Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1842-12-07

citeinens, aad one Of the Internal sparks
feIlinto my own heart. Ifsthis was the |
effect produced on me, who am<by nature !
tender-hearled, by principle opposed to all
retaliation. and by social posilioa seclud- [
ed from contact with evil. what must
II have been on the minds Of rowdies and
desperadoes2 The effect of.execution Cd
al brought within their influence is evil. |
and nothing but evil. For fortnight
past. This whole city has been kept IN
state Of co.roding excitemen, either sot
hope or fear. Tbs hardihood and stern
defiance. Of the prisoner left little in his Pc
culiar case to appeal to the sympathles OF
society; vet the instincts Of our common.
na,ure rose up against the sanguinaTy
spirit manifested toward him. The pub
JIG were, moreover. divided In opinion
with regard TO the legal construction Of
his crime /; and 10 the keen discussion Of
legal distinction moral distinction became
wofully confused.s Each day, hope and
fear slternated; the natural effect OF all
this, was to have the whole thing regard
ed as a game, in which the criminal
might, or might not become the winner
aud every experiment OF this kind shakes
public respect for the laws. from centre to
circumference. Worse THAN all this, was
the horrible amount Of diabvical passion
excited, The hearts Of men were filled
with murder; they gloaled over lhe
Thoughts Of vengeance, and were rabid to
witness a fellow-creature's agony. They
complained loudly that be was not TO be
hung high enough for the crowd to see
him. What pityp' exclaimed wo-
man, who stood near me, gazing at the
burning tower; "they. will have to give
him two hours more 10 live As we
walked homewaTd. we encountered dep
uty sheriff; not the most promising mater
nal. certainly, for lessons on humanity
but 10 him we spoke of the crowd Of saw
age faces. and the tones OF hatred, as OBJ
vious proofs Of the bad influence Of capital
punishment. IL know that" said he !;
"bul / don't see how we could dispense
With IT, Nowsuppose we had City mdr-
derets shut up in prison for life. instead Of
hanging'em; and suppose there SHOULD
come revolution I; what an awful thing
it would be to have ffiy murderers inside
the prison, to be let loose upon, the CON-
mnnity r. nThere is aaother side 10 that
proposition" we answered i. for every
criminal you execute. you make hum
sdred murderers outside the prison, each
as dangerous as would be the one inside"
He said perhaps It was so; and went his
way. 49, -ss..s s..s,s
As forIhe punishment and The terror o.
such doings. they fall most keenly on the
best hearts in the community thousand:
e men, as well as women, had broker
and startled sleep for several nights pre-.
ceeding that dreadful day. Executions
always excite universal shudder among
The innocent, the humane, and the wise
hearted. 1t is the voice of God, crying
aloud within rs against the wickedness o
this savage custom. Else why is il tina
the instinct is 50 universal2
The last conversation I had with III,
late William Ladd made strong impress
ion on my mind. While he was a sea
captain, be occasionally visited Spain, anc
once witnessed an execution there. Hs
saidthat no man, however low and des
2icable. would consent 10 perform the Of
6ccr Of hangman and whoever shoult
dafeio suggest such thing 10 decen
blown out. This feeling was 50 strong
and so universal. that the only way they
could procure an executioner, was to of
er condemned criminal his own life, j
he would consent TO perform the vile ant
hateful Office on another. Sometimes ex
ecutions were postponed Tor months ant
moths, because there was no condemned
criminal to perform the Office Of hangman
A fee was alloued by law to the wretcl
who did perform it, but no one would rui
the risk Of touching his polluted hand b.
giving il 70 him; therefore, The prizes
threw the purse as Ear as possible; III
odious being ran to pick il up. and hast
ened 10 escape from the shuddering exc
cralions Of all who had known him as
hangman. Even the poor animal. tina
carried the criminal and his cofiin' in
cart the foot Of the gallows. was an OF
ject 'of universal loahing. He was crop
ped and marked, that he might be know
as the I" Hangman's Donkey" No man
however great his needs, would use hi
beast, either forservice or labor; and th
peasant were 80 averse TO having him po
Lutte their fields with his fooistep, ina
: when he was seen approaching g. the boy
hastrned to open the gates, and drive hir
off with hisses.. sticks, and stones. Thu
does the human heart cry out alou
against this wicked praeticei
Il is said that Mr.. Hart. The sheriff
manifested The greatest fepugnance to ID
painful and disgracefnl task assigned hi
by law. Thought be hired subordinal
to perform the Legal murder. and wa
merely Obliged 70 s6perinlend ceremonie
he could i'll conceal his relief when new
came that the Preparations were 1seles
He is said 70 have treated the prisont
,uih all The humanity the nature of h