The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1842-01-27

nion. and msn,loneJ mn The sherifi. ~ no
rode By shs side Of The cart On horsebsek.
adding that The prisoner bad tasted no
fond thar day.
The shenff Vas q kind-hearisd man.
and instantly spprosebIng the prisoner,
be said, .You seen faint, s,r; will you
take liule sins IL that public house. OF
some brandy. o. any hing Thai you lkr!'
"SH." rsplied Frederick; . will Jake
naihing lh.l can prolohg my misery. even
for moment and sgsIn be sank INTO
silence.
Daring The rect Of the Journey, ihs
elrrgymsn spoke 10 bin from lime 70
lime, chiefly Tor The purpose Of giving
him what comfort be could; bui a. length
approaching The moor. and The dark line
Of The gslIows was seen rising in ,heeven-
ing air. The good man. in los tone, urg-
ed Frederick earnestly 20 eon.ess The
crime. The yong prisoner turned slow
Is round upon him, and said. Would
you have me die with lie IN my MOUTH
! an Innocent; and my Innocence will
some day be proved"
Som alter The. The fatal spot was reach.
ed. and ss i was nov beginning N grow
twilight, all The rect Of the terrible pro-
seedlings we're hurried az much as posi-
bic. Frederick Prevot showed irmness
aud readiness in III. and more strength
Than people had believed he possessed.
Though the crowd which had been there
from the morning was somewhat diminish.
ed. the numbers were s,ill considerable.
and while the execuiioner was 10 the act Of
adjusting the rope, the prisoner turned 10
the people, and said in loud. clear voice.
|" Remember, every one Of you, that The
very last moment OF my life. and with
The very las, breath, I deeisre ,hs, sm
innocent! Now" he continued. turning
to the hsngman. :" is all readyf7
YES" replied the man, drawing the
cap over his face. and Thou, waning fnr
any further word. Frederick Prevo, threw
himself violently off the ladder. and re-
NAMED suspended between heaven and
earth.
A low murmur ran through the people,
and il was sad one too, Tor there was
something in The manner OF his death
which shook the conyiciinn even Of those
~lio had previously Eel, most sure Of his
guilt. Some indeed. went away, saying
tina, he died game, bot The great majority
Of The multitude separated with feeling
That. on that moor an innocent man bad
just been murdered.
Such was The conviction Of shepherd,
an elderly man. who fed The flock Of !
neighboring squire. The lord OF The manor
and when he wen. hume he gave his wife
an accoun, ofihe whole proceedings. add
ing. /. They may say what they like. bu
am very sure that poor gentleman dc
not Nil the other one, and should no
wonder il The truth were found out some
day"
i As was usual with this old man. in III,
very grey Of the following day. he LEI
forth his sheep 10 pasture. and the feel
ings he had experienced on The preced
ing night. naturally made him turn hi.
steps towards the gsllows on the moor
Though il was a terrible sight 10 see ,ht
body Of a human being hanging there
loaded with heavy chains, yet the ole
man felt an in,eres, in al lhal had occur
red. which made him pause and look up
In the meantime. the sheep began to TAXI
a wrong direction, and he called his dog
10 turn them hack. What was his sur
prise, however. when be heard fain
voice which seemed to come from the
gibbet. inquire. "Is there any body
there!" and, " For Gods sake! take me
down. or end my life, for this 10 very
dreadful."
| The voice evidently came from The
man who had been hanged. although the
leap, which was sill over his face. pre-
vented the shepherd from seeing his lip:
move. A, first. the oil man had started
with terror and neatly sunk to The earth,
Ibu, now bis natural exclamation was,
/" Good Heavens! are you not dead ye,!'
| No." replied The voiee. "uor even
hurt, except by remaining so msney hours
here. The rope does no, press my neck
at all; and somehow am hanging By my
Ilegs and arms"
| "Stay, stay" cried the shepherd. ca
lgerly; 81 will get ladder, aud take you
down; but do no, speak to any one else,
for fear they should hang you again."
i Thus saying The old shepherd ran fas-
ter than he had ran for thirty years, 10 q
detached barn aud rick-yard a. short
distance. in which were lying several
ithaiching ladders. Taking The largest oil
these, be was speedily al The foot &C the
gibbet. and had soon placed the feet Of
poor Frederick Prevol firm upon one Of
Il The rounds Of The ladder. /, was now We
ny esiden. how he escspcd death. The
hangmsn. both inexperienced and hal
drunk, had twisted the rope round The
chains in such manner that the moose
never slipped at III. and The la'eness o.
the hour al which the sentence was exc
cuted. prevented the mistake from being
perceived by Others. The very sudden
ness Of The spriug which Frederick hat
given. had entaneled the cords more