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Cornell University Library 1993.THE TRIAL AND EXECUTION
OF
THE THREE THAYERS.
READ BEFORE THE SOCIETY, MARCH 15, 1869.
BY NATHANIEL WILGUS.*
I first saw two of these young men, Isaac and Nelson, in
September,T824. They came into the village of Buffalo with
a load of lumber, drawn by an ox team. I was standing with
the late Hiram Pratt, at the corner of Main and Swan streets,
and they came along with their team, bound for their home in
Boston, in this county. They prided themselves on their no-
toriety. Each one had on an old-fashioned bonnet* in place
of a hat or cap; and they were distinguished by many other
peculiarities that made them the subject of remark by our citi-
zens. They were very profane, and called one of their oxen
“God Almighty” and the other “Jesus Christ;” and at the time
I saw them were evidently much intoxicated. I then observed
to Mr. Pratt that human life would not be of much value in
their hands.
*Died, March 28th, 1873.i8o
EXECUTION OF THE THREE THA YERS.
I next saw them after their arrest for the murder of John
Love. Isaac, the youngest, was first arrested* upon suspicion,
brought to Buffalo and confined in the jail; and after a few
days’ search the body of Love was found, and then Israel and
Nelson were arrested and also brought to the jail.
Wray S. Littlefield was the Sheriff, and when he came into
Buffalo with them he drove to R. Hargrave Lee’s store on
Main street, where Julius Francis now keeps a drugstore, and
sent for General Potter, the then District Attorney. From
thence they were conveyed to the old stone jail erected in 1810,
on Washington street, where the Darrow block now stands.
The jail was a two-story stone building, with a high basement;
and a flight of steps ascended from the sidewalk to the door.
The yard around the jail was surrounded with wooden spiles
or pickets from fourteen to sixteen feet high, after the fashion
of old forts in the early days of our country.
Isaac was at the time confined in the debtors’ apartment, as
there had been no particular proof against him, and he insisted
that Love had not been murdered, but had left the country for
fear of being arrested on account of debt. When his two
brothers had been brought into the room where he was, and
General Potter informed him that the dead body had been
found, shot through, he turned pale and lifeless, and made no
reply, but covered his head with his bed blanket. They were
then placed in separate cells to await the action of the grand
jury, and a true bill was found, and they were tried on the
twenty-first, twenty-second and twenty-third days of April,
1825, in the old court-house in Buffalo, before Hon. Reuben H.
Walworth, then Circuit Judge, and afterwards Chancellor of
the State. General Potter conducted the trial as District At-
torney, and Thomas C. Love with other counsel defended.
The proceedings of the trial were fully reported by James
Sheldon; and a copy can be seen at the Young Men’s Asso-
ciation rooms. Judge Walworth sentenced them to be hung,
June 17th, 1825.EXECUTION OF THE THREE THAYERS. 181
During the time of their confinement, I resided on the east
side of Washington street in the building now occupied by a
bonnet factory, and next door below Doctor Blanchard’s;
which residence I commenced occupying in 1819, about fifty
years ago; and I had almost daily intercourse with the unfor-
tunate young men. Isaac was but twenty-one years of age,
Israel twenty-three, and Nelson twenty-five. The Sheriff had
also directed me to furnish a guard of four men from my mili-
tary company, to guard the jail during the time. Walter W.
Porter, now of Buffalo, was one of the guard. The prisoners
were always cheerful, and seldom alluded to their awful situa-
tion, but continued their jokes and free and easy conversation
to the day of execution.
. The extraordinary circumstances attending the murder, and
the fact that the prisoners were young men and brothers, and
were to be executed on one scaffold, excited public attention
and drew together an immense concourse of people from
Western New York and Canada.
On the morning of the seventeenth day of June, 1825, the
military paraded under the directions of the Sheriff, in order
that the law should not be defeated of its victims.
General Potter had command of his regiment of militia to
which my company was attached, and that of Captain Alanson
Palmer; my company having the right of the regiment. Cap-
tain S. Mathews and Captain Nathaniel Yosburgh each com-
manded a troop of horse. Captain Crary was in command of a
company of artillery, and Captain Rathbun of a rifle company.
The troops formed on Washington street, opposite the jail, in
a hollow square; and as the jail door opened Sheriff Littlefield
came first, bearing the sword of justice; then came the pris-
oners, Isaac first, attended by Sheriffs; officers and all marched
down the steps into the hollow square, and thus were protected
from the surge and sway of the immense and excited multitude.
They were dressed in the usual manner of malefactors to
be executed, with white caps and shrouds. The procession182	EXECUTION OF THE THREE THAYERS.
was then formed, the guard surrounding the prisoners. A cart
immediately preceded them, carrying the three coffins destined
soon to receive their lifeless bodies.
They appeared sedate and calm, and seemed to have sum-
moned all their fortitude to support them on this occasion.
As the band of music commenced playing a slow and plaintive
air, the prisoners took the step upon the ground, and marched
off with firm and regular tread. On their right and left were
ranged the military, infantry and cavalry, marching each in
single file, the whole surrounded by a countless throng of silent
spectators. In this manner the procession moved on up
Washington street and across the park, then open ground,
and down Court street to the place of execution; forming one
of the most solemn processions perhaps ever witnessed.
The scaffold was erected in Court street about one hundred
and fifty feet east of Morgan street, and near the residence of
the late Judge Wilkeson; but at that time there were no houses
in the vicinity, and the land lay open to common use.
The brothers marched up into the scaffold with a firm tread;
and when all were seated and order prevailed in the multi-
tude, the Rev. Mr. Fillmore made a short address and offered
a prayer, and was followed in prayer by the Rev. Mr. Story.
The prisoners then arose, and after shaking hands with
friends, exchanging adieux with each other, and the officers
of the lawT and ministers of religion, the halters were adjusted,
their arms pinioned, they took their places pn the fatal drop,
when, at fifteen minutes before two o’clock, the Sheriff, with
his sword, cut the rope, and they were launched into eternity.
They died without a struggle, and after hanging half an
hour their bodies were lowered into their coffins and given to
their friends, who removed them to the town of Boston for
interment.
Thus ended this exciting public execution, attended by a
multitude estimated at from twenty-five to thirty thousand-
people.EXECUTION OF THE THREE THA YERS.	183.
The father of the condemned men was under arrest at the
time for the same crime, and witnessed the execution from the-
steps of the old court-house.