▁him ." ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁newspaper ▁account , ▁which ▁is ▁cor ro bor ated ▁by ▁several ▁e y ew it ness ▁accounts ▁recorded ▁between ▁ 1 8 6 2 ▁and ▁the ▁ 1 8 9 0 s , ▁D odge ▁offered ▁Davis ▁his ▁life ▁in ▁exchange ▁for ▁information ▁about ▁his ▁inform ants . ▁ ▁The ▁condem ned ▁man ▁apparently ▁refused ▁all ▁such ▁offers . ▁ ▁" W ould ▁you ▁bet ray ▁a ▁friend ?" ▁Davis ▁is ▁reported ▁to ▁have ▁said ▁while ▁se ated ▁on ▁his ▁coff in . ▁ ▁" I ▁had ▁rather ▁die ▁a ▁thousand ▁death s ." ▁ ▁Confeder ate ▁l ore ▁had ▁Davis ▁saying ▁upon ▁clim bing ▁the ▁sc aff old ▁that ▁" the ▁boys ▁will ▁have ▁to ▁fight ▁the ▁batt les ▁without ▁me ." ▁ ▁Exec ution ▁ ▁Account s ▁of ▁Davis ' ▁mart yr dom ▁appeared ▁in ▁accounts ▁written ▁by ▁Union ▁soldiers , ▁who ▁witness ed ▁the ▁execution , ▁and ▁by ▁a ▁journalist ▁from ▁the ▁C inc inn ati ▁Daily ▁Com mer cial . ▁ ▁Bear ing ▁his ▁fate ▁bra v ely , ▁Davis ▁apparently ▁touched ▁upon ▁the ▁sympath ies ▁of ▁all ▁obser vers , ▁including ▁his ▁capt ors . ▁▁ ▁The ▁rep orter ▁recorded ▁the ▁scene ▁thus : ▁▁▁ ▁After ▁a ▁white ▁h ood ▁was ▁tied ▁over ▁the ▁prisoner ' s ▁head , ▁the ▁trap ▁door ▁was ▁spr ung ▁at ▁ 1 0 : 3 0   a . m . ▁▁ ▁Union ▁soldiers ▁turned ▁away ▁as ▁Davis ▁wr ith ed ▁in ▁death ▁ag ony ▁for