The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1906-10-25
ming 1T ut cards from some men
they fell in with at Harrisburg.

Indiana bill, the defense held thu
it was simply II mistake. The
| Commonwealth showed that stag,
after stage had passed Rice bu
that he had made no inqu ry fot
McBurney. The charge of th,
court was favorable to the prison
er. After deliberatlng for two
hours the jury rendered verdic
Of guilty.
On the following Monday morn
ing motion for new trial wa,
made. After the arguments clos
ed Judge Thompson intimated ii
a very feeling, pathetic and touch
ing manner that the motion coulc
not be granted. All appeared tc
manifest the most intense intercsr
in every word that fell from the
lips of His Honor. Tears gushec
from the eyes ofnearly all present,
and every muscle IN the frame OF
the unfortunate Rice was in deer
agitation. He, too, at last wepi
bitterly. The Judge asked him IT
he had anything to say why sen
tence of death should not be pass.
ed upon him, to which he replied
that he never killed man in his
life and that the witnesses had
sworn lies. Judge Thompson then
sentenced the prisoner to be hang
ed. The Governor named June
18th as the date for the execution.
but strong sentiment in favor of
the prisoner having been aroused
he afterward granted reprieve.
Petitions for a pardon received
hundreds of signatures IN Bedford.
Greene, Fayctte and Washington
counties, while the members of the
Legislature from Greene, Fayette
and Washington interceded person
ally with Governor Porter. The
Governor, however, declined to in
terfere and decreed that the execu-
tion should take place September
I'd.
At about a quarter before eleven
on the day of his execution Rice
was dressed in the habiiments of
death. During the time the Sheriff
and his deputy were dressing him
the most excruciating groans es-
capped his lips, and he sobbed and
cried bitterly from tie time his
grave clothes were put on him un-
til ten minutes after twelve, when
he was taken upon the scaffold.
Rev. Allen of Cumberland and Rev.
Lee of Bedford were invited by
the Sheriff to attend this wretched
man in his last moments, and after
Rev. Allen offered up last prayer
to the Throne of Mercy, in which
Rice took part, the ministers de.
scended the scatfold and the Sheriff
then assisted the prisoner to his
feet, placed the rope around his
neck and drew the cap over his
face, after which he took Rice'4
hand, and, in solemn, impressive
and distinct manner, asked him
whether he was guilty or not
guilty" to which he replied in
trembling and falterlng manner,
81 am innocent indeed / am,
Sheriff The Sheriff, after re-
ceiving this reply, Immediately de
cended from the gallows and cut
the rope by which the platform
was suspended, and he was swung
off at precisely forty minutes after
one O'clock. He appeared to die
easy. HIS hands were cenched
and trembled. violently for one mo-
ment, then his legs trembled for
thirty seconds and "A general con-
vulsion passed rapidly over his en-
tire frame, when his immortal
spirit took its flight into the pres
ence of its God. In thirteen min
utes he was pronounced dead by
Drs. Barclay and Getty, and IN
twenty-siX minutes from the time
he was hanged his body was pIac-
ed in the coffin and taken to that
"bourne from whence no traveller
returns. "
During the time of his execution
and for several hours previous the
walls of the Jail yard and the roofs
of the jail and surrounding houses
were crowded with people who
had come from all sections of the
unity to witness the execution.
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