The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1913-04-12
HENRY STERLING PAYS DEATH
PENALTY FOR MURDER OF
VIM. PATTERSON.
6raveIy Walked to Scaffold and An.
nouneed That He Was Ready to
Meet Death-Died at 5:C6
O'clock.

Meet Dcath-Oied at 5.C6
O'clock.
Murmuring a brief prayer for for
giyeness. and with n smile illumina-
ting his dusky countenance. depicting
the fact that he had made peace with
his Savior. Henry Sterling. yesterday
on the scaffold at the Moundsville
penitentiary. paid with his life, the
penalty for one OF the most brutal
crimes in the history OF West Virginia.
At 1856 O'Clock. three guards pressed
electric buttons. one OF which released
the death trap which swung into eter-
nifty. one Of the bravest men who have
ever been executed in the state peni-
Tertiary. Ten minutes later. Dr. J.
r. Beck. the penitentiary physician.
announced. He is Gone" and the
. murder Of William Patterson in Nc
Dowell county a few years ago was
atoned. That the condemned man
was ready to meet his maker was evil
dent. His spiritual advisors and
guards who have assisted in many
executions were unanimous in the
opinion that he was the strongest man
in meeting death they had ever seen.
and the GOODNESS and contentment OF
the prisoner as he stepped upon the
, Scaffold seemed To impart strength to
those who had assembled to witness
the hanging. and there was no confu-
sion whatever among the spectators.
Due to the careful preparations OF
Warden Brown and Captain Bloyd.
who had charge OF the execution,
there was not a single hitch in the ar
rangements and all the details were
, most successfully carried OUT With
= clocl-like precision. every man per
formed his assigned duty and the exc
/ cution was over almost before the
/ spectators could realize II. The
negro's neck was broken at the base
; of ths skull. and the last palpitation
OF the heart was recorded NJ exactly
/ ten minutes after the trap was sprung.
Before 5 O'clock.
Although the execution was not
supposed to take place until > o colck.
tho guests began arriving at the pris-
on long before O'Clock. \ half
hour later. nearly seventy-iive Persons
had lined up in the entrance 10 the
pen. At AS O'Clock, the guests were
ushered through the revolving cage
and again formed in line in the main
, hall. At given signal the door
/ from the main building was opened by
/ two guards and the march TO the death
house started. The party passed be
. tween two rows of guards while n de-
) tail OF guards formed an escort
When the door of the death house
was ~. own open the strains W an old
negro melody floatcd out and the voice
NJ Sterling could be heard in the
chorus. In the death cell with the
condemned negro were members OF
the prisons Colored quartette. Arch
! deacon y. VI. Spur. head Of the Rey-
nold's Memorial Hospital and Rev. II.
! r. Rutsky. OF the German Lutheran
church OF Bcnwood. who Joined In
singing hymns and Offering up pray
ers Faithful To the last. the group
o. negroes remained az the side of the
condemned man and sang until he was
lead from the cell to tho scaffold.
; Sang Fsvorite Hymn.
Several favCrite hymns Of the pris-
oner were rendered. with Sterling TAX
ing part. and his voice was perhaps
the strongest and clearcst Of all. Re
alizinC that he had but a few minutes
To live. Sterling stopped a hymn and
requested his colorcd brethren 10 sing
his favorite hymn. an old Southern
melody. Il part of the chorus Of which
il.
Let US go a burying in tho new bury
ing ground.
The Hammer is a knocking on some
bOdy's coffin.
Let US 90 bury ing in the new bury
ing ground"
Enjoying the Old hymn immensely,
Sterling asked that IL be repeated.
Joining in the chorus. and when he
stepped upon the trap was still hum
ming IL under his breath. When he
left the death cell for the scafold.
however the quartette broke into the
beautiful strains Of God Be With
You TIL We Meet Again"
While the last spiritual advise was
being given the condemned man. the
spectators were ushercd past the death
cell into the death chamber. where
jhcy we're lined up along one end ~
the room A. each person hied into
the small room be revercntly removed
his hat.
As the closing notes ~ the hymn.
God BE- With You we're being sung
Captain J. +. Bloyd gave the order
and the march 20 the scahoid was
started Tho first person 20 advance
upon tho scafold was Archdcacon
spur. followed hy Rev Rutsky They
took their stations 100 each end ~ the
scafold platform sterling next on
tered. with q suard ON either side. al
though he walked With firm step
and advanced upon Tho trap without
being supported. Captain lUoyd and
thc guards who we're to press tho bat.
toms followed
Smile Over Face.
As he stepped upon the trap n smfie
spread over the fgCc az the prisoner.
aud his lips were half parted stand
iug erect with hts head slightly in
c'iucd. Stor.inc uttered his last words.
Farewell. everybody" b. said "a
smile still playing about his mouth.
% am here before you. but ! aint
scared. thank God Tor that ann