When he rose from praying the prisoner was weeping
bitterly. The sheriff then stepped up to him and said: "Come, Mr.
Gordon, your time is up," and he took him by one arm and another
man by the other, and when he raised to his feet they tied his
hands behind him, tied a cloth over his face, led him on to the
trap and the sheriff placed the rope around his neck and started
down the steps to spring the trap, when the prisoner sang out:
"Come back, Meadows, come back!"
The sheriff turned and walked up to where the prisoner was, and he
said:
"Meadows, fix the rope good so it will break my neck, for I want
to die quick."
After the sheriff had fixed the rope he stepped down and sprung
the trap, and from where I was I could not see that Gordon made
the least struggle after he dropped.
Just as we were ready to leave here who should step up but our old
friend Mr. Joe Favor, whom we had not seen for a long time. He
insisted on us going to his store, telling us where to put our
horses. So, after putting our horses up, we went around with him.
On arriving at Favor's place we found that he had a number of his
St. Louis friends with him, who had only arrived a few days
previous to this. After introducing us all around, he said: "I
want you two men to come over and take supper with me. I have just
ordered supper at the Jefferson House.
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