Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1848-06-27
JOLIET, ILLINOIS, JUNE 81, 1s4s

an0 my DOuy lett as II It were such q
weight to me, that was unable to move
II, or stir. The day now was breaking,
yellow and heavily and the light stole
by degrees into my dungeon, showing me
the damp stone walls. and desolate, dark
paved floor; and, strange as il was, with
all that could do, could not keep my.
self from noticing these trifling things,
though perdition was coming upon me
the very next moment. l noticed the
lamp which the turnkey had left on the
floor, and which was burning dimly, with
a long wick, being clogged with the chill
and bad air, and thought to myself
even at that moment-that it had not been
trimmed since the night before. And l
looked at the bare, naked, iron bed.trame
that | sat on and the heavy studs on the
door of the dungeon; and at the scrawl
and writing upon the wall, that had been
drawn by former prisoners and put my
hand to my own pulse, and it was so low
that | could hardly count it. could not
feel-thougb tried TO make myself feel
it-that | was going to die. In the midst
OF this, heard the chimes Of the chapel
clock begin to strike; and ] thought
Lord take pity on me, wretch lit could
not be three. quarters after seven yet -
The clock went over the three.quarters
it chimed the fourth quarter, and struck
eight. They were In my cell before |
perceived them. They found me in the
place, and in the posture, as they had left
me.
"What have further to tell will lie In
very small compass; my reoollections
are very minute up to this point, but not
at all so close as to what occurred after
wards. ! scarcely recollect very clearly
how got from my cell to the press
room,I think two little vithered men, dres-
sed in black, supported me. know /
tried to raise when saw the master and
his people come into the dungeon; but |
could not.
In the press-room were two miserable
wretches that were to suffer with me;they
were bound with their arms behind them,
and their hands together; and were lying
upon bench, hard by, until was ready.
A meagre-looking old man with thinwhite
hair, who was reading to one Of them,
came up, and said something-'Thas we
would embrace'-I did not distinctly hear
what il was.
"The great difficulty that had was to
keep from falling. had thought that these
moments would have been all of fury and
horror. but felt nothing ofthis /; but only
a weakness, as though my heart--and the
very floor on which l stood-was sinking
under me. l could just make motion,
that the old white haired man should
leave me; and some one interfer-
ed and sent him away. The pinioning Of
my hands and arms was then finished !;
and I heard an officer whisper to the
chaplain that ''all was ready" As we
passed out, one of the men in black held a
glass of water to my lips; but I conld not
swallow.
"This was the last moment-but one
Of full perception, that had in life.
remember beginning to move forward,
through the long arched passages which
led from the press-room to the scafold.-
| saw the lamps that were still burning,
for the daylight never entered there;
heard the quick tolling Of the bell, and the
deep voice of the chaplain, reading a. he
walked before US {:
"I am the resurl eetion and the life,
saith the Lord he that believeth in me,
though he were dead, shall live. And
though after my sin worms destroy this
body, yet in my flesh shall see GodP
''Il was the funeral service-tho order
for the grave--the office for those that
were senseless and dead--over Us, the
quick and the living.
IL felt once more-and sawl felt
the transition from these dim, close,
hot, lamp-lighted subterraneous passages,
to the open platform, and steps at the foot
OF the scafold, and to day, l saw the i'm
mense crowd blackening the whole area
of the street below me. The windows oil
the shops and houses opposite. to the
fourth story, choked with gazers. l saw
st. Sepulchre's church, through the yell
low fog in the distance had heard the
pealing of its bell. Irecollect the cloudy,
misty morning; the wet that lay upon the
scafold--the huge dark mass of buildings
the prison itself, that rose beside. and
seemed to cast shadow over us-the
bold, fresh breeze that, as emerged from
1t, broke upon my face. see it all now
the whole horrible landscape is before
me. The scafold-the rain--the faces
of the multitude--,he people clinging &c
the house tops-the smoke that beat heav
lily downward from the chimneys-ihs
wagons filled with women, staring at The
inn yard opposite--the hoarse low roa
that ran through the gathering crowd 81
we appeared. / never saw so many ob
jects at once, so plainly and distinctly il
!; all my life. as at that one glance; but
} lasted only for an instant.
: "From that look, and from that instant
Al fhaA liz mad In a hlanlr 0ftha nra :,