The Sun. — 1863-09-15 (London, England)

SHOOTING DESERTING SUESTITUTES.—The exe, cution of the five deserting substitutes from the 118th Pennsylvania—Charles Walter, Emile Lai, John Reannese, G. Kuhn, and John Folany —took place yesterday afternoon, at 20 minutes to 4 o'clock, within the lines of Col.Sweitzer's brigade, before the Fifth Army Corps. The condemned were paraded, with hands manacled behind, accompanied by their priests, before each regiment in turn, preceded by their coffins and by a band playing a dirge. The different regimental bands either joined in as they passed or the drum corps beat a muffled roll. On reaching their graves each man was seated on his coffin, and Captain Orme, Provost-Marshal of the First Division, read the several sentences, preceded by long and tedious charges and specifications. Through this trial of patience the agonised men appeared resigned. Their eyes were vacant and glazed, with a general idea that a marshalled host of men was before them, and that a few stood near by. They fixed their vision on no one person or thing, they were absorbed in their fate. Walter was a Jew, and was attended by the Rev. Mr. Szold, Rabbi of the Gnebshalon Congregation in Baltimore. Lai and Reannese were Catholics, and attended by the Rev. C. L. Egan, of St. Dominick's,Washe ington, in lace canonicals. Kuhn and Folany were Gor.. man Protestants, and were administered to by the Rev. W. O'Neill, chaplain of the 118th Pennsylvania. Walter, much agitated, stood up and recited in Hebrew after the Rabbi the Penitential Psalms and Voices of the Pentateuch, swinging his body rapidly backward and forward. The rest knelt, while their priests knelt and prayed, At the close the Rabbi kissed Walter, Walter kissed him in return, and crossing over to Folany, with whom he had been intimate, also kissed him. The men again sat on their coffins. Their eyes were bandaged with white cloth. Fifty men, in two ranks, stood before them. A rapid "Ready, aim, fire 1 " was given, and they simultaneously fell backward on the coffins, placid lumps of clay. Reannese, Kuhn, and Folany ran off and fell upon their faces. The two former breathed for a few moments, though insensible. Ten men fired at each, one of the ten muskets being unloaded, as is customary. An argument for precedence in the process sion took place between the Rabbi and the Catholic priest. The latter claimed the first rank as representing what he considered the first of churches. The former asserted his right as acting for the eldest of faiths. The provost-marshal decided in favour of the Rabbi. Another argument took place between Gens. Sykes and Griffin. The court-martial ordered the execution between the hours of 2 and 4. The troops of the sth corps had not all arrived till long after 3, Griffin, in whose division the transaction was to occur, said if 4 o'clock struck before their arrival he would feel himself to bo murdering them to allow their death. Sykes, commanding the corps, did not see the point in the same light. The tarrying regiments, however, came up before the time had elapsed. Four of the culprits were married. Folany was single. Walter's wife lives in New York, and interceded with the President, but to no purpese. The families of the rest live in Europe. They had all hopes of pardon till the precession commenced.—Kete Tork 2r ibunc.