Virginia free press & farmers' repository. [volume] (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1827-1832, 1831-11-10

"S'p SospcSt'HS were tutenueu fltNer
to screen themselves from suspicion,
than to express what was in their
hearts.
l bad been obliged. 10 a great mea.
sure against my will, to witness the
horrors OF the preceding evening and
1t now seemed probable that l should
be forced in the same way To be pre-
sent at the execution this morning.
The certainty Of being
Obliged TO witness the execution. now
appeared To me TO be q much smaller
evil than ] had at first con ,idered IL.
and my whole attention was directed
To serving my self from being thrown
down and trampIed Ia death by the
crowd which carried me along with it.
We had not, however. far To go; as
every body knows the place Of execu-
ton Is not twenty PAGES from the gate
OF the ark. When We halted. I found
myself enclosed in a dense ring Of
spectators, In the midst of which STOOD
4 great brass mortar, raised on mound
OF earth, aud beside II, stuck In the
ground. was a linstock with \ lighted
match. The nussukchees ranged them
selves or each side Of this horrible en-
Slne; and II was not without some diff
hculty that | succeeded in gaining a
position which appeared To me tn Sc
cure me from the danger attending the
exPlosion. and its consequences when
It should take place. Having taken
my station, | began to look around me.
and saw the officers of Justice still
pouring into the circle. which was wi
dened for their reception by dint of
slows. After them, or rather between
two OF them, came the prisoner. She
was developed from head to foot in the
black robe, which also covered her
face. Her step was firm, and her car
rage stately. She frequently spoke u
few words to an eunuch who &C compa.
MED her; but the noise was SO great,
that ! could hear nothing of their dis
course. AS she approached, the spec
tators became more quiet; and when
she had reached the mortar, not a
sound was to be heard. Taking ad-
vantage OF the silence, she spoke aloud,
with adistinctness and composure that
astonished every one, and made her
words ineligible to ALL
am a tool" she said, "and suf-
Ter tor crime which was not origina-
ted by me. have been deceived, but
have sworn TO be secret, and scorn
to betray my friends. Tell the whole
Harem that tortures have extracted
from inc no confessions, aud that the
near approach of death. in its most APP
paiinR form, has not shaken my soul.
81 know that they, whose charac-
tiers | have preserved at the price Of
my life, are at this moment longing
for the sound which will announce that
am NO more, and trembling lest I
should redeem my life by sacrificing
theirs. Ii is no matter. They will
know better what | was when ali is
over.
Z" Tell the king that had he used me
more gently, might have been in
duced to warn him Of dangers from
which he cannot nov protect himself
But thank him for his cruelty. Had
he left me life better worth preserv-
ing, | might have been tempted to re-
deem it. even by betraying my accom-.
plIces; but he has taken from ne the
wish 10 live, and, king as he is, he can
not now tempt me to be false"
The officer, perceIsing that her wild
address made some impression upon
the multitude, here interrupted her
She made no attempt 10 proceed, but
resigned herself into their hands They
led her in front OF the mortar, and set
her step never faltered-neither did
.he speak Of impIorc. "a il is common
for even men TO DO IN her situation !;
neither did she curse, as some do-nei-
Their did she weep. They told her to
kneel dos" with her breast against the
muLLle, and she did 30. They put
cords around her wrists, and bound
them TO stakes which hal been driven
Tor that purposc-still she showed no
signs Of emotion-she laid her head
upon the mortar, and waited her fate
with a composuTe which a soldier might
have envied. At length the signal was
gIven-the match was raised--it de
scended slowly-and. at the moment
when ~ was about 90 touch the powder,
an audible shudder ran through the
crowd. The printing caught hre--a
moment Vt siokeniog suspense follow
ed-a groan burst from the spectators
the smoke passed away-no explo-
sion fOllOwed--And the unfortunate
wretch raised her head 20 see what had
happened.
A faint hope glinmered in nv oW n
heart that this was perhaps a device Go
save her lite, but u was not permitted
to live long IL bad scarcely began to
rise within me, when saw the prim.
ins renewed and the match rslsed
gam. The condemned wretch lard her