The Rodney telegraph. (Rodney, Miss.) 1838-1840, 1839-08-29
THE MORALS OF HANGING.

THE MORALS OF HANGING.
We do not know from what work the fol-
lowing terrible passage is extracted. We
find it in the Albany Daily Advertiser. Il
bears harder against punishment by death
than whole acre Of homiiy. :
The Hangman and The Judge.-Did your
lordship ever attend killing match at the
Old Baily? Ifnot, pray favor me with your
company; not on the gallows, but stayingin
the street, amid crowd that ulwaYs assem-
BILE when Lam at work for you aud the She
riff. Perhapsit will add to the zest, If you
come when | have young woman to stiffeD,
supplied by yourself. Will the fluttering Of
the ,petticoats, as she swings in the wind,
produce pleasant sound in your ears, my
learned masters Fail not to watch the peo-
pie: the men, women and children good,
bad and indiferent-who hive gathered to
behold the sacred majesty Of the law. You
will see such flashing Of the eyes and grind
ing Of the teeth-you will hear sighs aud
groans, and words Of rage, and hatred, with
fierce curses on: yourself and me; and then
laughter, such as it Is, Of an unnatural kind,
and they will make you sick! You will
fee1-no-why should yos -Seel any more
than your faithful journeymanf We shallgo
to our breakfasts with good appetites, and a
firm conviction that every hanging bout
changes many sneaking pilferers into saw
ing robbers, fit for murder.
ga few years ago | was called out Of
town to hang a little boy who had been con-
victed of killing with malice aforcthougkt.
II guilty, he must have been 10 the habit of
going to executions. Ten thousand came
to dabble in the poor xSaPsi ssiIfo%csasture
ever handled in the way Of business; anda
beautiful child he was too, as you have seen
by the papers, with straight nose, large
blue eyes, and golden hair. have no
heart, no feeling; who has IN our caIling?-
But those who came to see me strangle that
tender youngsier, have hearts and feelings
as we once had. Hare-no-had; for
what they saw was fit to make them as hard
as your servant or his master.
They saw that STRIPPING lifted, fainting, on
to the gallows, his smooth check Of the color
Of wool ashes, his little limbs trembling,
and his bosom heaving siga after sigh, as il
the body and soul were parting without my
help.
This was downright murder; for there
was scarcely any life to take out of him.
When | began to pull the cap over his baby
face, he pressed his small hands together,
This arms, you know, were corded fast tohis
body,l and he gave me a beseechirg look,
Just as q calf will lick the butchers hand.
But cattle do not speak, The creature NUT
tered, sPray, sir. don't hurt me- My DEAR
answered I, syou should have spoken to your
master, Pm only the journeyman, and must
do as I'm bid.' This made him cry, which
seemed to relieve him, and / do think |
should have cried myself if had not heard
shouts from. the crowd, poor lamb! -skame!
Quick said the Shcrif;
Ready said /. The reverend gentleman
gave me the wink-,he drop fell;--one
kick,-and he swaycd to and fro, dead as
the feelings Of the Christian people Of Eng
land!
The crowd dispersed: some swearing,
some weeping with passionate exclan1a-
tions, some swearing as if hell had broke
loose, and some laughing while they cracked
BLACKBOARD jokes on you and me and the
parson and the dangling corpse. They had
come for the sight; they would have come
| to see an angel murdered. They came to
| get drunk with strong excitement, they went
back recling and filthy with the ho, debauch.
They had come to riot in the passions offear
and pity; they went back some in a fever
Iof rage, some burning with hate. soane hard
ened in heart like me, OF you; all sunk down
ia their own respect, ready to make light Of
pain and blood, corrupted by the indecent
show, and more fit than ever to make work
for Vi, the Judge and the hansnan.n
@, wise law-makers! who think to soften
THE hearts Of the people, to naks chem gem
tie and good; to give them . feeling Of re-
spectfor themselves aud Others, BY showing
l them sight like this.
Rsclrn ron FLoAzMe Amy human b