Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1828-1831, 1829-07-07

in the midst of all this fearful tu
'nut-pointed with his aged hands TO the red sigul
= ooVc, anu bauc us remember tho fate of Nincv85
lie was instantly seized by the mob, and dragged
towerds the scaffold, where the exccutioner nces-
sanity piled ms oise aud as e9ch head fell sh,,eAe
core UNI" He was the rabid ogre of the fairy tale,
who scarcely devoars victim, ere isc clamours for
another Imagination cannot picture moro loath-
some or terrific monster Ills face. though still hui
man, bore the revolving resemblance to the wolf
that man, In his worst form, 10 sometimes found 10
bear TO tho monkeys bis teeth rather fangs orthey
were of enormous size, protruded from the boated
purple lips. that were constantly drawn buck and dis
tortcd with cturnal grin; his checks had the nix
ednoss of marbles with thut ffightf ashy Inc whisn
is only to be found the face of the dsnAs anu con
be compared to nothing living; the s e ns
bot they were deeply sunk .ld,r u1 huge ofows,
which, like his head wre utterly paid ., hoir In
place of all other hese, no wore Winning shcct,
aud agam closed upon his body, as if it had becu u
part OF himself pfd more like the wings OF bat in
its action, tla-the mere waving OF shroud.
The rorulace thrust forward the poor old priest
wiz Gibbs and slaves towards this onster much
fes the keeper OF Wild beast r usts into its den
the living victim that is destined to gorge its appe
tte In the twnhiug Of eye his head tell: when the
man OF blood shook his shrund till it's swelling folds,
left his body naked; and holdiug ont 10 me his long
arms, reiterated his incessant cry, Encore UNI
Before the rah5e, vino were well enough Inclined 10
CRAFTY HE wishes. could seize me, had hurst my way
! u,
! had found refuge in my boteL
Here iHncied myself SAFE. could sin hear tie
shou,rg-of the people, but it a. distance; and
the very sound of danger, thus remote, added 20
the feelings ofsecury. II VIVA like the id. roa rinr
OF the sea, from which have lust escaped to listen
on the safe suIn ota rock 10 is ipipo,cnt rrowlgs
Dor Tho psoy That Inns been su0tched from t. But
what my disinay. wien, on t,Irnn, to IN, vim
dow ugain the shroudcd monsters face clso 10
the glass, and heared again his terrific cry Encore
un: with speed such as horror only give,
dartcd not OF the room, and fed 10 the topnus,
chamber of tho building, where If NJ a night rca-
sohably hope TO be beyond this reach vi this fearful
pursuit. But the lnck!-the cursed lock that should
bavc shut ont mnc encfny!thc key fixed in ls
rusty wnrds beyond my power to remove it, and
strive NIL would could not shcnt the bolt.
In tho midst OF my desperate efforts the KEY broke
--shvGrcd into thousand pieces as IL it hud been
glass; aIit there stnod hopeless, hcpless, without
the possibility Of further flight. had reached my
utuost limit.
But how eouid b. blind 10 ,,osr, pondero,rs bolts
and bars TINT mnde any lock unnecessary, and we're
almost too wcighty to be lifted? Nothing sherl of the
nand ana hammer OF blacksmith, and those too piled
for hours, could break down door with such dcGcn-
ces To draw nd fasen thcm was no more than tfr.
work OF single instant; and Q sooner WAS this Of
iected than iek mysnlf as safc as in lr
piass ii the triumph and excess of nv confidence
aung open tue windov 10 look for nv bu fled on
md taunting!y shouted his own cry, "Encors unir
voice clos; to my car, returned the cry "Encore
j mn Mt the hateful and hated sound rceled round
as u staggering from pistol-shot wlien-lIorror,-
thcte was the monster, neither all DIan nor oil wolf
but an iraXplicable compound of botha thing mot IN
DC dehHed by wordsi there no was HANGING over mo
closing me ahont with his shroud Ikea serpent with
ms folds, his face close to mine. 7 rave not n mo
'neDt thought or look to the depth below but flung
myself from the window, and without knowing boI
WY FOUND riy"eH a PIisore! in the Templc
amongst many OFFERS destined like myself to the
TVosor were mirtlI aud misery 81 intimately blended
as amongst who could have no other cxpectotion
a Loaf IN hath -J1,
uneertain but still death by the edge Of the axe and
before the week was Some went and some
ilanShcd-soIne prayed aud some danced; and every
time the sun set its beams fell upon its diminished
numbers, TIL myself and four others were all that re-
manct OF the hundreds that filed the prison ON INV
entrance. -" ''
II was the Seventh day. Ofonr little band il was
doubtful who faDv, would sec the next mornrcr. and
this very circumstance this community of neFT dan
ger, had linked our hearts closely than wears az
friendship could have done, though ccTnented by ,an
ana fortune But this tie, closes il might be- was
destIucd IN few hours only 10 be snnppsd osnndor
by the hand that, sooner or later, breaks all ties
The last rays ofthe sun dimy melting into shad-
ow, when my companions we're Summoned To attend
their JIdges--a summons that itsef equivalent
10 sentence OF death; for with such iudues IN t,v
was TO condemn We all felt IL to BE- so9Onr fare
wells were accordingly warm and earnest like those
OF men who were parting to meet; aud IN few
minutes vas leit to the solitude of my dungeon
Nigbt came on. knew TINT I had not another
day TO live, and could count the hours bstu,aen Tho
present moment and nc time when should censc To
be; n knowledge which, whether IL bc a curse or n
blessing is granted to none tho criminal doomed
to exPiae I'm earth hls offences against the children
on earth. My rapcy aboufcd with a thousand |
schemes IL escape, none perhaps absolutely irnpract
cable but oil improbable. and snch only as prisoner
would conceive with the Immediate fear Of death be-
fore his eyes
In the midst OF these ina ginnrs. was strnc ~,
light shining through creVice as il seemed of the
prison door. Life and Liberty were in the male
,lmmer started up TO examine it, and found thai
be Inlor, IN bis hurry, ia his iutoxjcatioua stat
bat always prevailed with him, more or lcss toysrdst
hc evenng-had turned the key in tho lock with
ut brst fairly closing tho door, ~ tint the bolt had
ecn shot beside the staple. Here, then, was a
nance OF escape when least expected IT, If the oc.
aston were only boldly, wisely, and seasonaby en-
ioyed. Boldly and in good time resolved to iso Il;
shetbor wisely or not, the result would show
.esving my dungeon, entered long winding cor
idor and after passing through MI empty room OF
omewhn' lrss dimensions than the ono that Ind
st quilted, at length fond it terminate in sort
4 porch OF ball, closed by the great gate Of thopri
on, the only obstacle that remained between mo