The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1901-07-19

muTueT Ol MS wife, MARY bdCuttl, oh
April 1st, by striking her on the right
side of the head with an ak, David A.
Starkweather was the prosecuting at
torney, and the court assigned as his
assistant Dwight Jarvis, and assigned
Jno. Harris & Orlando Metcalf for the
defense. The jury was impannelled on
the last day of September Of that year,
he was tried on the first of October, and
verdict Of murder in the first degree
rendered the same day. An example
of speedy justice, which might be COM
mended in these days Of long contin-
uance and long trials. In the account
Judge Hance gave me Of this trial, he
remarked that 1t was conducted with
great solemnity, and that the scene,
which occurred when the jury returned
with their verdict and the jury and the
prisoner both standing, the court said
Gentlemen of the jury look upon the
prisoner, and Christian Bachtel look
upon the jury. Gentlemen OF the jury
what is your verdict, is the prisoner
guilty OF not as he Is charged in the
Indictment" And the
JURY SAID GUILTY"
1t was, he thought, the most impressive
scene he ever had witnessed in court
Of justice.
In connection with this memorable
trial, l feel impelled to speak Of the
terrible solemnity and the great dra-
matte interest, which attended the ex-
ecution of Bachtel, as recounted to me
in my youth by eye witnesses. The
hanging took place on what were the
commons, northeast Of the town plat,
probably somewhere near where the
turn hall now stands. The large tree
near or under which the execution took
place, was often pointed out to me in
my boyhood, The execution, as they
were all in those days, was public, and
attracted vast concourse of people,
considering the unsettled condition of
the. country, at that time. and the fact
is that the people came from far and
near, of to the east as far as the Ohio
river, and far west into the new settle
ments. Probably the larger portion Of
the population for a radius Of fifty
miles around, witnessed the terrible
scene. Acres of people, II was said,
surrounded the scaffold, and quarter
of an hour before the fatal moment
the sheriff cried out in loud voice,
to live" Then followed q deep silence
for FIVE minutes, when the sheriff cried
aloud, "Christian Bachtel has ten min
utes to live" Again another terrible
blank Of five minutes, and then Chris
!ian Bachtel has five minutes to live"
And then the minutes were told, four
minutes, three minutes, two minutes,
one minute, and finally christian
Rachtel,
YOUR TIME HAS COME"
They believed in punishment in those
times, and had faith In the effect Of
public suffering on the part of the law
breaker, to deter others from crime.
l do not intend to draw a parallel be-
tween the method of that period and
that of the present time when the death
penalty 10 administered much like q
scientific laboratory experiment with the
swiftness of the lightning fash and
painless to all except the witnesses,
but recall this incident as It was Of
ten recounted to me, as doubtless the
most terribly dramatic scene that has
ever been witnessed In our country.
In 1888, appears the name OF James
u. Brown. He was the son-in-law Of
John Harris, and the firm Of Harris
& Brown were active practitioners for
many years. Mr.. Brown IN the father
Of Mrs. Senator Henderson. now Of
Omaha, and to that city Mr.. Brown
removed In the latter part of his life
and there died.
In 1884 appears the name of Samuel
Pease, who lived at Massillon. Under
him Judge Underhill read law. In the
same year appears the name of William
Brice, for many years a lawyer at this
bar, who lived we'll into my time.
In 1897. first appears the name Of
Samuel Lahm, a distinguished charac-
ter In his day. member OF congress,
leading Democratic politician and one
| OF the best natural political orators
| i eyer heard speak. he did not renoaip