Delaware gazette and state journal., 1896-07-02
EXECUTION OF
!. JAMES Il. TRUSS
The Murderer of Capt. Thomas
Camp BANGED at ElktOn
~ on Friday.
DIED AT 12.44 O'CLOCK
Mas Perfectly Calm While His Hands and
Feet Were Being Bound
DECLARED He GOULD NOT CONFESS
His Neck Broken and His Death
instantaneous.


Truss, aged ~ years. was hanged by
Sheriff MaclSey at IL. A O'Clock this
afternoon.
The sheriff was assisted by Deputy
Sheriff McAllister and ex-Sheritf
Boulden.
The march to the scaffold began at
1887 O'Clock. Sheriff Mackey was on
one side of tho prisoner, who seemed
unconcerned, and Deputy Sheriff Nc
Allister was on the other side. The
.Rays. Ii. A. G. Westerfield and A. s.
Mowbray followed. Truss assembled the
steps of tine scaifold untlinchingly and
was perfectly calm, while Mr. Wester-
field read d passage OF scripture and
prayed. At the conclusion OF the
prayer Truss was asked whether he had
anything to say and he replied In the
negative. Sheriff Mackey then bound
his hands and feet and after the moose
had been adjusted the black cap was
drawn over his face and the rope was
cut. The body was cut down after the
elapse OF l91s minutes. Drs. lamar.
Worrelll and Housekaeper, who ex-
amined the corpse, said tho neck was
I broken and expressed tho opinion that
death was almost instantaneous. In
addition to tho Jail officials and ply
scians tbcro wore about 80 people pres
ent. Among them was Capt. Camps
son, who was supposed to have been
murdered by Truss. The condemned
mans brother inlaw was present, but
no other relatives OF the murderer were
in attendance After Truss body had
been cut down it was taken in charge
b, Undertaken Henry Vinsinger, who
will bury it in the old Methodist
Il cemetery hnre.
The scalrod used was the one on
which Cooper was hanged year ago.
it's erection was finished at IL O'Clock
this morning, when 1T was in
spected by Sheriff Mackey and several
h deputies Two Thousand people de-
r sired to see Truss hanged, but the exc
cution was private.
The jail yard was thrown open to the
n public yesterday afternoon and crowds
ia of people, eager to see the death trap,
M came rom all parts OF the county.
Mackey admitted a few people
III into the Jail proper, but was compelled
10 refuse admission to hundreds OF
curious people, who fingered about the
ftulding for hours in hopes OF getting
u u glimpse of Truss.
ttN n. WANTED A DECENT BURIAL. .01.
E Truss was much concerned over his
In burial and instructed an undertaken tc
va give him decent burial. He had his
s4 life insured for Sl30 in New York
M company and had been trying to gel
his wife to sign an order to pay the
.M undertaken for the funeral EXPENSES.
1H Mrs. Truss was aware that Truss coulc
NJ not be laid to rest at Bethel cemetery,
X. and she therefore refused to give more
M than $50. For this amount she agreet
III to sign an order. Truss wish wal
IA that he be taken t5his home, in Chesa
M peake City, after the execution, hi
a body kept until Sunday, and that ser
Nf vices be held in the Methodist Episco
#& pal Church on that day, even namiD.
f The sermon that he desired preached
IA The trustees of Bethel cemetery, how
= ever, refused to allow his intermeut il
NJ that cemetery.
~ PASSED A RESTLESS NIGHT.
MI Truss was visited yesterday by hi
WI wife, who came from Chesapeake City
Nj She remained With him several hours
during which she implored him t
make a confession. She departed abou
IA O'Clock. crying and brokenhearted
Iaf He kissed her when she was departing
z The Rev. II. A. G. Westerfied q
Nh Chesapeake City, who spent the create
part Of yesterday with the prisoner
ll* left him at o'clock last night an
's4Y from that time until II Truss sat an
IW talked with Deputy Sheriff Williar
VA dMcAllister and Jacob McCardle. II
IN also smoked and did not seem dis
HI turbed about his doom. He talked o
n various topics, but did not mentio
the murder He retired at II O'Clock
During the night he was restless. bu
he got several half hour maps.
S& IN A BAD HuMoR.
t4f He arose at this morning lookin
n worn and downcast, and he evidentl
8, had commenced to weaken. He dome
n "a black suit, which was purchase
&I5s from Herman Ball yesterday, and con
n planned that it was too tight. He wa
#o angry because it did not fit. He al
IX hearty breakfast of ham, eggs an
EI1% potatoes and seemed to relish it.
At $50 O'CLOCK Winfield Broadwa.
|Z& Truss brother-in- law, who had boarde
HM with the condemned man for seye
E& years, called and spent an hour wit
NJ the prisoner, during which he tried
get confession from him, but
maintained his innocence. A portic
of the morning was spent by Truss
iS, S writing and reading the Bible.
N% SAID HE WAS NOT GUILTY.
Fl& At 10 O'Clock Preacher Westerfie
4 xl entered tho coll and remained with u
|EK prisoner until he was taken to II
Il gallows Mr.. Westerfield inplorod hi
hlf 70 make confession. il he wore guilt
k For time there WAS heated discu
w. sion between the mon. Truss becai
M angry and IN loud tone excaim
81 cannot say anything, because | a
A# not guilty. Tho Rev. A. s. Mowbr
80 was also present
40 MADE A SENSATIONAL STATEMENT.
y Truss made sensational stateme
1Mthis morning. He said j. Polk Raci
dictated the letters which were instr
mental in his conviction. Mr.. kaci
fold u representative of Every Event
iii That he did not write or dictate t
letters. He said he was about to mi
them for Truss, when he was int
N Ecepted at the instigation Of the sheri
land ii was then discovered that Trul
III Heter was offered bribe to swear th
b was at her house when tho muro
III was committed. MIR. Racine was
NE dignant because Truss tried to imp
4cate him.
N Truss was shaved and had his hi
III cut yesterday afternoon by d. War;
H .2Wilson, formerly of Wilmington a
ky Middletown. The prisoner was p
A ~ ticular about the style of the hairc
4 STORY OF THE CRIME.
Tho crime for which Truss v
l. a..