Year: 1866

another world will be the same as in


this, with the difference that there all


will be pure. / have considered this


over for six months, and intended to


give my own life up to my exit out OF


this world. / intended to take my own


life, but did not succeed took G.
nough to take me out of the world, but


it is the great Spirits will that should
not; and I have not done it. Since ]
have been in this prison l have had ev-
cry sect of religion to visit .me. You
cannot tell me one that l have not had
to talk to me. / argued with them on
all their opinions and learned all the
secrets of their hearts on the matters
Of salvation, and dare | deny them
No. have talked with my spiritual ad-
wiser, not because I believe as he does.
I love him as a father, but at the same


my mind is not his mind. +


I Idon't believe to-day-God forgive
me if say anything wrong-that Je-
sus Christ was the Son Of God. My
anatomical knowledge and everything
says that the Immaculate Conception
was not right. 1t is against nature and
philosophy ; it is againt human nature.
l believe that no purer spirit, no better
man, ever lived on earth than Jesus
Christ, and that in the spirit-world he
is next to the Great Creator himself
as far as we know. At the same time,
/ will tell my experience, tell what l
know in my own soul. know from
my own experience that there is COM
with those who have depar-
ted from this Life. I am to-day about
to suffer the extreme penalty OF law,
but, at the same time, am sure shall
be with you after the execution as am
now. l don't believe in spiritualism
particularly, because have never seen
any mediums, nor have | ever seen the
indications of this. At the same time
every creature, | do not care who he
is, will know that at some time in his
life he has been influenced by some pc
cular idea or sentiment he never would
have thought of himself. So far as l
know, l believe the doctrine of Spirit
ualism. l thank my spiritual adviser,
who has spoken to me in relation to
heaven and the suferings of Jesus
Christ, and believe in his miraculous
birth. | believe in him as being the
purest man, the purest spirit that ever
assembled on high. And have taken
the advice and counsel of Mr.. Thome
as a friend and father. He came here
in a moral way to reform every one,
and he laid such foundation in my
mind that | have finally taken the be-
lief now have given.


If thought for a moment that / was
going to birthstone and hell and that
kind of thing for all eternity l should
fear, or did l think l was going to
Heaven and sit there for all eternity,
and do nothing but sing, should be a
fool. They can kill this body, but they
cannot kill this soul. This soul scars
aloft to the great Being that gave it be-
ing 1t has it's work to do, and ] be-
leve this moment that / shall be as
much here after the execution as now
before it believe l am here.


I go, gentlemen, not to the land of
perdition, but to the land of progress
sion; and while | admit the justice Of
the law of Ohio to-day, lsay it is fool
ish and vain. And if you should say
to me that because that rope goes
around my neck and chokes me to
death that it is going to prevent any
crime, l say it is foolish and vain, for
in the condition in which John W.
Hughes was when he committed this
crime, no example on earth would pre-
vent any man from doing just as he did.
|, submit to the law of the land, believ-
ina it is cruel murder to take my life.
From the time fired that pistol up to
this hour, l don't remember the firing
Of that pistol, Doyou think all the ex.
amples on earth would have prevented
my man in that condition from doing
as / did? No; it is mistake. No;
hope my example will not be remem-
bered as an example Of the death pen
atty, but of the folly oft.


Gentleman, goodbye.


The Sheriff now told him that his
time had come. Hughes coolly took
off his collar and cravat and threw them
to the floor below. just before the
halter was placed upon his neck, he
took an affectionatc farewell of Jailor
Smith, who stood, with eX-Sherif
Spangler, upon the topmost stair.


While the rope was being adjusted
about his neck he gazed upon the crowd
before him, while a pleasant smile lit
up his countenance, and said: ooh !!
grave, where is thy victory? Oh!
leath where is thy sting9' care you
ready?" said Mr.. Nicola. 81 am"
returned Hughes, and in the next in
slant he was dangling from the beam
above him. The drop fell at precisely
IL o'clock. He died without the quiv-
nr of a muscle.


During all this time, his wrists had
been hand cuffed in front of him. His
elbows were now drawn to the hips,
md pinioned there, by passing a strap
through them, and buckling it behind.
His legs were piniOned together by a
strap, passing tightly around both legs
above the knee. After hanging twen-
" minutes, life was pronounced ex-
tinct, and the body was lowered by
Deputy Sheriff George Ridgway, Po-


iccman Samuel Furnal and Turnkey
Smith. 1t was then placed in charge
Of the Monas' Committee, and, after
being cofiined, was taken to the Erie
street Cemetery and placed within a
rault fO remain there n connie of