Year: 1873

Ihe irish papers give Welru ueScrlp-
ton of a hanging in the town of Omagh.
The execution was the last scene of
what has been known for two years as
the Newtownstewar Tragedy" The
bank clerk of Omagh had been muir
dered, and Thomas Hart Montgomery
pleaded guilty at his trial for the crime
and was condemned to die. He was
thirty-two years old, and had wife and
child He is what is called cadet in
the constabulary, and had murdered the
bank clerk for the purpose OF robbery.
The act was cold-blooded, and the con-
fession and pleadings were cold-blooded,
and all Montgomery subsequent con-
duct was cold-booded. When his days
we're becoming few he requested the
Governor of the prison to write to his
wife to bring his child to see him. There
was no reply. He then requested the
Chaplain to do him this favor. No re-
sponse. a dead silence had closed
around him. He was removed from his
cell to the hospital in order that he might
not hear the carpenters at work build
ing a scaffold for him in the jail-yard.
According to law every execution of a
capital sentence must take place at the
hour of s am, on the day of execution.
A black flag must be hoisted at the
moment of execution upon staff placed
upon an elevated and conspicuous part
of the prison, and shall remain so dis
played for one hour The bell of the
prison shall be tolled for fifteen minutes
before and fifteen minutes after the exc
cntion." This is part of the formula
of death by the gallows in 0magh. On
this occasion it would seem that nature,
in sympathy with the gloomy business,
got up little performance of her own.
The town of 0magh was wrapped In
gloom. THE houses were closed and
no one could be seen in the streets.
About o'clock am. q thunder storm,
unequaled for years, broke over the
place. Peal after peal burst out, the
heavenu we're black as ink, while the air
was filled with lightning, and rain fell
in torrents. Nothing like the storm had
been seen in Omagh for years. About
8 O clock all cleared up, and the execu,,
ton took place in a glowing sunshine.
So says a faithful chronicler OF the
events OF that day.


While the storm was pounding away
like the crack of doom, and all the peo-
pie were smothered in their houses, the
following performance took place IN the
Jail and its precincts;


Shortly after seven o clock sub sheriff
demanded from the Governor the body
of Montgomery. The doomed man
walked to the presa-Foom with his escort
of jailers and preachers, and there had
an interview with the executioners.
There were two of them, an old man and
young one, representing both enss of
life. and both em5lems Of death. The
prisoner shook hands heartily with the
execatiopers, who cheerfully fixed him
up for his lest appearance. a few min
utes before eight the f4geFa procession
was formed and began to march, 10 the
mournfu! tolliHg of the prison bel
toward the apparatus Of death in Sll
view. The chaplain read the burial ser
vice of the Church of England, anu .he
prisoner vailed between two clergymen
with tremendous fortitnde. He assisted
the tremulous clergymen Hp The seafola
stairs. All this time he spoke no word,
but had come from storm and darkness
into peace and sunshine. He died game,
and was buried according to law in the
precincts Of the prison.