The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1905-12-07
RECALLS EXECUTION
OF ASA MACON
Was Hanged for Numbering Barre
Man, All the Time Protesting That
He Was Innocent of the
Crime.

The impending execution of Mary
Rogers at Windsor tomorrow afternoon
recalls the hanging at the same place
twenty-s years ago this fall, Of Asa
Magoon of Orange, who was convicted
of killing Russell Streeter of Barre ON
October II, 1875, his vehement protesta-
tions on the gallows that he was inno-
cent OF the crime and the subsequent
story that Mother" Pratt confessed the
deed on her death bed. This latter story
was never confirmed, but there are some
people residing in Barre now, who believe
that Asa Magoon was hanged for
crime which he never committed. Street
er was murdered at a house on the East
Barre road, which has since been de
stroyed.
At the trial DIR. J. Henry jackson was
one of the witnesses, telling of the ma
ture of the wounds.
DIR. Jackson was also one of the few
! present at the execution, which occurred
the day after Thanksgiving. The con-
demned man ate a hearty Thanksgiving
! dinner and slept as well as usual the
| night before the execution. Sheriff
Stimson had charge of the execution, it
being. his seventh time as the hangman.
Magoon had sent petition to Governor
Proctor begging him to intereede, but
the governor refused.
Forty persons were in the death cham
4 Der when the prisoner, hobbling because
Of a sprained ankle, entered the room
with the sheriffs. On account of his
lameness he was carried up the gallows
! and rlooaI IN a cbo;r x,.hara hk caf an;
city during prayer and the reading OF
\ the death warrant He looked steadfast-
| ~ at the sheriff during the reading Of
the sentence and when the words "be
hanged by the neck until dead were
read, he looked backward to the drop
and scowled. When asked if he had
anything to say he answered that he
had, prefacing his remarks with Cen
| tlemen, / stand here today to be hung
as an innocent man. Then he went
on to tell how he and Streeter went
| 10 Montpelier and got two gallons and
two pints of alcohol. Returning they
went to Mrs. Perrin's Mother Pratt)
and stayed awhile. Alagoon said that
Streeter was going to stay all night
and the woman gave him half a pie,
/ which he ate. Then he accused the
woman of killing Streeter, declaring that
he could not get the woman to testify
at the trial Il tell you, gentlemen, .
he continued, "before three years are
over You will find who killed Streeter,
but it will be after l ann dead sVer-
mont people have refused to grant a
Christian man fair trial They have
just as good a right to 90 into a grave
yard, take dead body and hang it, as
/ to kill me-, He pleaded for one year
to get new trial and if the decision
was then against him he would not find
fault
j X always used Streeter we'll; kept
him in spending money; fed him for elev-
en- months, and then to be killed for
treating a man we'll" 1T amt right,
he said, lit il unjust" lie trembied
violently and shed tears. just before
the black cap was drawn down over
his face. Magoofi said "Tale good care
Of me- Will you take me homei" DIR.
Q. l.. Watson Of West Topsham, who
was attending him, replied that he would
leave him at his brother Johns, in
Waits River. The trap was sprung at
1:45h. DIR. Fairness, the prison physi-
clan, and DIR. jackson Of this city took a
record of the heart beats. At first it
was 96 to the minute and in fifteen min
utes there was scarcely pereeptible
beating. He was pronounced dead 1919
minutes after the drop fell. The body
was taken to West Topsham for burial,
and thus ended the execution.
\ Magoon had been arrested on criminal
charges several times. A German ped
dler was Inst seen at his house. and
it was also alleged that he had been
concerned in the death of Bowen WON
an, whose eharred remains were found
in ruins of her house in Corinth. The
skull was crushed in. Magoon was in
dicted on the charge of burning his faith
er-in-law's buildings but was acquitted
on technicality.
monument to be placed over the
grave of asa Magon is now being cut
in Montpelier, and the letterer is just
about to put on the inscription.