The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1905-02-17
CONFESSED
BEFORE DEATH.

ihe Ex-r1dYOr of Char.
loffeSviiie Told His
Spiritual Advisers thai
tie Was Guilty of the
Murder OF His Wife and
thai His Punishment
WoS just.
Charlottesville, Va, February
l0.-Without tremor J. Samuel
Cue met death on the scaffold
at I.55 o clock this morning for
Wlfe murder. Hardly had Shis
STRUGGLES ceased when his can
hfesslon was given out by his
three spiritual advisers, the Reys.
u. y; Petrie, D. d., H. 81. Lee,
and John, B. Thompson. McC5Ss
listened calmly to the death
warrant and when Sergt. Ropers,
asked: DO you think that ifI.
gave you my arm you would be-
able to walk to the scaffold ?tf h6
replied calmly, Il can walk wifh~l
out your aid." On the way9 he
stumbled once or twice andt1he
officers proffered assistance. it
was not needed, however. There
was no weakness. McGue had
snow. -
Watched by silent crowd ofj
perhaps thirty people, McCue
mounted the scaffold. By this
time the sunlight was streaming |
across the housetops around him. |
Not muscle of his face moved. |
Rogers and two guards ascended |
the scaffold with him. The |
prisoner was placed over the I
trap, his arms were pinioned and |
his ankles strapped. The black
gown was folded around him
and the moose was adjusted.
All this while MuCue stood +
without moving. The hope that
before he died hnaIIy passgd
away. The cowl dropped over
his head and he had seen his last
of the world. Not a word had
he uttered.
Before he placed the rope about
McCue's neck Sergt. Rogers put
his arms over the condemned
mans shoulders and whispered
something to him. When every
ts.ing was ready Mr.. Rogers
again spoke to McCue, asking
him if he had any statement to
make.
None at ALL" was his answer.
The trap was sprung and nine
teen minutes afterward McCue
was pronounced dead of strangu-
lation. His neck was not broken. |
The body will be taken to |
''Brooksville," near Alton, for
burial.
In order to thwart the curiosity |
of the morbidly inclined the
sheriff kept secret the time of
the execution. Many people be-
lieved that it would be close upon
noon. Yet as early as 6 a m. a
! we'll advised few were moving in
the direction of the Jail. An
hour passed and by this time the
few who were to be allowed to
enter were standing within the
prison enclosure, huddled around
a stove.
| After the execution one of
McCue's spiritual advisers said:
Mr.. McCue left this world with
feeling of bitterness toward no
human being in it: = His heart
was wonderfully softened. He
was earnest and tender. This
morning in our presence he Of
fered to God a fervent prayer for
his family; for his brothers and
their wives; for his sister; for
his uncles and aunts and lastly
! and most fervently of all for his
children. He called them each
by name. He invoked the bless
ing Of Almighty God upon them
ALL"
Immediately after the execu-
ton McCue's three spiritual ad-
visers gave out the following
signed statement:
j. Samuel McCue stated this
morning in our presence and re-
quested us to make public that
he did not wish to leave this
world with suspicion resting on
any human being other than him
self; that he alone was response
BILE for the deed, impelled to it