The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1827-06-01
lfrom the Philadelphia &c sctfe |
SINGULAR NARRATIVE.
In BlnfLNoo4's lInrn.L 80 M n

ReeenaRt, wriilun by mau who has
been hanged and is now alive The
writer coniesses, that be was GuuTy OF
the aet for which he sulcrcd--forgCry,
aud states the particulars Of his arrest,
committal 10 NeNgate ior trial, and his
conviction OF the crime at the Old Bar
ley Sessions for 1926. lie then pro-
ceeds 10 describe what were his Sensa-
tions afterrecelying the awful sentence
Of death. After painting, in touching
colours, the interview which he had with
Elizabeth Glare, to whom he was at
taehed, he thus proceeds with his narra-
i've
II was four O'Clock in the afternoon
when Elizabeth left me; and when she
departed, il seemed as if my business IL
this world was n an end. could have
wished, then and there To have died up
on the spot | had had my last act, aud
drank my last draught IN life. But as
the twilight drew ~, my cell was cold
and damp, and the evening was darkaud
gloomy g. ! hadno fire, nor any candle,
although il wasin the month Of January
non much covering toy warm me; ~ by de-
reesmyspirils weakened, a. my heart
sunk Al the desolatc wfrtchrdncss ofcvery
thing about me; and gradually--ior
What | wife now shall he the truth
the thoughts OF Elizabeth, and what
would be her fate, began TO give way
before a sense OF my own situation.
1 hls was the first TIME cannot tell
the reason why--that my mind had ever
fixed itself fully upon the Trial that |
had, within few hours, to 90 through /;
and, as ! reflected on it, a terror spread
over me almost in an instant, as though
II were HAT my sentence was Just pro-
uounced, and that had not known, re-
ally and seriously, that was to die,
before. ! had eaten nothing for TWEEN
" tonr hours. There was food, which
4 religious gentleman who visited me
had sent from his own table, but | could
not taste il; and when looked at it,
strange faneies came over NE. II was
dainty food--aot such as was served to
the prisoners in The gaol. 1t was sent
to me because ! was to die to morrow !
and / thought Of the beasts Of the ticil,
and the fowls ofthc air, that were pam
pered tor slaughter. felt that my own
sensations were not as they ought TO b"
AT tins time and | believe that, for a
while, | was insane. A sort of dull
humming NOISE, thai ] could not get rid
Of like the buz1lng of bees, sounded IN
my ears. Aud though it was dark,
sparks light seemed TO dance before
my eyes and could recollcct nothing.
4 tried 10 say my prayers, but could on
| ly remember word here and there
and then ii seemed to me as iilhese were
blasphemies that was utlcriug 81
don't know what they were ; Icanno
tell what II was / said ; and then, on a
sudden, Ifelt as though all this terror
was useless, and that | would not stay
| there TO die ; and 1 jumped up, and
wrenclled al the bars of my cell window
with force that bent thcm---ior ] felt
as # had the strength Of lion. And
i felt all over the lock ofmy door anc
tried the door with my shoulder though
KNEW it was plated with iron, and hea-
yier than that ola church and I gro
ped about the very walls, and into the
corners Of my dungeon ; though knew
very well, if had had my senses, that
II was all Of solid stone three feet thick
and that, il | could have passed through
crevice smaller than the eye Of a nee
! die, I had no chance OF escaping. And
III the midst Of all this cxcrtion, a faint
ness came over ne as though / had
swallowed poison; and ! had just pow
er to reel to the bed place, where
sank down, as think in a swuon bu
] this did moi last; for my head swan
round, and the cell seemed to turn viii
me and I dreamed between sleeping
and waking that it was midnight, anC
that Elizabeth had come back as sb'
bad promised, and that they refused tC
admit her. And Ithonght that it snow
! ed heavily, and that the streets were al
= ~ GU VIII II ~ IL WIZ Il W ilbt 0llttl
and that I saw her dead lying in tia
fallen SNOW ; and in the darkness a
the prison gate When I came to my.
self, i was struggling and brcathlcss
In minute or Two. fhoard St. Sepul-
chrc's clock gotten and KNEW il was
u dream that I had had. The chaplain
Of the prison came without my sending
lie eXbofled me solemnly, TO think NJ
more of cares or troubles in this world
but to bend my thoughts upon that t.
come and to try to reconcile my soul tC
! Heaven trusting that my sins, though
ihey were heavy, under repentance
might have hope of mercy When n
was gone, Idid find myself, for llttl'
while, more collected and ! sat down
again on the bed, and tried seriously tt
commune with myself, and prepare my
self for my fate. ] recalled to my min,
thai had but few hours more at all G