The St. Landry whig., 1845-07-17
Last v ords from . dying onto hisFather

Lastly ords from . dying onto hisFaher
op~ELoUsAs, PARIsH Or ST.. LANnny. II. j
July III, 1916.
Ny DEAR FATHER,- ,
It's impossible for mo to krow win ,Vba. 80
lngs You willsfead this letter yetl well kno,,
y deserves a~careiul periisaI. nv heart Is iii
Of iiiai affection, and / trust i maternal blesxina
VII tighten the dark path 10 the sraye-the am
n winch am now 50 iast apprDAching, Conld
tannt Know that my precious Mother vet loved,
yet wished her son weil--it too would drav ano
her heavy pang from mn heart. There ara nv
sweet little sisters!-bui must s,op--a hraaLinS
heart cannot think al such tender oh;ec,s
tive ali}ssall, my parting last love; and let the
.arliing Rars that flaw 50 copiously. ialf az 70.
ifeshlng drops upon their now bliehted FEELINGS
--ioft e Know that ! nEnto be the victim Of tGe
gailoWs, i q hard b wit Jerinr blastl
! feel q tenda s0liciSRde for your hast ~.
everlasting wel1aFel Though this lelter I'M !
now seem to yoa Unnecessary, vet do NOT iron,
Y with neglect Carefully paitlse it--tbe Tina
may come when II will he precious "a yonM
when you may read it with some comfort 10 vonr
soul. Y !Vuf
Dear Father; The time Of NV denaytpre
draws near. ann striving for, and have every
reason 20 exPect, y great change III nv feelings.
n write TINS, as You know, under sentence az
She law ct our States, with the clankin6 chain
~ my tset and the grating door at my head.
90 mas well conclude then, that | must he ear.
nest alNsnt what | say. Permit me. then. "a
slSe " ny last, my farewell advice. oh, han.
~ M&u.d nc, indeed, to meet you and the rest
q Nay dear relatives in heaven. Then prepare
yaARfaI Ior u; ana let me refer you to somc
DuFfUIilinpH rhn ntnr tint ,,.1I .-... - -,
youAto attain this desirable object. 'There i H.
fifthtehapter Of st. Matthew, where il i said nv
Christ, ~ his sermon on the mount: "Blessed
are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the KINGDOM or
heaven land so on, to tho last part ofihe nm
chaPter, whore It is said: "Comc unto me. oll
you that labor and are heavy laden, and will
give you rest; for my yoke is easy and nv bur.
lnen - light" Read all from the 9th tothe 1lth
cnapter, and think of your dying son--it is his
iast request to you, and he hopes You will not
neglect II; Tor when you read it, he will be in
eternity. We all have to debut, father, il is
nof my wish to die the death which | am con.
aemned TO die. Father, | know it will be n
Stigma on our family name, both in this and in
other generations; but all | can say to Won is.
That 4 seH die innocent of The murder. Such \
thought rs killing a fellow man, never flashed
across my brain. Therefore | saw. Il il hard
very hard, for me to suffer for the crime Of other,.
There Is yet, however. some consolation left
me, ! believe | have the sympathy Of every
good man and woman an this town. But. Gi.
ther, IAAAvs been here IN prison for the last ten
months have wrifcf}to you some four or Ave
letters since 1 have bpm here; but never have
you written me n wordfn answer. And though
! begged you as hard as pen could beg, "for a
hclps N this my last emergcncy-yet no
answer % my appeal, no money for a LAWYER,
would You send me. The reason of your anger
mey ! can attribute TO no other cause.
nan that, n 9uEiast conye rsation at Little Poplar
Branch, ! refusedto fee from my country, nj
knew had done 10 crime 10 make me run away
rom her laws. TaE here were other people,
hearts were not 3 bard as a fathers, who
,ent me . little money ii ietters 81 consolationl
hlfaiter felt keenly FppF silence, knowing
was your only son, and YET you would not
write mel Had ynu been Il by situation, |
you'd have travelled as far a land ana water
,ould have carried mc, 10 have Anleavored ID
'ender You help. But now | hare no person ID
ook 70 but my God Every pefson thought Ii
cry strange and hard that you did not visit me
. my confinement, and your silenea had d bad
fleet on the minds Of all. thought, III least,
fou might have sent me some help, IL YOU did
not come yourself. This shows you have d bard
calIpus heart--ibai your W son Is
oif--and thai you believe him guilty. But
he time is coming, when you md all will have
o pass from this w~oFld--and, remember, YOU
Fan take nothing with you'll II may, II might
ave been some consolation to you in that DAY
Q know, that you had pitied, had helped d son
n deep distress. Father, YOU well knew that
'ol were The only person on this earth | could
Ons did call, but Won Needed mt Your