Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1828-05-10


wards Of her. could no.. any moment detect, either
M her voice. manner. in the exp es,ion sf her
r""n'enance the smallest appearance OF CONSTANT
.ne least departure from the most entire
certainly she was not under the influence of any in
,ox'cang drug. nor Of Of stupera elton and
from FIRST TO last, did any person pcrsuatnr
exciting, or encouraging her. She herself took tn.
lead thro"g and did all that be done of her
own accord When she was seated on the pile She adj
J"sted her dress with the that she had
an along maintained and taking from the hand Of one
OF her attendants taper which lit at the tenn
Porary altar she herse set Sie s,,e Leccs linen
winch had been suspended for the purpose from the
"ame above and hen covering hr1 head with the folds
o. her dress, che lay quietly and de eratx,y down.
no hrc was applied to the lower part u the pile but
tue hancs soon spread through the mater
ais ION the frame. The attendants threw some oil on
the 'gn''rd mass and the strings by which the frame
was attached 10 the pests being ended on the
PIE. The weight oil was sufficient either niure
or e"hfne the victim bnt served to conceal her r
HreIy from ,sw aud brought the fame. into immediate
contact with the body of the pile A, the same mo
'nent variety OF musical instruments were sounded
producing with III. shouts OF the attendant. noise
.nroush which no cries, even if any had issued from
'he Pile. would have been distinguished. Th. flames
spread rapidly, and burned isrcciy: and il wa. not
long before the whole was reduced to hcap of
glowing embcrs. No weight, nor liya,urr nor con.
s'aan' OF any kind. used retain the woman on
the pile; ner was there any obstacle TO ptc,en, her
spinning from it, when she felt the approach of the
n'me' The smoke was evidently in.uihc lent TO FRO
a"ce eher s"focation or sturerIae lion aud J. am sat
| fire oay. y VIZ
Throughout the whole OF thi. ,e.he ,he,e were no
".o appearances TO excite horror: no struggle no
I>o' SO III tue other instance that Witnessed On that
ocrasion the woman who appeared to he about forty
Was OF a low condition of lille She was m~ahlr dress
ca IN Sol ca white clothes; aud when arrived wa, sit.
ting close to :he edge OF the liver The corpse which
wHs that OF an old man. living within few wards
o, her. on ono of those light beds used by the native,
| OF 'nnia' with sarlands OF yellow flower. spread over
u" Inc pile wa, similar that adv desc ,ibeJ The
WIDOW, probably from her age and the habit Of
"er ne, was more disposed to talk and had an air of
| $50 commence IMAM the former young woman but
seemed quite as firm and collected equally free
ITO" erery appearance Of lear and "Istion She had
avery decided manner aud look ed .tcadfastlv bep
! on her purpose. There even a certain cheerful
ness aoout her, aud the only symptoms of impatience
cue betrayed, was when she missed the corp.r cf her
husband, Which, without her noticing it. had bs,, r..
| moved while she was in conversation, to the pile
'h the io iner instance, the sufferer was alone |
could nos discover that she had any reat ons with her
u' m TINS case Two children and sister of the widow
| were Prese"t at the ceremony. The children who
I apparently about five and seven years old NAV
| no' nave '"iiy understood what passing before
| 'hem, but even the sister unno. ed Sh. stood
with one OF the children in her arms and the Other h
net sric "lna few yards Of her sister but no act Of
| recognition passed between them. The widow mnst
| nave seen her children, bat she took no notice n,
'"cH and she was evidently undsturh he'd nv their
presence they were by her condition She spoke 10
| ~ ~ gentleman VINO was with me, and asked us
| her
eh 'hc pie wasrcady. she and TX ed To v;,
hrm and easy step. There, well as at 9Th. riv er
sag. ehe vent through ceremonies similar to tbo.e nh
co In the Iormcr Instance Before she mounted
PIE, she turned round and made obcisancs to me tn
t"e hfahnnf, and TO the various persons who stood
ny out s She took notice Of her children or sister
| I'eh al this moment, her countenance and name,
were en'ncy undisturbed. She took her place In, 10
Wy he lett side OF the corpse. which had already he,
a'""Poh the pie and having lit the pieces Of linen
ached ID The tame above her, she cover cd her IA ce
WIN part OF her dress. and lay down. The a,ten.
wants immediately cut the string, by which the fame
Suspended: but only three Of the corners fell: the
ouf'h s'iii remained attached the upper part Of IN.
Foe. Attempts were made to loosen it. but before il
roo" ne moved the flames had gained such hrgbt "a IN
o'Ve inc attrndents from the pile. The force that had
| "ee" usco mad, however, so much shaken the whole
that just as The flames reached the mart of il
""ee The victim lay, the hlcts one cornerraye way
ana me poor creature fell, her head restInu on tbr
s'o"h and The whole Of the upper part Of her body
| oeng exposed beyond the pile She eas scorched
ana c'hGured by the fire. and must have been in the
e"o"ah ct agones unspeaka5le; but her lortitude
never iorsook her Instead of rushing from The fame,
she cung with convuisive gasp to the corner post
ana although the motion OF her fps showed that she
WAS Hin'tering something TO herself one sine c or
escaped Der - saw no more The attendants
~ cast "'lcts OF wood on her she lay fresh besp
was raised over her body. and spreading of the
| names soon concentrated the sacrifice.
B'shop He6er,