The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1846-10-03

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A man that bet,ays his King betray
his God; and it is full time that yo,
make peace with him. Three minutes
rascal--three minutes! That's all tn,
time you have from me. Go on YOU
knees at once, then. Sambo have the
halter ready. Three minutes only
| The negro had placed the lantern or
the ground, directly under the galIows
It's faint light cleaned upward, show
ing in dim outline the gallows frame
and partially Lighting the faces and
forms ofthe soldiers grouped, with theil
muskets to an order, in a semi-circle
around the scene of execution.
The prisoner bent down, resting his
knees upon the earth thrown up around
the new made grave. He had no hope
of escape, and as he looked upwards
toward The heavens, although all was
black as night vet hls eye pierced thro'
the gloom, and he saw in the future, re-
demption for the past! The quivering
of his lip, showed his sincerity; he was
prepared TO die. Of sudden he bent
his head. All, his prayer was heard
rescue was at hand. His life--Oh glo-
rious thought--was not set in blood
through the hands of man!
"Harry!" said voice IN a whisper,
proceeding from the grave where the
prisoner had seen the dead body tossed
but a few moments before, " make no
alarm. 'Tis !, your comrade, Dick
Martin, of Washington's Life Guard.
come to save you. Make some excuse
to turn your back TO wards the hole in
which have hidden myself, and will
cut the rope by which your hands are
tied. When this IS done and you hear
me groan, kick over the lantern and
make for the east corner Of the grave
yard! ! will follow. Things are rea-
dy for our escape. Remember, make
no alarm"
The prisoner felt as If he had won
empires upon empires. His life, then,
was safe!
sCome, rogue, your three minutes
are up. Sambo, the rope there, you
pattern of Guinea beauty!" l..-
The prisoner, without rising from his
knees, turned round so that he faced
the lantern, his back towards the grave.
The negro advanced with the haltar,
to place it round his neck. The scene
was striking. In the foreground stood
the soldiers, gazing with no very pleas
ant emotions, by the dim light upon the
poor prisoner. Cunningham was in
the centre, his brutal and harsh fea-
lures lighted up with the expression al
most of a devil, preparatory to seizing
his victim. Scoundrel you had no VIC
victim that time. Just as the negro
got within arms length of the prison
er, the latter felt the thong cut which
had bound his arms. He was free!
But why starts the black, his eyes
protruding from their sockets as if
death was before hm? The haltar falls
from his hands; he is paralyzed with
fear. Slowly from the grave rises the
soldier he had himself rolled into it.
'Gor almighty the dead hab riz!' said
the negro solemnIy.
Cunningham beheld the sight, and so
did the soldiers. The vision was so
awful-so apparently contrary to hu-
man reason--that with one accord all
fled excepting the negro and the pris-
oner. The former rolled on the ground,
exclaiming--
'Spar' me. massa ghost!-spar' me
dis time, neber hang anoder sojer!'
and he rolled over the graves, shiver-
ing as if struck with an aguc fit.
In the meantime the prisoner and his
comrade, who had been SO opportunely
rescued from an ignomineous death, ,hur-
ried from the scene, and springing from
The grave yard, made for Lispenard's
woods, which then skirted the North
river near where Canal st. now ends.
There they found boat, in which
Dick Martin had crossed alone from the
Jersey shore, six hours before, to save
his comrade. Reaching the Jersey
side just below Bulls ferry, in an hour,
they struck into the woods and reach
ed the camp Of Washington, near We est
Point. about night. the next day. The
morning after, in general orders, two
new lieutenants were commissioned in
Washington's Life Guard, and the read
Ell can imagine who they were.
A brief explpnation perhaps is neces-
sary. 1t always surprised the English
commanders no W Washington knew so
well the movements in their lines
in many cases made de-
seriion duty. He knew who among
his private soldiers TO ask this from, and
never, in single instance was his con-
fidence betrayed. Death upon the
gallows followed the poor private often,