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COiNFESSlOX AND EXECUTION 
 
 OF 
 
 U-" 
 
 HORACE B. CONKLIN, 
 
 Tried at Utsca, October 9th and lOth, 
 
 AND 
 
 Executed at Whitestown, November 21, 1851. 
 
 ^ 
 
 FOR 
 
 ARSON IN THE FIRST DEGREE. 
 
 NEW YORK : 
 
 PRINTED FOR WILLIAII CONKLIN. 
 ^^1 N 1851. 
 
building. I turned and went back a few steps, and I saw But- 
 lerfield draw a match and touch it to some shavings and come 
 away. We came up to Fayette street together, and Butterfield 
 went down Fayette street, saying he was going to Sayre's store, 
 and wait until it broke out. Orcutt and myself went across 
 Fayette street and through the lane by Mr. Sayre's house, to 
 Columbia street, down Columbia street to Genesee street, down 
 Genesee street to Liberty street, up Liberty street to where Mr. 
 Cozzens lives, so as to see if it burned or had gone out. We 
 saw it burning very brightly. We then went down Liberty 
 street to Washington street, up that to Fayette street, then down 
 to Genesee street, and I went to Sayre's store to tell them that 
 it would soon break out. I went into the store, and there saw 
 Buttei field, Sayie and Mclver ; and I think some other persons, 
 but am not positive. Butterfield and Sayre had their firemen 
 shirts on ; think no one else. I left the store and went with 
 Orcutt on the west side of Genesee street bridge, and I gave the 
 alarm. Before I gave it the second time, I saw Sayre and But- 
 terfield come out of the store. They run up Liberty street. 
 Orcutt and mjself went up Genesee street to the engine house. 
 I did not know that the house was lo be firtd, until Butterfield 
 came and called me to the door, and told me, he had meant 
 merely to make a sham fire ; not a real one. Either the same 
 night, or very soon after, I told Robert W. Chapman, the fore- 
 man of the company, of this, in substance as now related. 
 
 A short time after this, I received a letter purporting to come 
 from some one, who wanted a $100 of us for not telling, as he 
 said he was acquauited with the whole transaction. I imme- 
 diately informed Orcutt and Butterfield of it, and Butterfield said 
 he would do nothing about it. That if any one came to him, he 
 would sue them for trying to obtain money from him by threats. 
 He took tiie letter and burned it up. This was at the engine 
 house. The letter was signed by Hale or Bale, which I do not 
 now recollect. 
 
 When Orcutt and myself left Butterfield, on the night after 
 the fire was set, Orcutt told me that the fire was kindl d m the 
 following manner. They took an empty nail keg and then filled 
 
it with sliaviiigs, and put the paper and pieces of pitch barrel 
 into it, and then set it on fire ; placed an empty barrel over it, 
 and shoved it under the stair wny. This was in the part of the 
 building adjoining the house where Collis lived. 
 
 The next fire was Cooper's barn, on "Water street. The pro- 
 posal to have a fire, proceeded from Charles 11. Say re, in the 
 following manner : I was in Cassidy's saloon with Orcntt ; Sayre 
 called me one side and gave me some money, and told me to give 
 it to Orcutt, and tell him to make some fire for the boys this eve- 
 ning ; I done so, and went wiih Orcutt. After wondering around 
 for some length of time, we went on to Water street, and up that 
 stieet to the barn. Went to the back side of the barn, and Or- 
 cutt fired it underneath with some paper wliich he lighted with a 
 match. We came away, and when the alarm was given, we 
 went to the engine bouse. 
 
 The next fire was Walker & Clarke's store house, on Wash- 
 ington street. This was proposed by Orcutt. It' was at the 
 engine house, when the proposal was made, one evening after a 
 meeting of the company. He filled a lamp-filler with turpentine 
 from a jug that was in the engine house, which was used for the 
 purpose of mixing with oil to burn in the torches. With th's we 
 proceeded through the lumber yard of L. Lawrence and round by 
 Munson's millstone shop to Washington street, and went into the 
 alley-way in the rear of the store house. Orcutt poured the tur- 
 pentine in a place where a board was tore off, and then touched 
 it with a match. I stood at the corner of the alley-way, keeping 
 watch. After he lighted it, we went into the yard of Munson & 
 Hart's and climbed over the shed, and went through the lumber 
 yard into the engine house by the back door, and hid there until 
 after the alarm was given, and the engine taken from the house, 
 when we joined them, and went to the fire. Soon afcer this 
 Charles H. Sayre told me that I was suspected of firing, by the 
 owner, John C. Hoyt. I denied fireing, as I do now. 
 
 The next fire that I know any thing about, was Harrington's 
 barn. The evening that this was fired, a number of the members 
 of the Company had been to Checkerville to a supper, given to 
 the Company by R. W. Chapman, late foreman of the Company. 
 
Myself and Henry S. Newell went to Checkerville together in a 
 wagon. On our return, when in front of the Central Hotel, we 
 were stopped by Orcutt, who inquired where we were going, and 
 I replied, to take the horse home, and then go home ourselves, 
 and drove ahmg. After taking the horse home, Newell and 
 tnysf'lf went over to the Oregon Saloon and got something to 
 drink ; while drinking. Orcutt came in, and Newell a^-ked him to 
 drink with us ; he coniplii^d. Newell then proposed to us, to go 
 a part of the way home with him, and we startled. When we ar- 
 rived in front of the Female Academy, on Genesee street, Ntwell 
 proposed to u-< to have a fire. We said, all right. We went np 
 Gt^ne-=ee street to Court street, up Court street to the crossing of 
 the Chenanio Canal, then across the commons to Varick street, 
 down Varick street to the yard ot the Central Sixth Ward House, 
 and Orcu'.t tried to iiie it. I fell against a window and broke it, 
 and we came away to Columliia street, up Columbia street to the 
 office of ihe'S.eam Woolen Company, where Newell and myself 
 Btopped. Orcutt crossed the road and entered the barn. As 
 soon as he entered, Newell and myself started, and came dovv^n to 
 Columbia sireet, to where it intersects with Hamilton street, and 
 then Oicutt joined us and said, he had set it on fire. We came 
 down to the engine house and went to the fire. After the fire 
 was out and the engine returned to the house, I started to go 
 home from the engine house with Rudolph Snyder, and Newell 
 and Orcutt followed me to the door of my house, and wanted me 
 to go with them to make another fire. I would have nothing to 
 do with it, and they left me. 
 
 The next fire that I have any personal knowledge of, is the 
 shed of Paul Keiser, on Columbia street. This was proposed to 
 me, by Newell, in his brother's store one evening. He filled an 
 old rag vpith turpentine, and put it in his pocket, and af er the 
 store was closed, we walked around the streets from one Saloon 
 to another, drinking and smoking ti 1 it was late. We then went 
 into West Uiica, direct to the shed, and Newell gave me the rag 
 and ma ches, and I got upon the manger, touched a match to the 
 segar which I was smoking, touched it to the rag, and shoved it 
 into the loft. We came across the common, to Court street, and 
 
down to Genesee street, to Devereux street, tliroufjh that to 
 Charlotte street, down Charlotte to Bleecker .street and up to the 
 engine house, and from there to the fire with the Ho-e Company. 
 Orcutt was not with us when this was done. 
 
 The next iire of which I have any knowledge, was the barn of 
 Hatch, at t!ie foot of Seneca street. This was proposed by New- 
 ell, who said it was a good night to makeea fire, and he swore ho 
 would not go home until there was one. Durin^the evening we 
 were at the Garden Alley, rolling ten-pins and drinking very 
 freely. This conversation was after we had left there. We 
 came up Whitesboro street to S^nieca street, and Newell said 
 that he had a spot picked out, and when we came to the alley- 
 way he went in and I followed him. The barn door was open. 
 We went in, and Nev/ell set it on fire in one place and myseh in 
 another, and came away, and went into my house ; staid there in 
 the kitchen, and built a fire in the stove; sat there uuiil the 
 alarm was given. Newell told me that James L. Sayre was 
 knowing to this fire the next morning afier. 
 
 The next fire was the first Presbyterian church. This was 
 proposed to me one evening in Newell's store, about two or three 
 days l)efore it was burned, by James L. Sayre and Newell. I 
 refused to have any thing to do with it at the time. On the 
 night it was burned, I was in company with Newell, drinking and 
 carousing until quite late. Newell proposed to go home with 
 me, and stay at my house all night. When we got there, he 
 asked me to go and walk a little farther with him. I went ; 
 went up Liberty street to where there is a new double dwelling 
 house, and then went across into the church yard; when we got 
 there, Newell took two pieces of paper out of his pocket and 
 rubbed them on the snow, and stu^-k them on the glass of the 
 window. He said there was gum paste on the paper, and he 
 could break the glass without making a noise. He broke one 
 pane of the glass and myself another. This was to unbulton the 
 window and raise the sash to get in. We went in and proceeded, 
 through the session room, up stairs, into the steeple. We stopped 
 in the section under the bell room. I gathered up some chips 
 and shavings that lay on the floor, and put them in the north* 
 
8 
 
 west corner of the room. Newell took from his pocket a sponge 
 which was filled with turpentine, which he got at his brothbr's 
 store, and candle also, and with the candle he lighted the sponge 
 and threw it among the shavings and chips. I cut the bell rope 
 off and tied a piece of shingle to the rope, so that it could not be 
 rung. We now came away. I went home and went to bed, and 
 staid there until called by Mrs. Morgan, who lived in the same 
 house with me. Where Newell was, I did not know until the 
 next day, and then Mrs. Conklin told me she saw him in our 
 l)ack 3^ird looking through the fence at the fire. In relation to 
 what Laupaugh swore to on my examination, I know nothing of 
 it at all. P"or my part in this transaction I had the following ar- 
 ticles and money given me by James L. Sayre : two penknives, 
 one six blade Congress knife, and at different times four or five 
 dollars m money. 
 
 The next fire was Foster & Dickinson's store. This was pro- 
 posed to me by Newell and Sayre, and by Newell to Orcutt. 
 On the evening on which it was fired there was a false alarm of 
 fire, and a sort of fireman's I'ow at the corner of John and Bleeck- 
 er streets, between Columbian Ho?e Co. and Osceola Engine Co. 
 No. 9. A part of our company was there. After going home 
 with Columbian Hose Co. we [that is, Newell, Orcutt and my- 
 self,] drank a number of times in a number of different places, 
 imtil about ten or half-past ten o'clock, when we went into the 
 alley-way by the Catherine Street House, through a shed occu- 
 pied by John Butterfield & Son, into the yard in the rear of 
 Tiffany's bookstore. We got upon the fence, and Orcutt got 
 over and raised up the window, and said to me " come along, 
 Hod." 1 got down and held the window until he got into the 
 store, and then he held it until I got in. With the aid of a 
 match I found an empty barrel, and into this we put some old 
 barrel heads. I drew some turpentine and poured it on to the 
 pieces ; the quantity was nearly half a pint. I now got out of 
 the window. Orcutt drew a match and threw it into the barrel, 
 and then as he came along he stopped and turned the fascet of 
 the turpentine can, and set it to running on the floor, and then 
 got out, and we came out the ^ame way we went in. We found 
 
Newell on the cross walk in Genesee street, between the Nation- 
 al Hotel and Bailey's jewelry store. This tire, Newell after- 
 wards told me, was planned, about a month previous, by himself 
 and James L. Sayre. He said he wished it had burned up the 
 old brush tactory. 
 
 The next fire was the barn of Mr. James Sayre. This was 
 proposed to me by his son, James L. Sayre, and it was also pro- 
 ))Osed to Orcutt and myself by Newell. On the night that it was 
 burned, we went round to the places as stated by Newell on my 
 trial. And when I started to go home he proposed to go up 
 lliere and fire tha barn. "We went. Newell went by the arch' 
 way of the barn. I went in. I put my hand through the win- 
 dow, or hole, which was open, and took hold of the manger and 
 raised myself up so as to reach into the loft, drew a match and 
 lit a handful of hay and threw it into the loft. The manger was 
 filled with hay, and the door, or hole, opened by James L. Sayre, 
 so he told me before the fire, and after the fire al^o. For this I 
 received from him one four-bladed knife, three one-bladed dirk 
 knive-i, an ivory rule, bound with German silver ; ticket to No. 
 •Vs Company ball, ticket to promenade concert given by Colum- 
 bian Hose Co., and money at different times to the amount of 
 six or eight dollars, from James L. Sayre, and some eight or ten 
 dollars from Plenry S. Newell. 
 
 These are all the fires I know anything about, personally. 
 What else I know, was told me by Orcutt and Newell. Newell 
 told me that he fired Marsh's livery stable. Orcutt told me that 
 be fired it with the help of Newell. Newell told me that he held 
 the ladder, while Orcutt went up and fired Downer's stable in 
 his lumber yard. Orcutt told me that John O'Neil and himself 
 fired Ciark's livery stable, and that at the request of D. A. But- 
 tt^rfield, he fired Hawley's stable, and I have no doubt of its be- 
 ing true, for Butterfield said to me on election day, that if Charles 
 H. Sayre was elected Alderman, there would be a rousing fire in 
 the first ward that night ; these are the words used by him. Or- 
 luitt also told me that he fired the barn of the Mansion House 
 and also Wratten's carpenter shop ; and also, that John O'Neil 
 and himself fired Millar's carpenter shop. Orc-itt also told me 
 
10 
 
 that he and Newell fired the house of John Camp on Liberty 
 street, No. 46, and that Newell took him into my house one night 
 to have him fire it, but he refused. Newell got Daniel A. But- 
 terfield to insure the house for the purpose of having it burned. 
 He also wished me to set it on fire, and he said if I lost anything 
 he would p;ty me for it, or ni-.ike it good to me. He also wished 
 me to fire liis sister's house on the corner of Broadway and Lib- 
 erty street. He proposed the same to Orcutt. He also wanted me 
 to burn hi-; brother's store ; and told me where to get in, in the 
 rear ot the store. 
 
 One thing I had forgotten in relation to Foster & Dickinson's 
 store — the way we got through to Tiffany's yard : James L. 
 Sayre knocked a board off of the fence, during the day lime, on 
 purpose for us to go through. I have received mnney from 
 Charles H. Sayre to give Orcutt twice or three time<, and always 
 was told to tell him to make some fun. On the day of Orcutt's 
 arresr, J;imes L. Sayie told me that lie gave Orcuit sonii- m )ney 
 the night before, but did not t' 11 iiim to make a fire. On the 
 iii<;ht tb.it the two fires were in West Utica, I saw James L. 
 Sayre give monty to Orcutt and tell him to make a fire. I saw 
 Newell give Orcutt tliree dollars in the Oregon Saloon, to pay 
 him for making a fire a short time before. One evening, at the 
 City Garden Saloon, Charles O'Neil proposed to me to make A 
 fire, and said he would give me five dollars if I won'd. but I re- 
 fused. James L. Sayre told me that Butterfield wanted me to 
 burn the bai'n of T, S. Faxton, because Mr. Faxton had so 
 much nicer horses than his father. He told me that Butt rfield 
 said it could be done from a yard in Pine street, and ihat if I 
 would do it he would pay me well for it, but I refused all over- 
 tures of the kind. Newell told me that he and Laupa'iiih had 
 fired buildings some years ago, when Laupaugh was with S. V. 
 Ole^y learning a trade. Orcutt told me that Charles H. Sriyre 
 came up to Rome, and talked with him, and gave iiim ten dol- 
 lars; told hira to keep still and say nothing. Chaih- II. Sayre 
 came up here to see me early in the summer, and I told liim 
 about his brother preparing the barn of his father, an<) hiring me 
 to fire it. Charles H. Sayre told me a few days before I was ar- 
 
11 
 
 rested, that there was a secret police watcliing myself and Orcutt. 
 He said there was six men to watch Orcutt in particular. This 
 he requested me to inform Orcutt of, but iiot to mention that he 
 (Sayre) told me of it. I told Orcutt as he requested. Some 
 time previous to the burning of Kaiser's barn, Henry S. Newell 
 showed me a slow-match, which he had made of punk and 
 ma'ches. The matches were tied around a piece of punk, leav- 
 ing liie punk projecting at one end about half an inch, so that the 
 matches would ignite when the punk burned up to them. The 
 same evening he proposed to me to go with him and try it. We 
 went into West Uiica and Newell threw it into the barn belong- 
 ing to James Mapes, but it did not take effect. 
 
 The testimony given on my trial, against me, by John R. 
 Jones, the Sheriff, so far as relates to the confession which he 
 swore to, is false, totally false. I never told Mr. Jones any thing 
 Uiat implicated myself or any one else. 
 
 In relation to what Laupaugh swore to on my examination about 
 the carpenter's shop of Mr. Thomas — this is the version of it : 
 Laupaugh, myself and Newell went into the yard in the rear of 
 the shop, but as I understand it, he was the one who prepared to 
 fire it, and who would have done it, if he had not been scared 
 away by the dog. In the charge against me, made by him, of 
 my attempting to fire Scranton's shop, I made no such attempt. 
 I was urged to by him and Newell, but would not, and we separa 
 ted. I am well aware that my statements do not agree with 
 Orcutt in many particulars, but I can not help it, for I am con- 
 vinced in my mind that my statements are correct in all particu- 
 lars. I have just been talking with Orcutt, and he promises to 
 write to the persons having the charge of his statements and cor- 
 rect them, as far as he is able, in all that he can recollect, and in 
 particular to the barn of Harrington, Cooper's barn, and Walker 
 & Clarke's store house, as he says, he is now convinced that in 
 them he has wronged me, although unintentionally. In relation 
 to the burning of the barn of W. C. Maish, he has wronged me. 
 I was not aware there had been a fire, until late the next morn- 
 ing. In what he says in regard to the Law Buildings, I know 
 nothiiiff at all. I never heard of it until I saw it in his sta;e- 
 
12 
 
 ment, and it surprised me very much. I know nothing in rela- 
 tion to Butterfield except what is reLated in this paper. And I 
 do not state anything at all for the purpose of injuring any one. 
 I do it as an act of justice to the public, and that my friends may 
 know liow I actually stand in this matter. I have no ill feelings 
 against any one, whose name is mentioned in this confession. 
 For what wrong they have done me, I freely forgive them, and 
 pray to God to forgive them as freely as I do. And if I have in 
 any manner wronged them I hope they may forgive me, and pray 
 for me, as I would not intentionally have done so, or would I 
 for all the world. 
 
 Mr. Charles H. Sayre swore on my trial that I was not a mem- 
 ber of No. 3 fire company ; that I was only a runner. For the 
 truth of the statement, I would refer any one who may read this, 
 to the petition of the Secretary for the appointment of members 
 of the company, which was approved, and petition granted by the 
 Common Council, April 4th, 1851, one night only before I was 
 arrested. This petition is in the hands ot Richard Lee, and I 
 am certain that ray name will be found there. For further proof 
 I would refer to Amos H. Scranton, who was Secretary jjart ot 
 the time, and to whom I paid my fines and taxes ; and still fur- 
 ther, to the receipt for one share of stock which will be found 
 among my papers, signed by Charles H. Sayre, as Treasurer, and 
 J. H. H. Russ, President, and which I received from Sayre in 
 the presence of Robert W. Chapman. All this must convince 
 any reasonable person that he was very much mistaken in that 
 respect, if not in others. 
 
 I think I have stated all that I know concerning the fires, and 
 their origin, and what led to them. I was led into them, and af- 
 ter they were commenced I was threatened with exposure if I 
 did not continue. I never proposed to make a fire to any one. 
 And I never should have made any myself, had I not been urged 
 by James L. Sayre and H. S. Newell, and in an indirect way by 
 Charles H. Sayre. To them I mainly charge my ruin. 
 
 At the time I was engaged in painting at Concert Hall, James 
 L. Sayre and H. S. Newell came there almost every day to talk 
 with me, and urge me to make fires in company with him and 
 Newell ; and told me of places which were to be burned. James 
 L. Sayre's object, as he told me, in firing Foster & Dickinson's 
 store, was in hopes of burning the store of his father, and New- 
 ell wished it to burn the store of his brother at the same time. 
 I had no ill-will against any one whose property was burned. It 
 was done, as far as I know, for the purpose of getting the engines 
 out and having sport. The cohsequences were hardly thought 
 of. Refreshments furnished by the citizens after the fire, was as 
 
13 
 
 much the object as anything I know of that produced the 
 fires. 
 
 The fire at Sayre's barn was not fired until after some two or 
 three weeks from the time it was first proposed, and during every 
 day of this time I was urged both by James L. Sayre and New- 
 ell to consent to it, and I never consented until the night it was 
 fired. And I should not have done it then had I not been in li- 
 quor, for I never calculated to set it on fire, and I had repeated- 
 ly said I would have notliing to do with it, but when in liquor I 
 knew not what I did. During the time of Sayre's urging me to 
 do it, I threatened to inform his father of it, if he did not stop 
 talking about it, and he threatened me with exposure if I did not 
 do as he wished. 
 
 Previous to all fires, that I was ever connected with, I was 
 filled with liquor until all sense had left me, so that I hardly 
 knew what I was doing. The liquor was furnished by James L. 
 Sayre and Henry S. Newell. 
 
 This I solemnly declare, before God, to be true in all respects 
 and nothing exaggerated. HORACE B. CONKLIN. 
 
 LAST LETTER. 
 
 WiiiTESTOWN, Nov. 20, 1851. 
 On the very eve of suffering a violent and ignominious death, 
 for grievous wrongs to my fellow-men ; and for a grievous viola- 
 tion of the law of the land, I would take a moment from the 
 short time that remains for my preparation to enter the eternal 
 
14 
 
 world, to warn others against the causes that have involved me 
 in the crime that consigns me to the fate so immediately at hand. 
 I am not aware that I iiave harbored a malicious disposition, and 
 perfectly sure that I was not impelle^', for that which I am called 
 to die, by a rev>-ngful treatment towards any individual. I trace 
 my ruin to heedlessness, as its ultimate cause, which left me to 
 be easily influenced by evil associations, and to be easily con- 
 trolled by evil companions. I am the victim, more immediately, 
 of bar-room and saloon tip()ling, and of engine house frolic and 
 debauchery. And with all the earnestness which my nearness to 
 eternity gives me, I beg those who are engaged in vending in- 
 toxicating drinks to give up their corrupt traffic. I beg the civil 
 authorities, and all j:ood citizens, to use their powers and influ- 
 ence to suppress the liquor trade, and to correct and guard against 
 the abuses and evils of the Fire Department. I beg parents 
 more faithfully to restrain their cliildren, and I especially beg 
 young men to shun the resorts for drinking and dissipation. May 
 God bless my example to the reformation of the wayward and 
 vicious, and lo the protec ion of the innocent. May He bring to 
 repentance, and forj:ive, as I heartily forgive, those who have 
 wronged, and for a time at least, ruined me, and guilty and ill- 
 deserving as I am, may he save me for Jesus' sake. 
 
 HORACE B. CONKLIN. 
 
 THE EXECUTION. 
 
 The unfortunate Conklin is no more. He was executed on 
 Friday, Nov. 21, 1851, at a quarter past 11 o'clock. 
 
 His relatives had spent most of the preceding night with him 
 in his cell, hut had bid him a last farewell before daylight. Rev. 
 P. H. Fowler, Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in this 
 city, of which the unfortunate man's mother is an exemplary 
 memlier, has been his spiritual adviser. He attended him during 
 the morning also, and offered the consolations of the Gospel in his 
 last moments. 
 
 The pii>orier, ever since his conviction, has exhibited a proper 
 spiiit. He has been very much broken in heart for his past mis- 
 deeds, and has looked wiih hope and confidence for forgiveness. 
 
15 
 
 His converjiation, with regard to such as he thought had wronged 
 him, has all been in the most christian s^pirit. His ia-^t niglit he 
 dechired to be the happiest of hi-; life. lie again and again pro- 
 tested that he would choose to die rather than live the life he had 
 lived. Kev Mr. Fowler informs us that he cannot conceive that 
 a man in Conklin's circumstances could act better than he has 
 done since his conviction. 
 
 The instrument of death was a lever with its longer arm about 
 two feet longer than its shorter, erected in the jail jard at Whiles 
 boro. To the longer arm wafe attached three 56 lbs. weights. 
 From the shorter the prisoner was sus ended. The longer arm 
 was fastened with a cord to a beam, and by cutting the cord, the 
 weights were made to iall, and the other arm ot the lever was 
 suddenly raised about six feet. In the enclosure, were about 
 two hundred persons, jurymen, special deputies, and others. The 
 Utica Citizens' Corps, and thn Waterville Corps were on daty. 
 
 At eleven o'clock, the Death Warrant, signed by Judge Grid- 
 ley, Root, Evans, and Penfield, was read by the District Attor- 
 ney to the prisoner in his cell. He listened to it calmly, and 
 then shook hands with those about him. 
 
 At a quarter past eleven, the prisoner was brought from his 
 cell, accompanied by Rev. Mr. Fowler. Conklin was attired in 
 a black dress coat and pants. His arras were bound with a cord 
 behind his back. On his head was the death cap, and on his 
 neck the fatal rope. He was placed on a chair beneath the gal- 
 lows. 
 
 Rev. Mr. Fowler said : 
 
 Conklin wishes me to say for him that he has nothing to add 
 to that which he has already committed to paper. But he prays 
 that his awful example may be sanctified to all present. He prays 
 that it may be a warning to all to shun his course, and to prepare 
 you for the certain death which awaits you all. He entreats that 
 you may all be ready at your appointed hours, to meet him in 
 judgment. 
 
 Rev. Mr> Fowler then offered a fervent prayer for the pardon 
 of the prisoner, and that he might be with Clirist that hour in 
 Paradise. 
 
 Conklin said : " Lord Jesu", receive my spirit." 
 
 And Mr. Fowler said : " The Lord have mercy on your soul." 
 
 The prisoner was calm and exhibited no signs of fear, but met 
 death like one who saw a better prospect beyond the tomb. 
 
 While Under Sheriff Ostrom was adjusting the rope, Conklin 
 once or twice repeated the words : " Lord Jesus, receive my 
 spirit." 
 
 Ihe death cap was pulled over the unfortunate man's face. 
 The rope was cut. Conklin was raised several feet from the 
 
16 
 
 ground. Ili^ neck was not broken, but the jerk rendered him 
 insensible, and he probably sutFered no pain afterwards, although 
 his pul-e was observed by Drs. Smith, Tallot, and Cobb, who 
 were in attendance; to beat for from twelve to thirteen minutes 
 after he was first su-ipended. He died by strangulation. His 
 death was easy, though life lingered long. 
 
 As he rose, he clenched his tists, but tliere was hardly another 
 movement at first. After awhile, a few convulsions, and then all 
 was over. 
 
 The body was suffered to hang for about thirty minutes. It 
 was the put in a coffin and brought in a hearse to the residence 
 of his f itiier. 
 
 Tiie law is satisfied. Let not its odium fall on the innocent. 
 The rehitives and friends of the deceased should feel that they 
 have the sympathy of all good persons, in their afflict ion. 
 

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