The Arkansas banner., 1848-04-25
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In Blackwood's MaWsxgne, is an article. entitled Ls RsseHant purPorting to be written By man who has bssa hanged and is asw slive. The wri- ter confssses that be was sy ef the sct for which he suHered-i0rgsFy, and ssases the paSssealArs cf his arrest, commltal 10 Newgase for itisi and his conviction Of the crms at the Old Bay Sessions fnf lS26. He then proceeds to describe what we're hls sensations after receiving the swful sentence ef death. Alter painting, ia inuehing eoIors, the in. tsSvlew he had with Elizabeth Clare, to whom be was stFongly attached, De thus proceeds with his narTatve: f .a 70
 "Lt was four o'clock in ghe afternoon when Eltsa- beth left We; and when she departed it Seemed as fl my business in this world Nas ai m end could have wished, than and there, te have died on the spot [; I had done my last act, asd drank nv Iast drought in life. Buf, as the twilight drew in. my cell was cold and damp. usd the evening was dark and gloomy; and had no Ars. nor any candle. d. though t was tn the mouth of January, nor much covering ta nc, and by degrees thy sniHts weakened. and ny heart sunk at the desolate Wretchedness of everything sfoUhd me: and grad uaiIy--for whst I write now shall be iruth-thc thoughts of Elizabeth, and what would be her fste began to give way before sense of my own sitsa. taon. This was the fist ti,ne-I cannot tell the | reason why-that my mind had ever fixed itself upon the trisl that had, within few hours to 10 through; and. as rehected on it. terror spread over me almost in an instant. though it were that | my sentence was just pronounced, and that had
 
 before; had catch nothing fos twenty four hours There was food, which a religious gentleman who visited me had sent from his own table. but could not taste it, and when looked at it, strange faneies came over me. It was dainty food, not such as was served 10 the prisoners in the jail It was sent to me because 1 was to die tomorrow and l thought of the beasts of the ied and the fowls of the air that were pampered fof slaughter. l felt that my own sensations were not they ought 10 be at this time; and believed that, for awhile, was insane sort of dull, hutnming noise that could not get rid ot like the buxzing ot bees sounded in my eals And though q was dark, sparks of Night seemed to dance before my eyes, and could recollect nothing tried to say my prayers but could only recoiiect wofd here and there and then it seemed to me as If these were blasphemes thst was uttering; don't know what they were-I cannot tell what said and then on sudden, felt though all this terror was usetss, and that would not stay there to die; and jumped up, and wrenched at the bars of my cell window with force that bent them, for iet as II l had the strength of lion. And felt all over the lock of my door, and tried the door with my saOuider-ihoagG l knew 1t was plated with iron, and heavier than that of church and groped about the very walls, and into the corners of my dungeon--though knew very we'll if had my senses, that it was all of so stone three feet thick and that. il could have passed through crevice smaller than the eye of needle, had no chance of escaping. And, in the midst Of sl thi. exeriion fantness came over the as though had just power to reel 10 the bed-pisc>, where sank down, as think, in s1oon; but this did not last-fsr my head swan round, and the cell seemed to turn with me, and dIeamed--between sleeping and waking that it Was midnight, and that Elizabeih had come back as she promised, and that they refused to ad- init her. And thought It showed heavily, and that the streets were all covered with 1t. If with white sheet, and that saw her dead-iying in the fallen snOw-and ia the darkn~ss-at the prison gate When eame to self. 1 vas struggling and brcathles. In minute or two, heard St. Se- pulchre's clock 20 ten, and knew tt Was a dream that had hal. The ehapIsia of the prison came without my sendirg. He exherted me solemnly "to think more oi cares troubles in this world but to bend my thoughts upon that to come, and 10 try 10 reconcile my shui 10 Heaven; trusting that my sins, though they were heavy, under repentance might have hope oI mercy" When he was gone, d,d find myself. for litte while, more collected; and sat down sgsin on the bed, and tried serious ly to commune ~iih mysif, and prepare myself tor my late. recalled to my mind that had but lew hours more, at all events, to liye-that there was no more hope on cath of eseaping-and that It Was al least be ter that should die deceny like man. Then tried to recoect all the tales that had ever beard about death by baneins-that it was said 10 be the sensation of monent-to give no pain--to cause the extinction of lie iHstantaneousy and so on, 10 twenty other strange ideas. By ue- grees my heai began 10 wander and grow nnmaE- ageable. pnt my hands tightly 10 my throat, though to ty the sensation of stfanshng-then felt my arms al the place where the cord would be lied. went through tho fastenings of the rope the tying of the hands toge,her inc thing that felt most nverse 10, was the white cap muffied over my eyes and face. ifI could avoid that, the rest was not so very horrible in the midst of these iancics, humbness seemed to creep over my sanses. The giddiness that had felt gave wgy to dull stupor which lessened the pain that my thoughts gave me, though still went on thinking. The church clock rang midnight l was sensible of the sound. but it reached m Iain inctiV vh hra m many closed dools or from far distance. By and by, saw the objects before my mind less and less oIeariy--ihen only partislly--then they were gone together. fell ss'eep.
 'l slept antil the hour of execution IL twas sev. en o'clock on the next morning when knocking al the door of my cell awoke me. l heard the sound ss though in my dreams, for some moments before Was fully awake; and my first sensation Was only the dislike which weary man feels at being reused l Was tired. and Tn a minute after, The bolts on the outside of my dungeon Was drawn; turnkey. carr, ing a small lamp, aui followed by the master of the jail and the chaplain, entered; looked up; shudder like the shock of elertrieiiS- hke plunge into bath of iee-ran through ine; one glance was sufficient. Sleep was gone as though had never sept-even as I never was 10 sleep again-l was conscious of my situation! R., said the master 10 me, in a suhdued but steady tone
 t is time for you to rise.' The chaplain asked me how had passed the night. and propes d that We should join in prayer. l gathered myself up. and remained seated on the s,de of my bed place. My teeth chaltersd, and my knees knocked together in despite ofmyself. It was barely day light yet; and. as the cell dsar scod opsn, could into the small paved court beyond; the R,arning was thick and gloomy, and a slow, but settled rain was coming down. II is hali-past o'clock. R--!' said the master just muttefed entie eaty to be Jeff alone till the Last moment. l had thirty minutes 10 live.
 tried to make another observation when the master was leaving the cell; but this time l could hot gst the words ont,my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth. and nay speech seemed gone; made two desperate efforts but it would not ds-I could not utter. When they left me. never stirred from my place on the bed. l was bsnumbsd with the cold, probably from the sleep, and at the unaeeus- toned exposure, and sat erouehed together, as 1t were, to keep myself warmer. with my srms folded across my breast, and my head hanging down. shiverng; and my body telt as if it were such . weight 10 me, that was unable to move #. or stir The day now was breaking, yellow and heavily i; and the light stole by degrees into my dungeon, showing me the damp stone valls, and desolats.