Valentine Wagner, the slayer of his brother-in-law, Daniel Shehan, at half-past two o'clock this morning, expiated his crime upon the gallows at the ohio Penitentiary, and the scriptural injunction, "An eye for and eye and a tooth for a tooth," was again fulfilled. Whether the taking of the life of this groveling, emaciated human being satisfies the law's demands, is a question that remains for the wise framers of the statues to solve, but to those gathered in the felon's prison last night to witness, 'neath the flickering gas-light and with bated breath, this soul launched into eternity, the question would waver in the balance but a moment.

During the day preceding the execution the doomed man entertained hopes that succor would come, and that the strenuous efforts put forth by his son, Frank, to secure a reprieve would be successful, and not until the hour arrived that was to end his life did he abandon this delusion. Even in the late afternoon while Sheriff Dawson and his assistants were testing the efficiency of the scaffold and rope that were to end his earthly career, he still hopefully clung to the belief that he would not be compelled to die upon the gallows. Through the dull hours of the night his piteous moans could be heard, and when at intervals his son Frank would visit the doomed father's cell the old man's agony seemed unbearable, and although few were the words spoken, looks of entreaty and silent manifestations of grief could denote the fierce battle raging in the breasts of father and son, and told all to plainly what it would cost each when the final severing of earthly ties should come. Wagner lay upon his bed in the narrow cell, tossing restlessly about and would talk incoherently, resisting all attempts to be comforted, bemoaning his fate in the most heart-rending terms. He would not partake of food, but after much persuasion, about the hour of midnight consented to drink some lemonade, after which he slept for a few moments. Wagner would not talk of the execution, and when asked if he felt that all was right with him in the great beyond, would only answer that he was not morally a murderer, never was a bad man, and that God would take care of him. He would not be convinced that man was to be his executioner, but firmly adhered to the belief that only God could appoint to hang him. At half-past twelve the prisoner requested that Revs. J. G. Reiber and Jacob Rothweiler be sent for, and upon the arrival of the gentlemen, prayer and supplication were held in German, Wagner's native tongue, and the reverend gentlemen remained with the doomed man during the remaining hours of his life.

About one o'clock Dr. Montgomery, the attending physician, administered two tea-spooonsful of whisky in the same quantity of milk, which was greatly relished by the pri-soner, apparently strengthening him for the last approaching ordeal. The only persons present in the dismal cell of Wagner, aside from the ministers of the gospel, were Guards Parr and Murphy and Dr. Montgomery.

Sheriff Dawson and assistants retired at 10:30 and were again called at one o'clock, and preparations were immediately commenc-ed for the final ending of what has proven a long and complicated murder case, the law's delay seeming to have almost cheated the gallows of its just dues, by causing the death of the murderer from continued and close confinement.

The straps and leather handcuffs that were to pinion the arms of the condemned man were brought forth in Warden Peetrey's office, at two o'clock, tested and carefully overhauled to prevent any unforseen accident or oversight, and at precisely 2:20 o'clock the preparations were completed and the executioners and witnesses were in readiness to proceed to the scene of the tragedy. Those present, fifteen in number, were: Warden Peetrey, Sheriff Daw-son, Deputies S. P. Gage and H. E. Neal, Coroner Williams, W. G. Beebe, H. S. Grif-fith, of Mt. Gilead; Sheriff Heinmiller, of Franklin County; Sheriff Johnson, of Madison county; Sheriff Hopkins, of Union county; Allen O. Myers, D. L. Bowersmith and H. G. Simpson, newspaper representatives, and Asa Mattice, the conductor of the execution, and builder of the trap used on the occasion.

As the solemn procession was admitted into the guard's room, and a few words of admonition were given by Warden Peetrey relative to the quietness with which the train should pass through the prison yard to avoid giving andy signal that might startle into deafening howls the sixteen hundred voices within the grim walls. The silent and death-like march was taken up and slowly wound around to where Wagner was confined in the small building set apart as the hangman's quarters. On entering, the mingled voices of prayer could be heard, interspersed by Wagner's tones of entreaty, and after administering a small drink of a stimulating nature to the broken-spirited man, Sheriff Dawson pro-ceeded to the cell, and producing the death warrant, read in a clear, unfaltering tone, the document that sealed the prisoner's final doom. Sheriffs Heinmiller and Dawson, assist-ed by deputies, began the work of pinioning the arms and feet, amid the most pitiful appeals of the prisoner to spare his life, and the doleful, "Oh, Sheriff, don't, please don't, hang me; you know I don't deserve it,"will sound in the ears of listeners for all time to come. Wagner refused to walk to te scaffold, only fifteen feet away, and was borne thither by his execu-tioners, amidst the most plaintive and heart-rending appeals for mercy. As he reached the door to the scaffold his terror became abject, and he exclaimed in a perfect frenzy of fright, "My God! there's the trap! This is unjust! Oh, don't hang me!" No encouragement could be given him by the executioners, who endeav-ored to prevail upon him to be a many, and stand the trial as became a hero and not a coward. "Well, I see you are determined to hang me, so let me lay down to it," said the completely broken down criminal, and the rope was adjusted about his neck, the black cap placed upon his head, while supported by the bodily strength of the two assistants, and in the dim, solemn gaslight the body of Valentine Wagner shot through the trap with a sickening thud and the soul went back to the God who gave it.

The execution was one of the most perfect in the annals of history, instant death ensuing, and before the physicians could reach the body the pulse had ceased to beat. In precisely seven minutes from the time the death warrant was read, Valentine Wagner's lifeless body lay in its coffin. Just as day was breaking a transfer wagon was drawn up to the Prison gate, and the plain pine box containing the coffin in which Wagner's body had been placed, was loaded into it and driven to the Union Depot, placed in charge of Frank Wagner, and sent by express to Edison Station, Morrow county, where the remains will be met by remaining members of the family, and interred in some quiet spot, at the discretion of the friends. And thus ends the trials, tribulations and sorrows of a man who endeavored to impress upon the public mind that he lived a martyr, but who, in truth, received his just deserts and died like a coward.