Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1826-07-07
MISCELLANEOUS.
THE DEATH WARRANT.
ry-I. 20 a. (-x-y -. = -


The mists OF the morning still hung heavily onI
the msdptain top, above the village of Redclitf
bnt the roads which lei towards it were crowded
9Th the varied population of the surrounding
cDun,ry, from far aud near. AT Alesbury the shop,
were closed, the hammer of the blacksmith laid up
On its anvil; not q wagon of any description was
10 be seen in the street, aad even the bar OF the
Cavern was locked, and the key gone with its PRO
,prietor towards the cliff, token of an impor
tant which was without parallel in the an
mails of the place And save here and there soil
larry head looked through broken pane in some
CLOSED up hou-e with an air of sad disappointment
or the cries Of little nursing heard, be,oken
ing that in the general flight, il had been left 10
unskilfu hands, mayhap here and there a soil
tary, ragged and illnatured school boy was seen or
a not less solitary and ILL., natured dog either seem
ing bat half appeased by the privilege eta holiday
granted condition Of staying at home; the
Syhole village exhibited picture of desertion aad
silence, that had forever been unknown before.
But in proportion you drew nearer the pom
'ersos cliff, in the midst of which the fi,Ie town
,di n-1ciff was situatcl you mingled again in the
thick batle and motion of the world, of meu and
women and boys, and horses and dogs, and all
Irving, ring aud creeping things that inlabit the
wild districts OF Pennsylvania.
The village itself was crowded 10 OVERLOOKING
long before the San had gained Sufficient atitudet
Ito throw lis rays upon the deep valley in which ii
lay. There the bar OF the nm 81 Us crowded, and,
Inc fumes OF tobacco and whiskey, tie in Cling oil
small change, and the perpetual clamur of the
jhrong, was sufficient to rack brain OF Common
fexfbility. In tire streets there the greeting of
Old and long parted acquaintance; the barleriag OIL
horses the settling OF old accounts the buffooner,
Of halt Intoxicated men; the clatier of women; the
crying and halooins Of children and boys, and the
barking and quarrelIing Of stranger dogs. To LOOK
Upon the scene to minge with the crowd, TO listen!
60 the conversation, or to survey the countenances
Of the assembled multitude, would lead 10 no sat
isfaclory solution of the cause for which this mass
cf heterogeneous matter was congregated
Within the walls OF the cid stone Jail at the foot
Of the mountain, different scene had been that
morning witnessed. There chained TO a stake ij
the miserable dungeon, damp, and scarcely iIlu,n-
mated by one ray of lighi, now lay the emaciated
farm Of one whose final doom seem d hand
y few hours before, his vile and little daugh erI
bad been with him. having travelled a hundred
miles TO meet him more the threshold oil
the grave; they met, and from that gloomy ysui;I
the song OF praise ascenjed with the ascending sun
and the jaior he listened 10 the melodious voiced
OF three persons whom he looked upon the mos
1esolste and lost OF all The wide world, blended
sweetly together, and chauntnS the besu..fll
hymn,
ut !. tbe Lori ,hould dis;vst
Or CONT ad,ct hrs wkr &c.
alnos, doubtc-l the evidence of his senses, and
stood fixed in astcnishment at the massy door
Gould these be the voices 81 j murderer, and muir
derer's wife and child?
This brief and to be final interview had passed L
however: those unfortunate had loudly com
fnenjed each other 10 the keeping of their heavenly
psren and parted; he TO face the assembled multi
orde the scaifod, and they, they said, 10 re-
turn by weary journeys to their soTowiul home i
the convict, worn out with sickness and hing
now slept
His name was Jason Creel, his place of resi-
he L. hadh faEa
while travelling from the norihwsrd to bis home /
and tried and convicted at the county town sonieI
miles distant, for the murder of fellow traveller l
he bad borne him mpany from The Lakes, Jyhoi
Gsss asGsrtaned 10 have had large SUN Of none NJ
with him, and who was found in the room in which
they both slept, at country Inn, near Redcif
with his throat cut. Creel always had protested
Dis Innocence, declaring that the deed perpe-
trated by some one while ne was asleep, but the
circumstances were against hin, and, though fnd
monsy was not found on him, he was sentenced tol
DO hung, and had been removed to the old stone
jail at RtdcliH for security, the county prison be
ing deemed unsafe. This was the day the execu
fion to take place; the scafolJ was sIready
erected; the crowd pressed round the building, and
frequent cries OF " bring out the murderer" werd
heard
The sun at last told the hour of eleven, and
there could be no more delay; the convict's CELL
was entered by the officers 10 attendance, yyhoI
dy for him without, and bad him hasten to his ex
ecution; they laid bands upon him and pIniofp ul
him tight, while he looked up towards heaven in
wild aslonishment, as one new born and only said
8. the dream-the DREAM " And what OF the
dlsam, Mr.. Jason?" said the Sheriff" you
would do me great kindness ii you would dream.
Yourself and me out Of this cursed scrspe." "l
a esmed," replied the convict, " that while you
read the death warrant TO me on the scafold, man
Game through the crowd, and stood before US, in a
grey dress, with a white bat and large wbiskers,
and chat bird fluttaed over him, and sung dis
tnctly---" this is Lewis, the murderer Of the ira
Weller
The officers and jailor held short consultation
which ended in a determination TO look sharply az
Ter the man in grey with the white hat; accompa-
Med with many hints Of the resignation Of tie pr
spEeF, and the possibility Of his innocence being
asserted by supernatural agency; the prison door.
were cleared, and CTeel, pale and feeble, with Al
hymn book in bis hand and mein all meekness
eod humility, seen totteTing from the prison 10
- scsfold. lie hsd no sooner sscended H., thar
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