The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1844-12-19

Perhaps while some persons who we've OF
the ground, in the scuffle, intended t
wound Cummings. Clark was. by mis-
take killed.
Petitions were sent to the Executive
praying that he might not be executed
With severa other persons went before
the Governor and Council. to plead for
the prisoner. To my utter astonishment,
Asa Clark, the father Of deceased, appear
ed there with Elnalhan P. Hathaway, a
lawyer of Freetown, and urged the Elk.
ecu.ive TO hang Cummings. The efforts
OF the petitioners were unavailing.
A gallows was erected in the Taunton
jail near the door OF the prisoners CELL
Fourteen persons were present 10 witness
the bloody scene. Every thing being pr, .
pared, the sheriff threw his arms around
the neck of the prisoner. and said 10 him
-" Cummings. you now are about 10 die;
are you innocent or guilty ?" ~ know
not" said he, show the deed was done"
A few days after the execution, the sheriff
informed me that he verify believed that
the man was innocent of the crime for
which he had executed him. think had
Cummings done the deed he would have
manufactured some story to deceive the
people, or when he saw there was no
chance to escape the gallows, he would
have confessed that he was guilty. Prob
ably he was an innocent person
This was in 1899. Since that time
no one has been executed in Massachu.
sets. A hope is in1ulged, that by the
aid OF the Hangman and other moral in.
fuences, the un. Christian law, inficting
the punishment of death for crime, will be
speedily abolished J. M. S.
Rev. WILLIAM RAYMOND is labo.ing
in Kaw-mendi, Africa, where, at the last
accounts, mis- prospect of usefulness was
very encouraging. 1t is a long time since
letters were received from him. His in.
land position renders it difficult for him
TO communicate frequently with the friends
of the Mission in this country. Within a
week or two we have heard indirectly
from one Of the esteemed English miss
ionaries at Sierra Leone, that Mr.. Ray
mond needed funds, and that the mission
aries in tina. colony had advanced him
nearly five hundred dollars. We hope
that the friends of the cause will speedily
remit this amount to enable the Treasurer
to REIN burse those excellent men, so that
neither they nor the Mendi mission will
sufer.-U Union Missionary.
Surc1ps.-Alffed c. Burdck. son of
Mackson Burdick, formerly of this town,
put an end TO his existence on Tuesday
last, by hanging himself in his fathers
barn, at Westford. He was 80 years of
age--a young man Of good habits, and
fine promise. He had recently EMBARK
ed in the pedling business, and purchased,
a few months since, quantity OF goods
in New York. But his business had
proved less successful than he anticipated,
and he found his paper falling due,wilbout
the means to meet it, Honest, unsophisti
Gated; and unused to the expedien,s, trick
trade and evasions of the world-this was
state OF things not to be endured. He
looked at the dark side Of the picture alone.
until his mlnI became distempered, and
the longer he dweit upon it, the less he
saw worth living for. II does not appear
that he had squandered or misappIied the
property, but had assets to show Tor all he
had received. But his name was about
to be dishonored, and, forgetting those
higher obligations which reason and rev.
elation enjoin, he fell victim to the keen
appreciation of a high principle, which, 10
the merchant aud man of business, is the
foundation of all that is ennobling andhon-
orable.-Bur. Free Press.
HuMBue.--An intelligent female wit
ness having been much perplexed by a
barrister in long cross-examination,
happened in replying, to use the word
'humbug'
Madam said the man Of law, you
must not talk unintelligibly. What are
the court and jury to understand by the
word humbug?
The lady hesitated.
Il must insist, madam said the bar
rister, anticipating victory that you pro-
coed no further until you state, plainly
and openly, what you mean by the word
humbug.'
why, then, sir, returned the lady, Il
don't know how better TO explain my
meaning than by saying, i'll met COM
pany of persons who were strangers to
you land should tell them that when they
saw you they might prepare to meet a
remarkably handsome, agreeable look
ing man, that would be-a humoug.'
THE IMMENSELY OF EUMBERs.-W
never hear of the wandering Jew (says
the Spirit Of the Times, but we mental
ly inquire what was the sentence of his
punishment Perhaps it was calculation.
Perhaps he was told to walk the earth
until he had counted a trillion. But,
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