Richmond Daily Times

Execution of the Murderers of the Cosden Family.—Taylor, Shelton and Murphy, the three men convicted of the brutal massacre of William Cosden, his wife sister and wife's sister, at Georgetown Cross Roads, Kent county, Maryland, in March last, were executed at Chestertown Friday, in the presence of several thousand persons, many of whom had come from distant parts of the State to be present at the dreadful scene. It is reported by telegraph that all three of the condemned declared themselves innocent up to the last moment.

The gallows was twenty-five feet high, and the fall six feet. The ropes were ill adjusted, and when the trap dropped, the knot of Murphy's rope broke, and he fell to the ground, a distance of twelve feet. He was perfectly insensible. The others died without a struggle. They hung twenty minutes and were taken down. Murphy, by this time, had recovered, and was again suspended. He appeared to die quite easily. The crowd then dispersed.