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ROBERT McCONAGHY. 621

you be there on Friday, November 16, 1840, hanged by the
neck antil you are dead—dead—dead }
And may God have merey upon your soul!

THE EXECUTION AND CONFESSION.

Though repeatedly urged by the clergymen who attended during
the trial, to confess his guilt, he continually refused, entertaining
the belief that if he confessed not, he should escape being hung. He
persisted in his refusal to the very last. He was brought forth to
the plaee of execution, and although he shuddered at the sight of
the scaffold, and death, yet he turned a deaf ear to all entreaty
designed to lead him to « confession of his guilt, The drop fell, and
it was thought he had gone into the eternal world. But providen-
tially the rope broke; he was yet upon the shores of time, Another
rope was brought, and he again was placed upon the scaffold. Being
now deprived of all hope of life, he ealled his father-in-law to him,
and having asked and obtained his forgiveness, made the following
fall confession:

“T am in the 3ist year of my age, I had not the advantages of
education; I could read a little in print, but not in writing. Oh! had
I been better informed, it would have been better with me today. I
was not in the habit of going to church—seldom have I been in a
church, I had determined to take my woman the Sabbath after I
waa arrested, and have my children baptized. Oh, had I read this
book (the Scriptare), I should not have been so wicked. I was also
much given to swearing. I was not a drankard, but did drink some-
times, and was a few times drunken, I was not long in making up
ry mind to commit this murder; about 2 week, as near as I ean
recollect, I killed George first. I beat him with the supple of a
flail, and left him wounded. I thought he was dead, but I found he
was not. I then choked him to death.

“T then took little Dave out into the woods. I knocked him down
with a little stick, and choked him to death. George halloed and
screamed a great deal. I then went back to the house and took
Jacob, and told him the boys were guuning back there. I then shot
him as he was going on before me, I killed him dead. He was shot
with only one ball, I think, but I did not losd the gun. E say thia
beeause it was testified in court that he was killed with two balis, I
went back to see if the two boys (George and David) were dead. I
found them dead. After I had killed George, I would not have gone
any further, if little Dave had not come out to me. (It is under-
stood by this, that David came out to meet bim as he was returning
from the murder of George.) I then went back to the barn, to see
if I could get any chance at them in the house, but could not. I then
went to the house, and took Elizabeth, and led her ont to gather
strawberries; she had a little bucket, and me a pan. 1 beat her on
the head with stones, and then put my foot upon her neck, and
choked her to death. I then went back to the barn, and sat there a

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