Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-10-10
SREP Caldwell HANGED
Atthe Moundsvills Penitentiary, Early
This Morning,

al lle M0unQSVlll6 ItHlt6ntidIv, Gdl ~
This Morning,
IN THE PRESENCE OF A LIMITED
NUMBER OF SPECTATORS THE
EXECUTION TOOK PLACE IN
THE NEW BUILDING ERECTED
FOR THE PURPOSE UNDER THE
LAW PASSED BY THE LAST
LEGISLATURE, AND WAS VERY
SUCCESSFULLY CARRIED OUT,
UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF
WARDEN HAWK-THE DETAILS
OF THE MURDERER LAST
HOURS ON EARTH.
| A career of vice and dissipation culminat-
| ing in the brutal murder of a paramount,
| was expiated on the scaffold this morning
"a sermon on crime, a warning to Grimm
ais
Shep. Caldwell, of Mcdowell county,
was hanged in the Moundsville pen1ten-
tiary. at an early hour this morning,
for the murder Of Rose Henshaw, IN
June last, as has been fully detalied
in the Register heretofore. Executive
clemency was invoked but not obtained
and the penalty of the law was car
ried into effect.
This execution was the first under the
new State law, which provides that the
death penalty must be inflicted within
the walls of the State prison. An effort
was made, at the time OF the enact
ment of this law, to substitute electro
cution for hanging, but the effort fall
ed.
AS was stated in yesterdays Regis
ter, Governor Atkinson called at the
prison Sunday and had an interview
with both Caldwell and Broadeaux, and
as a result of his enquiries and know
ledge of the facts, the sentence of the
latter was committed for thirty days, to
enable the condemned man to obtain
proofs of his claim that the murder ne
| was convicted of was not premeditated.
The Executive refused to interfere IN
Tie Caldwell case, and the law was left
to take its course.
Rev. B. M Spur, pastor of the Epls-
copal church of Moundsville arrlv-
rived at the penitentiary about seven
o'clock last evening, and at once was
ushered into the presence of Caldwell,
whose hours on earth were rapidly
dwindling At half-past eight quar-
tette of colored men visited the prisoner
and several hymns were sung. At nine
o'clock Warden Hawk called up the of
flee of the Governor at Charleston, to
ascertain if there was any possible
chance of a delay or communication OF
sentence, but the answer was that no
action had been taken in the case, and
that the mandate of the law was to be
carried out
Soon after the condemned man lay
down for a sleep, and appeared to OBJ
tain some respite from his trouble in
temporary Inconsistencies. About half
| past eleven he was aroused from sleep
and was given bath and attired in the
customary new suit of clothes. At that
hour those having permits to see the
! execution began to arrive at the peni-
| tertiary, and were taken charge of by
officials while awaiting the event they
had come to witness.
The suit which was placed upon Cald-
worsted cloth, with white shirt, cola.
and neat tie Immediately after he
was dressed, the Rev. B. M Spur ad-
ministered the communion, the condem-
ned man apparently fully appreciating
the significance of the rite little
later Warden Hawk permitted the rep
resentatives of the press, and a few
others, to visit Caldwell in his cell
His mind was evidently engrossed with
thoughts of his Impending fate, and he
paid little attention to those who stood
about the door of his CELL
At five minutes past midnight, War
den Hawk approached the doomed man
and read to him the death warrant
The silence was impressive, and the
voice of the Warden faltered as he
pronounced the words which sealed the
| fate of the brutal murderer. While the
warrant was being read, the prisoner
was lying in bed upon his back, with
his hand across his forehead, giving
little heed, apparently, to what was go
| ing on about him.
A little later all the visitors retired,
except the clergyman, and Messrs. w.
c. Love, NJ. D. Post, and John A. Ho-
ward. These gentlemen entered the
! cell, in order to endeavor to prepare
! Caldwell for the end, and to admins
ter whatever consolation they could to
man who stood within the shadow
Of the gallows. upon which he was so
soon to swing into eternity.
They discussed his crime with him,
and Caldwell confessed to the murder,
but said he did not intend to kill his
paramour when he fired the fatal shot.