The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1827-08-12
IRON M Pdlaieiphio 6ase1e.
SINGULAR NARRATIVE.


In Dfaftmo5ds Maeasiie for The present
snonih is an article eniiiisl e RereHaui, written
by man Who has been hnnl cd aud is nov q.
live. The writer ranicSses thathc was guilty Of
the act Tor which he suffered forgery. an !
staies the particulars of his arrest. committed Ia
Newgate for thai and his conviction OF the
crimes AT the Old Bailey sessions Tor 1920. lie
then proceeds to describe whit werc his sensas
tons atei the awful sentence OF death After
phinfng in touching colois HE interview which
he had with Elizabeth Clate, 20 whom he was
attached he thus pfocoeds with his narrative
- twas four clock in the afternoon when r.
liz beth lefi me and when she departed u seem
cd s Il ms business ~ tins sorld was at an end.
could have wished then and there To have died
upon The spat ! had nv last c I. and drnnk my
last draugh Ia life But rs the twilight drew il,
m cell va cold and damp and the evening" was
dars aud gloomy had 10 FIRE. nat ans candle
al,h1 ,gh II Mas IN the innnih OF January. nor
much covering To warm ne andbY degrees my
spirits weakened, aud nv heart sunk a. TIE dies
oate Indebtedness Of every thing about me
aud gra lnnlly --ior what write SOW shall b.
the truth --tho thoughts Of Elizabeth aud villa
would be her ate. began TO give way before TIA
scene OF my oWa SITUATION This was the Grs.
tinn.-l cannot iell ibr reason why--thaf my
mind mad eyer Fixed iisell fully upon the tia
that had Wiihm few hours 10 20 tlun' aud
as reelected on IL terror sptoad over me a.
tnost in an instant, A. though II Wrie that | bad
not before hnowa. really aud seriously, that |
Wa 10 die. had eaten nothing ler twenty-tour
hours --- There was food which religious gen
tlelnan VINO VISITED me had sent from his Own Ia
Bile bat could nni tas'eit. AID when looked
at IT. suanpe aneies came wv me. II WIS
DANNY ioaa--ioi such a. Vas served 20 the pris-
oners IN Tn al Il was sent 10 mo hccauso |
was TO dc Tomorrow ! aud thought OF the
heasis Of tue field, aud thu fowls OF the ait. that
WE pampered Tor slaughter. ! trlt that my
own scusa nous we're not thct ought to be At
thls tone. aud belioye thai for while was IN,
zane A sort of dull hamnug noise, that
could moi &c, rid oil, like the huzzmg bees, SCUM
died IN INV ears. Aud though II was DARK,
sparks a. hghi seemed 10 dance heforemr eycei
aud could ,ecooci nothing. Tried 10 sny nv
PRAYERS but could only reinemher woid here
ana lhrre and then II seemed "a me asst these
we're biasphcmies that was uttcrnG | don'i
lsl,o,v what they wefe--l cannot tell whati was
] said aud then, on sudden, ieli rs though
all this terror was useless. and thai | would moi
say there u die jumped up, and wrepchcd
~ lhp hats ofny eel window with turcc thar
lieut. them ielt as II had the strength of a
lion And ieli all over the lock OF my door,
aud trrd The door with my shoulder, though |
knew II WIS plated with iron, and heavier than
thai II q church and grouped about the very
wa,I,. nnd into the corners Of my dungeon
though knew very well, II had my SENSES, that
;. was all al solid slime iiree feet thick /; and
that. III could have passed through creyiee
smaller than the eve Of needle had 10
chance OF escaping. Aud. in the midst Of all
this exc ton, a falntnes came over me n though
had swa lowed poison and hAl just power
70 reel 10 the bed i,lacc, whore | sitnS down a.
think in swoon; but ms did II last--ior my
head swan round aud the calI seemed TO turn
with mr. and dreamed, between sleeping an
wakiIg, thai II was ndlghi. aud That Elizahrth
hpd come back rs she premiscd.a and TINT they re
IA ed 10 admit her. And thought that ~ moved
heayil,, aud THAI iiit streets were adj covered
9Th il a. il with White sheet, and that ] saw
her uead lyine ia tllc fallen SNOW, aud IN the
d ,rl4nrss Al tne piisongale, When came 10
MY Il Wis strus Lug md breahless. la Il
minute orfnol Ia 4 81 srpnlchre's clock 90
/. n, and knew thu il was a dream that had
had The chaplain of the prison came without
my sendiap. he exhorfad me solcmly " to
thHgk na more Of cares or troubles IN this world
bm to bead nv thoughts npon that to come aud
tafsv 90 reconcile. al. soul 10 Heaven trusting
tia NV sins, though they were heavy, under re-
pentancs. nnghr have hope of mercy" When
he was gonc, did iind myself, for little while,
more collected and sat down again ON the bed
sind tried seriously TO commune with myself aud
prepare myself tor nv fate recalled 10 my
MUD nai had hui few hours more nj all e.
Yeats 10 1--we thai there Is no hope on earth ote
that was nj least better that |
should die deccntiy and like man. Then |
tred 20 recollect all The tales that | had ever
heard about death BY hanging -that II WAS SAID
10 he the sensation OF a nlomeni--to give no
pain---io cause the extinction OF HE instdnidne-
ously--And, So on, TO twenty other strange !
dras By degrees my head began to wander
Ind grow tuinnuagc abieaeam put my hands
henily to my iheoat, as though 10 Try the sensa-
ton OF Snanelng Then felt my arms at tie
o aces where the chord would be tied. | went
through the fastcniues ofthe rope--,he tying of
the hands together; the thing that felt most a
per - TO was the having the white cap muilcd o.
yer my eyes aud face III could avoid that, the
rest was not SO very horrible ia the mdst OF
hese lancies dnmbness seemed To creep over
nv ,eDsrs The giddincs thai | had felt gave
way 20 a dull stupor, which lcssencd tine PAIN
af NV thoughts gave me, though stu went on
linking. The church clock rang midnight.
.as sens lille of the sound bu'It reached ME in-
iisiincti -as though coming through many clo-
ed DOORS or from far distance. BY and by,
saw the objects before my mind less and less
.eally--ihenon partially then they were
zone altogether fell asleep.
:. slept until the hour of execution.--H was
even o clock on the nextJnorn'ng when knocit-
ne at the door Of my cell awose me. heard
he sound as though in my dreans for some |
iiolnenfs before sas fus awakr and my 6rst |
ensationw was only the dislike wllich a weary |
nan feels a, being roused-i was tired, and wish
d to doze on. In minute after the bolts on
he out side ofmy dungeon were drawn; and
n-lley carrying small lamp and followed by