The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1911-12-15
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
Murderer Who Won Admiration
of ThurIow Weed.
Famous Politicians Story Of the Fin.
est Exhibition Of Physical and
Moral Courage That He
Ever Had Witnessed.
BY e. ). EDWARDS.

II once asked Thurlow Weed. who
wa my lifelong friend, what was the
finest exhibition Of physical and moral
courage he had ever Witnessed" said,
the late Charles C. Clarke. who was
long vice president of the New York!
Central railway system. and the right
hand man Of Commodore Vanderbilt!
in the building of the system. and the
appraiser upon the estate of Thurlow
Weed following the death in 1882 Of
that famous Wing and Republican po-
litician and president maker.
"Mr. Weed told me that when he was
a young man there was an exhibition.
of moral and physical courage which.
came under his observation more i'm
pressive than any other that he had
witnessed in his long career. He add
ed that II he wrote an autobiography,
as he thought of doing. he should re-
refer to the incident. Mr.. Weed did
write a brief account Of the incident.
but that account did not compare with
the verbal one he gave me. which I
can repeat in almost his precise
words.
"'soon after l went to the city of.
Albany. N. Y, to live in my early
manhood he said. Y was told that
there was to be a public hanging OF
a soldier and I was invited to witness
the execution. A morbid curiosity.
led M to accept the invitation.
1.-THE execution was to take place
in a field perhaps a mile from the AL
4bany barracks, where this soldier had
been stationed. ! walked out to the
field with a friend and after a while
I saw a wagon coming. in which was
seated a young man who was bare,
headed. He was chatting in a pleas
seated beside him. was informed
that he was the man who was to be-
hanged; ] had already been told that
the young soldier had been convicted
of the murder of the captain Of his
company He had shot the captain
in a sudden heat of passion because
the captain had reprimanded him.
cat last the wagon stood behind
the gallows which had been extern
ported The young man calmly
watched the constables as they ad-
justed the rope Then. perfectly self
possessed. he mounted a ladder. It
did not seem to me to be bravado on
his part; his attitude was that Of q
soldier who vas facing death with
in%trepidity. The boy-for he was
scarcely more than a lad-had said
that he deserved death. that 1t was a
crime TO attack an officer. no matter
W.T. tho ~movocation. a crime for
which no e.r1se could be given.
LAS the ladder was twitched away
What did that young man do? He
helped the constables to remove the
rope Then lie sat upon a box and
advised them to go rs speedily as pos
sible into Albany and get a strong
Manila rope. He told them that they
should have tested the rope before
using it npon him And while Two or
three constables went for another
rope he sat there mon the box. chat.
ting with the guards. and observed
that at one moment he spoke conf.
dentially to a gentleman who seemed
to be a sort Of spiritual adviser to
him.
"'At- last the %constables returned
with a stout rope. The condemned
man took it tom their hands and test
ed it. He told them that he thought
1t was strong enough; then they ad,
justed the rope, fixed the moose around
his anew, and he again mounted the
ladder and then fell. and in due time
his body was taken down.
That said Mr. Weed. was ply,
steal courage. Now let me tell you
about the moral courage; l learned
Of that afterward. This young man
had enlisted as a soldier. for that was
the only career possible for him; he
was the son of a very distinguished
merchant Of New York City. but he
was born out of wedlock and he knew
who his father was. While he was
waiting for the second rope. the gen.
tleman observed talking with the
boy asked him If he desired to have
his parents know of his fate. He had
enlisted under an assumed name.
''"No," said the boy. do no do
that. My father has already suffered
enough for the mistake Of my being.
Let him never know that his son was
hanged"
".Afterward.' concluded MIR. Weed,
I learned Who that father a but
have never revealed the. secret to any
living person. and ! have never ceased
to admire that boy-murdeFer though
he was-for the physical and moral
courage he displayed in the clutchel
Of. DEATH"
Copyright. 1911. by l.. J. Edwards. All
Rights Rcscrved.)
Five Hours Differences.
How is that lazy son Of Bildad'a
getting along now that he's gone to
L%ondon?" asked Hicks. Showing
- 49, y 49, ri