Hill Faced Death with Firmness

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Hill Faced Death with Firmness - Philadelphia Inquirer, April 15, 1893
Philadelphia Inquirer, April 15, 1893
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NEW JERSEY NEWS HILL FACED DEATH WITH FIRMNESS The Youthful Colored Murderer Hanged in the Camden Jail. Religion Braced His Nerves and He Felt No Fear. A Quiet, Speedy Execution, and Death Was Quick and Apparently Painless—The Murder of Joseph Dodson Avenged Without the Usual Delay in Such Cases. Camden county's new gallows scored its first victim to-day when John Hill was hanged for the murder of Joseph Dodson. The execution took place at the County Jail. It was successfully conducted and was devoid of sensational incidents. The gallows had been erected in a room with a lofty ceiling in the southeast corner of the jail building. Tall windows looked out on Federal street and Broadway, but they were veiled with dark curtains, which gabe a sombre hue to the room. The instrument of death had been built on plans furnished by the Sheriff, modeled after the gallows used in the Philadelphia County Prison. There were two trap doors, which fell down when a lever was pulled, allowing the condemned man to fall about seven feet. John Hill, the murderer, was a small, slender youth, in his 18th year. He had professed conversion after his conviction and walked firmly to the gallows, having overcome the terror of death by his religious faith. AROUSED FROM HIS LAST SLEEP. Hill was awakened from a sound slumber at 6.30 o'clock by Constable Renner, one of the death watch. He dressed himself in a new suit of black diagonal striped goods purchased by the Sheriff for the execution. A gray mist hung like a veil before the jail windows, and Hill said he regretted this for he had hoped to see the sun shine once more before he died. He displayed no fear of death, and when his lawyer, Frederick A. Rex, came at 8 o'clock to bid him good-bye the condemned lad said: "I am not afraid to die, for I love Jesus." Hill ate sparingly of the breakfast of beefsteak and potatoes sent in from a neighboring restaurant, and satisfied his longing for pie by eating a big piece of the pastry. Then he lit a cigar and paced up and down the corridor until the arrival of his spiritual adviser, Rev. J. H. Scott, a colored Methodist minister. The last hour preceding the execution was spent in prayer and reading the Bible. WORE A ROSE TO THE GALLOWS. Before going to the gallows Constable Hunt handed the lad a white rose, which he pinned on his coat. When Hill's body fell the rose broke from its stem. At twenty minutes past 10 o'clock, County Clerk Barber called the roll of the Sheriff's jury in the jailor's office. They all responded and took the oath to see that the death penalty was carried into effect. Then the spectators were drawn up two by two, in a line at the left of the door from which the prisoner would emerge as he passed from the jail to the place of execution. It was half-past 10 when these preparations were made and the condemned man sent for. His hands had been secured behind his back with handcuffs and he walked with unfaltering steps down the iron stairways of the jail, through a dark passage way and into the corridor, where the Sheriff stood, with the black cap in his hand. The minister walked by Hill's side. In front were Deputy Sheriff Sell and ex-Deputy Joseph Porter. Constables Hunt and Renner, the death watch, brought up the rear. There was a shuffling of feet in the line of spectators and the procession moved along the corridor and into the dimly-lighted room, where the gallows stood. FACED DEATH WITHOUT FLINCHING. Hill looked at the instrument of death without flinching. He constantly repeated, in a whisper, "Jesus, save me." With firm tread he mounted the steps to the scaffold. The work of death was quickly done. There was no prayer or final speech. The minister whispered a last word of cheer and stepped back. It took but a minute for the Sheriff to drop the noose over the lad's head, for ex-Deputy Porter to pull down the black cap, and then both men stepped back from the drop. Hill did not waver. The Sheriff reached for the cord attached to the lever under the drop, gave a short, quick pull, and as the doors fell with a crash the murderer's body dropped, whirled once around, and then hung motionless. A PAINLESS DEATH. There were no convulsive movements of the body, although the legs were not pinioned. County Physician Iszard, assisted by Coroner's Physician Mattern, of Philadelphia, and Drs. Tomlinson, Jones and Levis, of Camden, timed the fleeting spark of life. In four minutes and fourteen seconds the pulse stopped beating and at the end of six minutes and fifty-seven seconds the action of the heart ceased. The body had been shaken slightly by a few tremors, but there was no death struggle. After the body had been hanging for twenty minutes the noose was unloosened and the corpse carried into a room adjoining the jailor's office. The eyes were closed and the face bore no evidence of a violent death. The silent spectators formed a group around the corpse, while Rev. Mr. Scott read the Methodist service for the dead. Four hours later the physicians made an autopsy and late in the afternoon Coroner Jefferis conveyed the remains in his dead wagon to the New Camden Cemetery where they were interred in a grave paid for by the county. SWIFT JERSEY JUSTICE. Jersey justice has not been leaden-heeled in Hill's case. It is less than six months since he committed the crime for which the law took his life. At 1 o'clock on Sunday morning, October 16, 1892, John Hill, secreted in the bushes near Reed & Derrickson's saloon, at Seventh and Sycamore streets, fired a bullet into Joseph Dodson's brain. The latter was a young colored man who had beaten Hill during a row, a few days previously, in the dance hall attached to the saloon. Hill had threatened to get even with Dodson. He took a revolver from a drawer in the saloon, drank liquor to nerve himself for the deed, and then fired the fatal shot. At the trial, early in February last, Hill swore that Reed & Derrickson, the proprietors of the saloon, had hired him to kill Dodson. The two men were tried as accessories and acquitted. Three weeks ago Hill confessed that his charge against these two men was false.

New Jersey News

The Youthful Colored Murderer Hanged in the Camden Jail.

Religion Braced His Nerves and He Felt No Fear.

A Quiet, Speedy Execution, and Death Was Quick and Apparently Painless—The Murder of Joseph Dodson Avenged Without the Usual Delay in Such Cases.

Camden county's new gallows scored its first victim to-day when John Hill was hanged for the murder of Joseph Dodson. The execution took place at the County Jail. It was successfully conducted and was devoid of sensational incidents.

The gallows had been erected in a room with a lofty ceiling in the southeast corner of the jail building. Tall windows looked out on Federal street and Broadway, but they were veiled with dark curtains, which gabe [sic] a sombre hue to the room. The instrument of death had been built on plans furnished by the Sheriff, modeled after the gallows used in the Philadelphia County Prison. There were two trap doors, which fell down when a lever was pulled, allowing the condemned man to fall about seven feet.

John Hill, the murderer, was a small, slender youth, in his 18th year. He had professed conversion after his conviction and walked firmly to the gallows, having overcome the terror of death by his religious faith.

AROUSED FROM HIS LAST SLEEP.

Hill was awakened from a sound slumber at 6.30 o'clock by Constable Renner, one of the death watch. He dressed himself in a new suit of black diagonal striped goods purchased by the Sheriff for the execution.

A gray mist hung like a veil before the jail windows, and Hill said he regretted this for he had hoped to see the sun shine once more before he died.

He displayed no fear of death, and when his lawyer, Frederick A. Rex, came at 8 o'clock to bid him good-bye the condemned lad said:

"I am not afraid to die, for I love Jesus."

Hill ate sparingly of the breakfast of beefsteak and potatoes sent in from a neighboring restaurant, and satisfied his longing for pie by eating a big piece of the pastry. Then he lit a cigar and paced up and down the corridor until the arrival of his spiritual adviser, Rev. J. H. Scott, a colored Methodist minister. The last hour preceding the execution was spent in prayer and reading the Bible.

WORE A ROSE TO THE GALLOWS.

Before going to the gallows Constable Hunt handed the lad a white rose, which he pinned on his coat. When Hill's body fell the rose broke from its stem.

At twenty minutes past 10 o'clock, County Clerk Barber called the roll of the Sheriff's jury in the jailor's office. They all responded and took the oath to see that the death penalty was carried into effect. Then the spectators were drawn up two by two, in a line at the left of the door from which the prisoner would emerge as he passed from the jail to the place of execution.

It was half-past 10 when these preparations were made and the condemned man sent for.

His hands had been secured behind his back with handcuffs and he walked with unfaltering steps down the iron stairways of the jail, through a dark passage way and into the corridor, where the Sheriff stood, with the black cap in his hand.

The minister walked by Hill's side. In front were Deputy Sheriff Sell and ex-Deputy Joseph Porter. Constables Hunt and Renner, the death watch, brought up the rear. There was a shuffling of feet in the line of spectators and the procession moved along the corridor and into the dimly-lighted room, where the gallows stood.

FACED DEATH WITHOUT FLINCHING.

Hill looked at the instrument of death without flinching. He constantly repeated, in a whisper, "Jesus, save me."

With firm tread he mounted the steps to the scaffold. The work of death was quickly done. There was no prayer or final speech. The minister whispered a last word of cheer and stepped back.

It took but a minute for the Sheriff to drop the noose over the lad's head, for ex-Deputy Porter to pull down the black cap, and then both men stepped back from the drop. Hill did not waver.

The Sheriff reached for the cord attached to the lever under the drop, gave a short, quick pull, and as the doors fell with a crash the murderer's body dropped, whirled once around, and then hung motionless.

A PAINLESS DEATH.

There were no convulsive movements of the body, although the legs were not pinioned. County Physician Iszard, assisted by Coroner's Physician Mattern, of Philadelphia, and Drs. Tomlinson, Jones and Levis, of Camden, timed the fleeting spark of life.

In four minutes and fourteen seconds the pulse stopped beating and at the end of six minutes and fifty-seven seconds the action of the heart ceased. The body had been shaken slightly by a few tremors, but there was no death struggle.

After the body had been hanging for twenty minutes the noose was unloosened and the corpse carried into a room adjoining the jailor's office. The eyes were closed and the face bore no evidence of a violent death.

The silent spectators formed a group around the corpse, while Rev. Mr. Scott read the Methodist service for the dead. Four hours later the physicians made an autopsy and late in the afternoon Coroner Jefferis conveyed the remains in his dead wagon to the New Camden Cemetery where they were interred in a grave paid for by the county.

SWIFT JERSEY JUSTICE.

Jersey justice has not been leaden-heeled in Hill's case. It is less than six months since he committed the crime for which the law took his life. At 1 o'clock on Sunday morning, October 16, 1892, John Hill, secreted in the bushes near Reed & Derrickson's saloon, at Seventh and Sycamore streets, fired a bullet into Joseph Dodson's brain.

The latter was a young colored man who had beaten Hill during a row, a few days previously, in the dance hall attached to the saloon. Hill had threatened to get even with Dodson. He took a revolver from a drawer in the saloon, drank liquor to nerve himself for the deed, and then fired the fatal shot.

At the trial, early in February last, Hill swore that Reed & Derrickson, the proprietors of the saloon, had hired him to kill Dodson. The two men were tried as accessories and acquitted. Three weeks ago Hill confessed that his charge against these two men was false.

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