American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1827-06-12

thick and gloomy; and slow, but settled, raj
was coming down. 1t is half past seven O'Clock
R.--n said the master. / just mustered an er
treaty to be lett alone till the last moment. l ha
so minutes to live.
tried to make another observation when tn
master was leaving the cell but. this time, cou
not get the words out; my tongue stuck to tn
roof of my mouth, and my speech seemed gone
made two desperate efforts but it would not d
Il could not utter. When they left me, neve
stirred from my place on the bed. was benumt
ed with cold probably from the sleep and unac
customed exposure, and sat crouched together
as it were, to keep myself warmer, with my arm
folded across my breast, and my head hangin
down, shivering; and my body felt as it were sue
weight to me, that | was unable to move it, o
stir. The day now was breaking. yellow and hea
Willy; and the light stole by degrees into my dun
secn, showing me the damp stone walls and desc
late dark paved floor and, strange as it was
with all that could do. | could not keep mysel
from noticing these trihng things-though perdi
ton was coming upon me the very next moment
noticed the lamp which the turnkey had left oil
the floor, and which was burning dmly, with
long wick, being clogged with the chill and bad air
and thought to myself-even at that moment
that it had not been trimmed since the night before
Aud | looked at the bare, naked, iron bcd-fram'
that sat on; and at the heavy studs on the doc
of the dungeon; and at the scraws and writing upoI
the wall, that had been drawn by former prison
ers and put my hand to my pulse, and it wa
so low that | could hardly count it. could no
feel-though tried to maxi myself feel it--tha
was going to DIE. In the midst of this, hear,
the chimes Of the chapel clock begin to strike ant
thought Lord take pity on me wretch ii
could not be three-quarters after seven yet
The clock went over the three-q uarters-it chimet
the fourth quarter. and struck eight. They WERE
in my cell before perceived them They fount
me in the place, and III the posture, as they had
left me.
What have farther to tell will lie in very
small compass my recollections are very minute
up to this point, but not at all so close as to what
occurred afterwards. l scarcely recoect very
clearly how got from my cell to the pressroom
J think two little withered men, dressed in black
supported me know tried to rise when saw
the master and his people come into my dungeon
but ! could not.
In the press-room were the two miserable wretch
es that we're to suffer with me- they were bound,
with their arms behind them, and their hands to-
gether; and we're lying upon bench hard by, un-
I'll was ready. meagre looking old man, with
thin white hair, who was reading to one of them,
came up, and said something" That we ought to
embrace, - dld not distinctly hear what it was.
The great difficulty that I had was to keep from
alling. had thought that these moments would
rave been all of fury and horror, but felt nothing
y this; but only a weakness as though my heart
ind the very floor on which stood--was sinking
inder ne. | could Just make motion, that the
I'D white haired man should leave me and some
pne interfered and sent him awav.--rhe pinioninp
'f my hands and arms was then finished and
leard an officer whisper to the chaplain that " all
vas ready" As We passed out. one of the men in
,lack held glass Of water TO nv lps but could
1ot swallow: and MIR. W, the master of the
yaol. who had bid farewell to my companions, Of
cred me his hand. The blood rushed into nv face
'nce more for one moment II was too much--thp
nan who was sending me to execution, to offer to
bake me BY the hanL
This was the last moment--but one--of full per-
option, that had in life. remember our begin
ing to move forward. through the long arched
passages which led from the press-room to the
caftold. saw the lamps that were still burning.
or the daylight never entered hcre heard the
uck toling OF the bell, and the deep voice OF the
haPlan, reading as he walked before u.s.
: am the resurrection and the life, saith the
4ord he that beieveth in me, though he were
cad. shall 1--we And though after my skin worms
estroy tins body, vet in nv flesh shall see God -
1t was the funeral service--the order for the
rave-the office for those that were senseess and
lead = over US, the quick and the living.
felt once more; and saw felt the transition
rom these dim, clase, hot, lamp-lighted subterra
lcan passages to the open platform, and stems at
ne loot OF the scaffold, and to-day, saw the i'm.
nense crowd blackening the whole area of the
treet below me- The windows of the shops and
oOses opposite, to the fourth story, choked with
azers. saw st. Sepuchres church through the
elbow fog in the distance, and heard the pealipp
y its bell. recollect the cloudy, misty morning
he wet that lay upon the scaffod-the huge dark
mass OF building the prison itself, that rose beside,
md seemed to cast shadow over us-the cold
resi- breeze, that as emerged from it, broke upon
ny face. see it all now--the whole horrible
landscape IS before me. The scafold-the rain
ne faces OF the multitode-the people clinging to