The Dewsbury Chronicle, and West Riding Advertiser. — 1873-10-18 (Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, England)

THE LAST HOURS OF THE MODOC CONVICTS.  The Inman steamer City of Chester, from New York on the 4th October, has just arrived off Queenstown harbour. The New York Herald of the 4th contains a long account of the last hours of the Modoc convicts, who were executed that morning for the murder of General Canby and the Peace Commissioners. On the evening of the 3rd, General Wheaton, accompanied by the Post Captain and the Herald's correspondent, proceeded to the guard-house where the convicts were confined to apprise them of their fate through an interpreter. The captives evinced considerable interest, and they were evidently striving hard to maintain coraposure, as they had a very stolid appearance, but the nervous twitching of the hands and the restless wandering of their eyes showed that the blow had struck hard. Boston Charley kept steadily chewing tobacco while the sentence was being spoken, and squirted the juice about the floor in a nonchalant style as if nothing of any importance was taking place. S3onchin expressed his contempt for the whole matter, laying back on the bunk, as if the entire proceedings were ther a' bore. Captain Jack appeared to take the news very cooly, but his bright and sparkling eyes appeared unusually brilliant as he.gazed around the circle in a quick and restless manner. The interpreter then informed them, by order of the President, that their wives and families would be taken good care of, also that General Wheaton was now prepared to hear any remarks they had to make. Captain Jack delivered a long harangue. He accused Bogus Charley, one of the respited convicts, of having been the instigator of the crime, and made several appeals to General Wheaton that his life should be spared, all ending with a proposal that his relative, "Scar-faced Charley," should be executed in his stead, so that he might live to take care of his family. Finding all his appeals vain, he became resigned, and said, "I am ready to go and see my great Father above." His two comrades also displayed great fear of death, and prayed that their lives might be spared; but Boston Charley, the youngest of the convicts, received the intelligence of his fate with unbroken composure. "I am a boy," he said, "but I feel like a man. When I look on each side of me, I think of those other men as women. I am wholly man, not half woman. I killed General Canby, assisted by Steamboat Frank and Bogus." The prisoners were shortly afterwards returned to their cells, and at five p.m. were visited by their families. This was the first meeting since the death warrant had been made public, and as it was to be the last before death separated them for ever on this earth, it was natural to expect that it would be affecting, but every one was perfectly unprecared for the frantic state of grief into which the women worked themselves. They howled their weird death songs, and threw themselves on their doomed friends, embracing them all over. Even the little ones seemed to catch the infection, and shouted and wept in the most finished style. Jack appeared very much affected at meeting his favourite squaw Lizzie, and the little papoose. His sister Mary was even more affected, and worked herself into a perfect paroxysm of grief. The little girl even appeared to comprehend the situation, and sobbed bitterly as Jack gave her one last fond embrace. The squaws were removed to the stockade, and the murderers were left in the their cells with no other companion than the gloomy foreboding and anticipation of the morrow. Old Sconchin met his family without much visible emotion, but his children cried bitterly, and the squaws yelled as if the world was coming to an end. The chief did not betray any outward signs of agitation. He kissed his little son repeatedly, and then after they were taken away he laid down in his cell and rolled himself like a ball in his blankets.