Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1849-12-13

o.. A man, named Manning, and his wife
were lately executed in London, for an atrocious
murder The particulars of the deed the trial
the department Of the prisoners after Conviction
and the execution, were detailed ia all the Lon
don papers, and particularly the Times with the
intermnable proxity and nauseatng minuteness
of writers who are paid by the line. The dead
ing journal has published matter enough of
which the Mannugs were the topic, TO fill sever
al volumes. The last thing we have seen, in ref
erence to the subject is the following letter from
Dickens, who, from motives better we hope than
vulgar curiosity, witnessed the execution. His
description OF the appearance and behavior of the
crowd is really frightful. Orr cities have some
bad materials, 1t is true, but New York itself could
not turn out proportionate number of human
beings so brutalized. The Times combats most
mantully the suggestion Of private executions
Dickens was either ignorant of the fact, or for
got TO mention, that the reform he recommends
has for years been carried into effect in Penn
sylvania, New York and other States
Il was w tness Of the execution at U,rsenonoer
lane this muplng there for the purpose If ohserv
ing the crowd gathered 10 behld it and had excellent
opportunities of doing at intervals all through the
night, aud om day break until after the spect ace was
over
Il simply wish 10 turn this dreadful experience to some
account for the general GOOD aud by iakIng The reaaes
aud most public means Of advertng 10 an inlmann nlv
en- by Sir & Grey, in the last session of Pariament ,ha
the Government might be indlced to give its support
TO measure making the flcng ofcapll,l punishment
private snemnltv within prison walls with such
gOarantees for HE las sentence Of the law benu mex
oraby and surely administered as should be satlsllc
~ 10 the public al large and If most earnestly heee,h
ing SIR L. trey. as solemn duty which he owes 10 ST.
ciey aud a responsibility which he cannot fr ever
put away. 10 originate such legislative change him
self
~ believe tEa sight 81 inc nreivaby awful as tn
"lckedh'Ns ana leviy OF the immense crowd elected
that execution his morning nd 10 imagined by no
man. and could be presented in no heahen land noder
the sun. The horrors ofthe gibbr, and of the crime
which brought the metrhed murd.rers IL it, faded j.
my MINI before the air1clous hearing oak., aud Ian
guage OF the assembled sp ctatrs When ca e M
on lhe scene at mdplg the SirilesS Of the cries aud
hlNIS That Were raised from time lime drnoinp that
they came from the concourse of ys and girls aead
assembled IN the best places. made my haoi run cold
As the night went on, screechlnq. and laughing and
yelling. IN strong chorus Of parodiss nrnr., ues
with the substitution OF "Alrs Manning" for "Snsa ..
man, ana The like, Were added To thee " hen the
day dawned, thieves, low prostitutes, ruiiilns and yaoa
bonds OF every kind. fl1ckcd To the ground with
j every variety Of offensive aud foul beha vionr
f'ghilngs, tannIs. Whi~tllngs. limitations of Pnnch
brutal jokes nmunous demonstrations of indecent de
H9h' Wheh sWaohh9 women Were d agged out of the
crowd by The poc', with their dresses 1red pave
a new zrS' la the general enlei tainment When the
sun rose brl4hily-as II dd- gilded thousands upn
thousands II upufned faces. inaxpr-ssbIy odons in
their brutal mrh caousness that man had cause
to feel ashamed If the shape he wore, and to shrink
rom himself, as fashioned In the image If the devil
W hen the two miserable creatures who attracted all
thls nhasty sight ahont them were turned ouvpring
INTO the air. there more emotion M tnore nifty
no more thought that two immortal souls had gone Il,
Judgment, no more restraint in Of the previous OBJ
sc'nlits. Than If The of Christ had never been
eard IN this world, and that there was no h.ef amonu
men but that they persisted like the beast
Il have seem habluay, some Of the wo-s sources of
general contamination and corruption in this country and
MINK there are n many phases of London life that
could surprise me. am solemny convinced that n hnu
that Ingenuity could devise be done IN IN CITY in The
same compass oil me could work such ruin NJ one pub
nc execution. and | stand astounded and appatd nv
the "lckedneSs it exhib do not believe that any
community can prosper where such scene of horror
ana decentralization as was enacted this morning ousl,.
lloenonger lane Goal is presented at the very doors of
good clzeds and Is pass d by. unknown or f,rooen-
Ana when IN our prayers and lhankSgvinps for the sea
SON we are humby expressing before God our desire to
remove the maal evils of the land would ask ynur r,a
ders to consider whether is time to lhnk Of This
/ one, and TO fuot il out,
II am, sir, your faithful servant
"CliARLES DICKENS
''Devonshre Terrace Tuesday, Nov 1872