Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1850-04-05
Sentence of Death
ON PROF. JOHN WHITE W EH3I Err

passed upon Professor John WI ito Webster .
one who Las been long in our midst, and WHO /
has been associated with the practical dispcn- .
sa'ipu Of the truths OF one ut the nob.e,t OK the .
Observation-Disclosures y--ja manner honorable /
alike to bis character aud talent, and crcu'ab,e f.
TO the fame Of the institution vita which lac F.
was connected
As carly as seven o'clock yesterday morn
ing, Il crowd began TO collect around the Jout'
llousc, in the anticipation that, II denied au-
mitlance, they would at least have chance TO
see the prisoner. With proper regard TO The
feelings Of the unfortunate man, as well as to
provide against a scene which mere curlosi-
~ could not have justified, Sheriff Eveleth ar
ranged 50 that the unfortunate criminal should
reach the Court House an hour before the as
scmbling Of the Court. The rush towards the
carriage as it stopped at the entrance was con-
siderable, yet the motive impulse was soon re-
moved AID the crowd fell back again in an
instant. No expression but what arose from
sympathy, could We near from amid the mass
From that time uutl the near approach o'
| the opening Of the Court, the as>cmDlage Coz
tjnued to receive acccssiuns to It's number,
which. at nine O'Clock, filed up tine square in
/ which the Court House stands. Every item o.
the mass was one Of order and proprctr.
Inside the Court House, where the awful CO.
rcmony was aJoul To- be performed, the audience
was numcruus--nucn more than ON any one
Of the DAYS Of the trial. The whole area, with
the exception of the tables at which counsel
had sal during lis progress, was crowded TO lis
utmost capacity. Among those present we no
! ticed many OF our most prominent citizens.
, Exactly at minutes TO . CLOCK, the pr'-
, soner in custody of officer Jones, entered the
Court. All eyes were at once turned towards
him. Only those who had witnessed his bear
ing at the commencement of his terrible ordeal
OF judicial trial, and Throughout Its protracted
lcnrth could have noticed, in contrast, the al
iteration which manifested itself in every tran
aud outline Of the physical man. lie seemeL
y to have shrunk into himself in thrty-iour hours
IS to have lost the full development OF mature
@ middle are and only retained that narrow
J. bodily compass which ripe Old age leaves t
e, bound the hesitation Of u soul
f.. 1t was manifest that he made an effort to as
Is sumo his natural port as he stepped slowly
l. and bending under MS heavy load oi an! c''ol
4 from the entrance door to the dock. The OF
~. fccr in attendance on the unfortunate mar
-. showed. by his action, tina tie possibility OF h.
sunport being required was in his mind. II
It r,I3v.d DR.. Webster closely, and held out hi
arms. that the slightest watering step shouI
'7 he readily corrected. When seated inside III
= 1 ok. the prisoner 'cm2d as il no y.%cfhtI u
o.
y Hucuce could operate on The tcrJ.e cJd!i'
ut which raced ia ms soul. lie shut lis eyes
at and only casually opened tAtm during III
rc twenty minutes he sat before the Court can
ID IN. lie never spoke; neither did any one II
l cal ms W'"A from NV 0-I''" ~ '''1
il speaking to iIitn.
| When, al qt'ler post U t'o'H' T'1 V'''
ia announced tie entrance OF the !4dIrs' /
l- wrctchcd man looked w. WIN Il h''4 % -"
de.cl oNPr's loh, Though ""t'" 'IoH4 mem
i agony reflected 'tseH "2'" '.'e '''''.', -
$ one present. lac a%'"' """'e "a 49, ~. 80
- produced the mos, s'e"I $50 ~ ~
il the Court Inc CouH'cl ''' ','' " i ''''',
~ and Tor defence c"'''O )" "'""| "''. r
VINO tnrd We co'e, anu "''" "' L''',N, 49,
Fletcher also TOOK ms seat on ''e p'"O''' ~
the Business OF the C"u.' ,''''-u0eu .
Attorney hehei"I N'' ~ 49, '''' "
~ dressing TIC Court III 10" ""ii' 'r"o" Il
IL brief the particulars OF J"u'C'"' P'ooeUu'c,
lie connection WIN 'he CRIME ~ "i' ''''''''
no of which the prisoner AT 'he DAT i'au zen %
Nc'ed' lie 'hth \NH"c rs 49, 'n ~,
o. the agitation OF Wl"u lie cNPr''v"0'u ''''
not that sentence III acco'u'HCe WA" IA" u P"-'
lw ON the prisoner at the par
X On instruction from tnG N"'t 'Ie Ot'" !"
U.s. and said - John W. " eo;'e' nave ~" d"
tn tang to say TO lhc iioio''''c O""'' W., %
do tencc OF uca'h S"ou'H ''' ~ w." ill.,:
,.v Dr. Webster arose slowly ur"3s"@ I'''"'
". upon his feet by SEEING me front OF Inc d
..' and seemed as If he would nave attempted
.'S speak but his tongue refused It's once ana
"'' Wrctchod crim.ua bowed 10 the Court, ana ;
-la down heavily in his chair.
CHIEF IU-TIrG SHAW then proceeded 10 p
this form the last, and most painful act OF ms JH
md cial duty in this cas-. D"H's '"e ue"Ne'y
acG his address his feelings many times oVrtca
hem him: aal many beside the venerable Jad,
.ur Iin,d in fearful sympathy. The prisoner ST.
Nh. upwhiic being sentenced, The following
~. the terms ol mat dread ceremonial:
~. joins ". WEBSTER meeting you h
,,., for the last time, to pronounce that senteI
.'. which the law has affixed 10 the h.gn and
-" gravated off nee of which you stand convict
ON it is impossible by language TO give utteral
ana to the keen sense of madness and sympt
''h' with which we approach this solemn duty
ulcl cumstances which all who know me will d
not appreciate, but which il may seem hardly II
lish alude to in more detail, render the periorma
,ag, of this duty on the present occasion unspe
the ably painful. At all times, and under all
is ii cnmslances. feeling of ndescribable Solen
4