Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1850-09-07
The terrible dau iv ihrinl KEN on

AM the court house so full that the people
were bothered,
An attorneys an criers on the pint iv bein
smoihered;
An counselors almost gev over for dead,
AM the jury sltin' up E their box overhead;
AM the Judge settled out so determined an
big,
With his gown on his back, an an illigani
new wig
J An silence was called, an the minnie it was
said
The court was as still as the heart of the
dead,
AM they heard but the openin' of one prison
lock,
! An Shamus O'Brien KEN into the dock.
For one minute he turned his eye round on
the ihrong,
An he looked at the bars so firm and so
strong,
An he saw that he had not a hope nor a
friend,
\ chance TO escape, nor a word TO defend:
An he folded his arms as he stood there
alone,
As calm and as cold as statute of stone;
And they read big wriin', yard long at
lastr,
An Jim didn't understand it, nor mind it a
AM the Judge took big pinch iv snuff, an
he says,
care You guilty or not, Jim O'Brien, nv you
plasc :"
An all held their breath in the silence of
drhead,
An Shamus O'Brien made answer and said,
''My lord, if you ask me, if in my life time
| thought any treason, or did any crime
That should cali TO my cheek, as stand alone
here,
The hot blush Of shame, or the coldness Of
fear,
Though stood by the grave to receive my
death blow,
Before God and the world would answer
you, no;
But if you would ask me, rs | think il like,
If in the rebellion carried pike,
An fought for ould Ireland from the first TO
TO the close
An shed the hearts blood of our biiterest
foes,
| answer you, yes, an tell you again,
Though stand here TO perish, lis my glory
that then
In the cause | was willing my veins should
run dhrv,
An that now for her sake am ready 10 die."
Then the silence was great, and the jury
smiled bright,
An the jqdge wasn't sorry the job was made
light;
By my sowl, its himself was the grabbed
ould chap,
In = twinklin' he pulled on his ugly black
cap
Then Shamus' mother in the crowd stanan'
by,
Called out TO the jndge with pitiful cry,
ooh, Judge, darliu, don't, say the word,
The crathur is young, have mercy, my lord +:
He was foolish, he didn't know what he was
don'-
You don't know him, my lord, OH don't give
him to ruin
He's the kiudliest crather, the tendherest-
hearted
DON'T part US forever, we that's so long
parted
Judge, mavouneen, forgive him, forgive
him, my lord,
| An God will forgive you, oh, don't say the
word ~
That was the first minute that O'BTien was
shaken,
! When he saw that he was not quite forgot oI
torsaken.
An down his pale cheeks at the word of his
mother,
| The big tears wor runnin' fast, one aither th'
other
AM two or three times he endeavored tc
spake,
But the slhrong manly voice used TO talthui
and break;
Bnt at last by the strength of his highmount
ing pride,
He conquered and mastered his grie!''
swelling tide,
A., b, I'll, ln,,f brn.
your poor heart,
For sooner or later, the dearest must part;
And God knows il betther than wandering ii
fear
On the bleak, irackless mountain, among tn,
wild deer,
To lie in the grave, where the head, hear
and breast
From thought, labor and sorrow, foreve
shall rest.
Then mother, my darln', don't cry an.
Don't make me seem broken, in this, m
last hour.
For wish when my heads lynn undheT til
No true man can say that died like era
ven ~
Then towards the Judge Shamus bent dow
his head,
An that minute the solemn death sentenc
was said
, The mornin' was bright, an the mists ros
on high.
An the lark whistled merrily in the cleG
sky
r But why are the men standin' idle so late
An why do the crowds gather fast in lh
street?
What come they TO talk Of? what come the