view by the wall
around the yard and canvas erected for
the purpose. The execution was pri-
waite and only those holding tickets
from the sheriff were admitted There
was q large crowd in town and several
guards were placed around the Jail but
the crowd was orderly. Sheriff Eugene
Baker, assisted by his deputies Col
VIM. A. Morgan, r. NJ. Moore, and Jail
or S. c. Young, conducted the execu-
ton. The rope was bought in Wash
.ngton. d. c., and the scaffold was
modelled after the one on which Snyder
was hung i'm that city. Religious ser
vices were held by six ministers in the
cell Immediately before the execution.
At HOG o'clock Scott was taken from
his cell by Deputy Sheriff Morgan and
led to the scafOld. Scot. walked a 1T
tie bent over and nervOusly and his face
SHOWED TERRIBLE FRIGHT,
but he stood firmly on the scaffold, not
looking 10 the right or left. nor taking
any notice Of the crowd Of about one
hundred In the jail yard who witnessed
the execution.
Sheriff Baker adjusted the moose and
black cap and deputies Morgan and
Young pinioned Scots arms and legs.
AT 11.0S the drop was sprung by
Sheriff Baker and Scott fell about six
feet I'm seventeen minutes ne was
pronounced dead by Drs. c. T. Rich
3rds9u and VIM. Neill and at the end
Of q minutes his body was taken down
and placed in the coffin Death was
from s-rangulaton. The body was
taken to the county infrmary, five
miles west Of this place and buried.
Dir. Harry Leonard. of Washington. d.
c.. son of the warden of the Jail, of thai
city. assisted in the arrangement for
the execution.
THE STORY OF THE CRIME.
The crime for which Andrew J. Scott
was executed to-day was the murder Of
his wife Elizabeth NJ. Scott, by poison,
ON May last. On the evening of May
I. Scott made a cup of tea for his vito.
who was slightly unwell, and into it he
put arsenic. She drank the tea and be-
came sick. vomiting violently. During
the night q physician was sent for, but
did not ascertain the cause Of her sick
ness. About 8 O'Clock on the morning
of May .. after spending a night in the
asODies or arseniCal poisoning, she died,
and then it was discovered that she had
been poisoned. Suspicion pointed TO
her husband and during the morning
he was arrested and sent TO Jail. The
Circuit Court convened i'm about two
weeks and Scott was indicted by the
grand jury for the murder. In a few
days his trial took place and he was
found guilty of murder In the first de-
gree. On the trial the evidence showed
that he and his wife did not live hap
PLY together on account of her unfaith-
fuiness. She was VIGOROUSLY immoral
and Scott was frequently driven from
his house by other men at her instance.
IL was proved that on the day he adj
ministered the poison. he had. under
the name of Andrew Simpson, q name
DE had been known by while living al
Nt Jackson. Virginia, before coming TO
this place bought an ounce of arsenic
at the drug store of Or. John p. Bishop.
After the murder a paper containing
arsenic. partly charred. with DR.. Bish-
CPS label on it and the name Andrew
Simpson on the label. was found in q
stove in the house occupied by the muir
derer. The dead woman's stomach was
analyzed by a prominent chemist and
arsenic was found The dregs left in
the can I'm which the tea was made also
contained arsenic. AT the trial Scott
was ably defended by Nessrs. Cle0n
Moore and Y. C. Green. who we're as
signed to defend him by the Court. but
the prisoner was unable to make out
good defense and the verdict was found
as previously stated. Judge E. Boyd
Faulkner sentenced Scott to be hanged
Octobed :. His case was not taken to
the Supreme Court. but an application
was made to Governor MacCOrkle to
commute his sentence TO imprisonment ,