Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-08-08

/ find this in the story OF the scat
fold: 1.-The scaffold was put up in the
Jail yard for the execution of jeremiah
| Hendricks for the murder OF Dennis
! Shannahan in SWampOodle, and
| Emanuel Pollard for the murder Of
| George Butler, but just before the
| hour for the execution arrived their
sentences were committed by the
President to Imprisonment In the
penitentiary for life
The executioner of Wirz was Sylves-
ter Ballou, a military detective on
duty in Washington. The Star re-
porter wrote: He receives no pay
for his services, but acted under
orders Of his superior officer Maj.
Russell. and while in no way feeling
| gratif1ed by his position, carried out
his instructions with the willingness
Of true soldier" I also find this
paragraph in the story: Gardner
was early on hand with his camera,
taking views of the prison yard. scat
fold and scene Of the execution for
Harpers Weekly"
You will get little note Of the
feeling Of spirit Of the times in which
our fathers lived and Of the attitude
of many persons toward the killing
OF a human being from this para.
graph in the story: "Mr. l.. H. Chan
dler, chief clerk at the provost mar
shals office, gave out passes to wit
ness the hanging to those who were
SO fortunate as to get their names
upon the list"
On the morning Of the execution
Wirz wrote letter to his lawyer
Louis Schade. Schade, whom all old
Washingtonians remember, was WirZ
counsel from his arraignment to con-
viction. He filed an office which no
other man in Washington seemed will
ing to take. And he took 1t volun-
tarily. He believed that his client
was not responsible for conditions at
Andersonville, that he had been taken
into custody by Federal authorities
by treachery. and that the United
States had no right to try him by
military court after the close of the
war.
Schade was q brave man, and was
defiant Of the public olamor. I am
going to tell you, some time. all I
know about that fine and generous
American Of German origin and I
believe Of German birth. I used to
drink beer with his boy. Fred Schade
You remember Fred-with pale blond
hair and cream and peaches COM
plexion, who used to be one of the
He's q lawyer now and I believe he
lives in Seattle. but I'll give it all to
you when l write Of Louis Schade.
F'red's sister Anita lives in Washing
ton, and the last I heard Of her she
was still playing the piano beautifully.
taking French, German, and half
dozen other languages, and reading
the worlds greatest writer's. Maybe
she had read one or two Of the Ram
bler's writings. You remember Anita
when she was star in our Shake.
speare Society a good many-I beg
your pardon, a few-years ago
Well. here is Wirz' letter to Schade:
"Old Capitol Prison,
November 10, 1865
"Mr. Schade,
Dear Sir: 1t is no doubt the last
time address myself to you. What I
have said to YOU often and often. T re-
peat. Accept my thanks, my sincere
thanks, for all YOU have done for me.
May God reward you. cannot. Still.
l have something more to ask of YOU.
and am confident that you will not
refuse to receive my dying request.
Please help my poor family, my dear
wife and children. War. cruel war.
has swept everything from me, and
today my wife, my children. are beg.
gars. My life Is demanded as an
atonement. / am willing to give 1t
and hope that after awhile I will be
judged differently from what ! am
now. If any one ought to come to the
relief Of my family it is the people of
the South. for whose sake have sac
rificed all, l know you will excuse me
for troubling YOU again. Farewell.
dear sir. May God bless you.
Yours thankfully, II. WIRZ."
-
I MUST step aside from the Wirz
= story till next Sunday. have
something on my mind. You may
deny it. but I don't care. Do you re.
member seeing a picture in The Star
last week of group Of beautiful chill
dren giving q swimming exhibition at
the Wardman pool? They We're called
the Red. White and Blue troupe of
swimmers from the Panama Canal
Zone. Two of them were Virginia
Duff, II years old, and Lorna Duff. II.
Lorna is high diver and swims under
water with her hands tied. Virginia
is the Junior fancy diver of the Canal
Zone. The mother Mrs. Lorne Duff.
was Of the party. She called me on
the phone and said: Harry, this is
Susie Bryan" Here's a story that will
interest a good many persons Mrs.
Duff of the Canal Zone was Susie
Bryan. youngest daughter of William
Page Bryan and Virginia Scott Bryan.
son and daughter-in-law of Richard
Bryan of Richard. The family home
was between Surrattsville and Piscata-
way Susie went to the Canal Zone,
think it was about Is years ago. l
was up and down the Zone last year
and drove all over Balboa, Panama,
Ancon and out to old Panama with
Mrs. Persons. II you have been down
there you know Mrs. Persons. De