American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1845-02-06
"Who is he?" asked the brother, gently.
"The father" she replied.

"Who is he?" asked the brother, gently.
"The father" she replied.
"Did YOU know he meant to do it?''
mo. He told me he would meet me and
give me some money. But when asked him
for something to support tho children, he was
angry, and choked them. | was frightened
and felt faint. don't know what | did.
woke up and found myself on the ground
alone, and the babies lying among the bushes. ,
"What is his name, and where does he live?'
inquired the brother. She gave him a wild
look of distress, and said
ooh, don't ask me- | ought not to have
done so. am poor sinner-a poor sinner
But everybody deserted me- the world was very
cold; had nobody to love; and he was vtry
| kind to me-"
'But tell me his name,' urged the brother.
She burst into strange mad laugh, picked ner-
vously at the handkerchief she held in her
! hand, and repeated, idiotically, "Name? name?
! guess the babies are alive now. don't know
i don't know; but guess they are"
! To the lawyer she would say nothing except
to deny that she committed the murder. All
their exertons could wiring from her nothing
more distinct than the story she had briefly told
her brother. During her trial, the expression
of her countenance was stupid and vacant. At
times she would drum on the railing before her,
and stare round on the crowd with bewilder-
ed look, as if unconscious where she was. The
deranged state of her mind was strongly Urged
by her lawyer, but his opponent replied that
all this might be assumed. To the story she
had told in prison, it was answered that her
not telling of the murder at the time, made her
an accomplice After the usual display of
legal ingenuity on both sides, the jury brought
her in guilty Of murder, and the poor forlorn
creature was sentenced to be hung at Ches-
ter.
The wretched brother was so stunned by the
blow that at first he could not collect his
thoughts But it soon occurred to him that
the terrible doom might still be arrested, if the
case could be brought suitably before the gov
ernor. A petition was accordingly drawn up,
setting forth the alienation of mind to which
she had been subjected, in consequence of fits,
and the extreme doubtfulness whether she
committed the murder. Her youth, her beau
| ty, the severe sorrows of her life, and the OBJ
| viously impaired state of her reason, touched
many hearts, and the petition was rapidly sign
ed. When William went to her cell TO bid her
alden, he tried TO cheer her with the hope of
pardon She listened with lstless apathy
But when he pressed her hand and with a
mournful smile said, Good bye, dear Lizzy,
shall come back soon, and | hope with good
news" she pointed tearfully to the little blue
bench and said, "Let what will happen, Willie,
take care of that for my sake" He answered
with choked voice. and as he turned away,
the tears flowed fast down his manly cheeks
| She listened to the echoes of his steps, and
when she could hear them no longer; she threw
| herself on the floor, laid her head on the little
| blue bench, kissed the letters carved upon it,
and sobbed as she had not sobbed since she was
first deserted by her false lover. When the
jailer went to carry her supper he found her
asleep thus. Rich masses of her glossy brown
hair fell over her pale, but still lovely face, on
which rested serene smile, as if she were hap
py in her dreams. He stood and gazed upon
her, and his hard hand brushed away tear
Some motion that he made disturbed her UNI
Der. She opened her eyes from which there
beamed for a moment rational and happy ex-
preston, as she said: 81 was out in the woods,
behind the house, holding my little apron to
catch the nuts that Willie threw down. Moth
or smiled at me from u blue place between
two clouds, and said, Come to me, my child"
The next day clergyman came to see her.
He spoke of the penalty for sin, and the duty
of being resigned to the demands OF Justice
She heard his words as a mother hears street
sounds when she is watching a dying babe
They conveyed to her no import. When ask
ed if she repented of her sins, she said she had
been weak, erring creature, and she hoped
that she was penitent, but that she never COM
United the murder.
"Are you resigned to die if pardon should
not be obtained" he asked.
'Oh yes" she replied, "lwant TO die"
! He prayed with her in the spirit of real hu-
| and .biS vnothnd bnr hpart Shp
smoke seldom after her brothers. departure, and
often she did not appear to hear when spoken
to. She sat on the little blue bench, gazing va
cantly on the floor, like one already out OF the
body.
In those days there was a briefer interval be-
! tween sentence and execution than at present.
The fatal day and hour soon arrived, and still
ne tdiDgs from the governor. Men came to
lead her to the gallows. She seemed to I'M
derstand what they said to her, and turned
meekly to obey their orders. But she stopped
suddenly, gazed on the little blue bench, and
said, in gaspipg tone, elias William come?''
When they told her no, shudder seemed TO
go over her, aud her pale face became still
Paler. piece of looking-glass hung on the
wall in front of her, and as she raised her head,
she saw the little curl that had received her
mothers caresses, and the first kiss Of love-
With look of the most intense agony, she
gave a loud groan, and burying her face in
her hands, fell forward on the shoulder of the
sheriff.
! Poor William had worked with the desperate
energy of despair and the governor, after
brief delay, granted pardon. But in those
days the facilities for travelling were few, and
it happened that the country was inundated by
heavy rains, which everywhere impeded his
progress. He stopped neither for food nor
rest, but every where the floods and broken
roads hndered his progress. When he came
to Darby Creek, which was usually forbade,
it was swollen too high to be crossed, and it
was some time before boat could be obtained.
In agony Of mind he pressed onward, till his