Norwich bulletin., 1914-07-28
FAMOUS TRIALS
TRIAL OF GEN. WILLIAM WALKER

When Gen. William Walker was shot for flibustering at Truxillo, Honduras, on Sept 12, 1860. he said to the people who had gathered about the public square to see him meet his doom; The war which I made on Honduras was unjust. Those who accompanied me are not to blame. I alone am guilty. ask pardon of the people. I receive death with resignation. Would that it were one for the good of society.
 He then sat on a chair, to which he was bound. A file of ten soldiers ad- vanced and fired on the instant. He died immediately. The soldiers gave three cheers and all was over. Walker was but S6 years of age at the time.
 Walker was a daring character and seemed to believe that his star of des- tiny" had great things in store foI him. Few adventurers of his class ever ran such 6 race of shortSighted and fatal folly. In 1853 he was 'he leader of an expedition which sailed from San Francisco with the intention of taking possession of Sonora, then a northern state of Texas, adjoining CaliforT,ia. He landed at a place call ed La Paz, where he met with but It. tie resistance. He proclaimed "an independent republic of Lower Culi- fornian and himself president, at the saame time appointing each one of his sixty followers to some official station
 
 ate or starve and surrendered himself to the United States authorities. On his arrival at San Francisco he was tried for a violation of the neutrality laws, but was acquitted.
 Early in the summer of 1855 Walker placed himself at the head of an ex- petition numbering about sixty men to proceed to Nicaragua, then in a state of internal conflict. He landed at Realejo and marched to Leon to join the headquarters of the Nicaragoan democratic party or army.
 Here he hoped to have his dream realized, that of forming on the isth- mus a broad domain to be extended into Mexico and South America He succeeded partially at first Brushing the democratic chief aside, Walker now proclaimed himself a candidate for the presidency and was, of course, elected. Being now dictater he began to run things to suit himself, and to his credit it must be said that his a .ts were, upon the whole, fair and just. But the odds against him were 100 great, and with all Central Amel ica in league against him, backed by Eu- rope and the United States, his cause was doomed. Defeat followed defeat, and in January, 1857, he abandoned Grenada and took refuge on a United States vessel, which landed him at Panama.
 1WO OtlSI dttClllPtS WcTS niAu0 Dy the irrepresible man to invade Nicara- qua, both of which were frustrated by the United States authorities, and in June, 1860, he invaded Honduras, where he met with vigorous resist ance and was eventually captured by the British and turned over to the na- tive Hcnduran authorities.
 As soon as Walker had entered the prison he was placed in heavy irons and, being asked If he needed any thing, replied with but one wJrd | water" Soon afterward he sent for a chaplain, AS he knelt at his feet le said: T am resigned to die; my polit- ical career is ended"
 There was a mock triaal which was wholly unnecessary. for the outcoms to be shot It was not until the eleventh hour that Walker was in formed of his doom. It was o'clock in the morning when the messenger brought him the news, and his oaly | reply was his asking at what hour he would be executed, and if he should have time to write.
 On the 18th of September, at $ o'clock in the morning, the condemned man was marched to the place of ez- ecutlOn He showed throughout the greatest coolness, not even once chang. l ing color while walking from .hs i prison to the place where he was tc be shot. Two soldiers, with drawT swords advanced in front of him and three with fixed bayonets follow l ed behind. In his right hand he car Tried a hat. and in his left q crucifix | It was here his great dream and nis eventful life went out together,