The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-07-02

heapamg spoonfuls.
Martin did not wait to witness the ex-
ecution.
Alone again with his spiritual advis-
ers Merolo observed tears in their eyes
and besousht them TO be of good heart
and weep not for him, that he would be
in a happier land in few minutes.
He gave his crucifix to Father Peruzzi
who will send 1t to Merolo's mother in
Italy together with photographs of her
son, one taken alone and another with
the two priests.
While this was going On down in
cell 10 corridor 6. where the prisoner
was. those who were privileged to at
tend the hanging were being admitted
to the Jail. At 9.l5 Sheriff Clemons
got his jury together and after swear
Ing the members of 1t collectively he
read the death warrant for them. The
members of the jury We're: Mayor
James G. Bailey, DR.. j. J. Roberts. Asa
A. Nichols. Clark's Green: DR.. J. w.
Coolidge, Dr. c. w. Roberts. A. j.
Colborn, jr.. w. M. Finn, Alexander T.
Connell. John Griffin, c. w. Mckinney.
L. ]. Northup. Abingdon; DR.. A. j.
Connell These signed two returns
after the execution certifying that they
had witnessed the carrying out OF the
laws mandate. One return Is filed In
the court of oyer and ter,niner and the
other Is sent to the governor. The
sheriff is also required to make affi-
davit that the execution has taken
place and have 1t published in two
newspapers and the legal publication
of the county.
OUTSIDE OF THE PRISON.
Outside OF the prison there was a
motley assemblage attracted to the
scene in the hope of in some way get
ting a glimpse of the execution. They
were all disappointed and had to con-
tent themselves with feasting their
eyes on the gray stones of the
outer prison wall Chief of Po-
lice Robling. Captain Edwards,
Lieutenant John Davis. Sergeant Rob-
ert Deter and Patrolmen Palmer, Moir,
Ridgway, Welsh. Sartor Johler, Goer-
litz, Day and Duggan were on hand to
keep the curious crowd from blocking
Washington avenue or making any un-
seemly demonstration. They had no
difficulty in doing 80 for the crowd was
not large enough to impede travel on
the thorOughfare and was in no way
disorderly
At9.55 Sheriff Clemons told those who
were to witness the hanging to fall in
line. Ex-Sheriffs A. 3. Stevens and
John j. Fahey led the column, which
filed slowly from the warden's office
down flight Of stairs and into corridor
6, in the north wing of the prison.
There the scaffold met their gaze. 1t
was erected on the concrete floor of
the corridor and i'm front of it were a
number of chairs for the use of the
spectators The scaffold was modelled
after the one used in Philadelphia to
hang Holmes. and is a very solid. sub
stantial looking affair, painted black.
Immediately behind 1t was fence
eight feet high extending entirely
across the corridor and hiding from
view that portion OF 1t where the con-
demned mans cell was located. The
work Of erecting the scaffold began
was completed at 8 o'clock. Merolo
heard the sound of the hammers and
asked what was being done. He re-
ceived a non -committal answer and
told his keeper that he knew the scaf-
fold was being put up.
WAS PREPARED THEN.
When the task was completed he
said he was ready then to go out and
die.
Yesterday morning 1t was thought the
scaffold might not be strong enough to
Withstand the strain. and to make sure
of it, iron braces were placed on each
side. The scaffold consists of two up
rights by and 16 feet in height. On
top of these rests the cross beam, s by
6, made from the strongest oak. The
platform on which the condemned man
stood consists Of two large trap doors
opening downward and neld in place by
two bolts. worked by means Of lever.
1t was reached by a wide flight of
stairs. The platform is eight feet from
the floor and the frame work to which
it is fastened, rests on oak posts by 4.
The rope was one-fourth Of an inch in
thickness and ran up through the GEN.
ter Of the cross beam and was fastened
to the side of the upright. When ready
for its terrible duty, there was five feet
of slack to the rope, that being the dis
tance Sheriff Clemons decided to allow
the man to drop. as he had a thick, IT,
inch neck. Over the entrance to the
upper and lower parts of the corridor
4, Jto, ,a,.ia erix. ~ h
the black scaffold very sombre APP
pearance to the CO.. idor in strong con-
trast with the bright sunlight that
could be discerned through the window
just beyond Merolo's cell. The rope
used was furnished by a Philadelphia
cordage company which never makes
any charge for a rope for hanging pur-
poses. 1t Is special make and not one
has ever been known to break at an
execution. Those who We're in the cor
ridor facing the scaffold when the time
arrived for the execution were Mayor
]. G. Bailey, ex-Sheriff John ]. Fahey,
Attorney H. c. Reynolds, Marion
Stuart Cam, Captain H. G. Warner,
Prothonotary c. E. Pryor, DR.. Stegner,
of Rendham; John Jay, of Jermyn;
Hon. Alex. Connell. Recorder Charles
Huester, Asa Nichols, of Clark's Sum-
nit; John Gibbons, eX-Warden Michael
Grimes. Jury Commissioner Mannion.
ex-Deputy Sheriff George Griswold, f.
]. Northup, DR.. Jenkins, DR.. j. ]. Rob-
erts. eX-Sheriff A. B. Stevens. DR.. A.
J. Connell, Fred w. Schoen, DR.. Barnes,
DR.. Coolidge, District Attorney John r.
Jones, County Detective Thomas Ley
shon, Wade NJ. Finn, Coroner S.
p. Longstreet, DR.. Pennypacker.
William Craig. Alex. Dunn, jr., c. c.
Ferber. and County Commissioners
Roberts, Demuth and Roberts, Dr. c.
w. Roberts. A. J. Colborn, Hon. c. p.
O'Malley, Frank Robling. sr., Captain
Edwards and five reporters.
THE LAST MOMENTS.
At two minutes to ten Merolo in-
u,,t,a.l fro,,, xl,a ,>,to,xc =, 4