Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1851-02-12
MISC Ll. A \ 4.
JASON GRE Ell,


INCIDENT In PENNEY ANITA.
The nists Of tie hdtning sih hung heavily on he
taouut,in top, above the village of Rrdcf; but the in
reads watch led to it, crowded with he varied pop
ulniou o he surrounding country, from far and
The village itsSlt wa, crowded to overflow ing long
befJte the SUN had gained sucient attitude to throw
its rays upon ihedecp valley in which il lay The BAR
OF the nn wdea. and 'ae rumeS On sJ0accU anu
whskey iheinslg Of small change, and the psfpef-
ua ramor Of the ihron. %efe stdicenl TO rack brain
of ccm,non f.xblliy. TO Took upon the scene, TO T-
gle wh the crowd listen to The conversation or TO
survey the countenances Of the assembled multitude led
to no satisfactory solution Of the cause for which this
heterogeneous cong;egated.
Within the walls OF the old stone Jail at the foot Sf
the nnun,ain different scene had that morning been
Witnessed There,chahed stake in miserable dun
geou DAMP, aid scarcely Illuminated BY one ray Of light,
Law the tnaeated form OF one whose final doom seemed
near at hand. Afew hours before, HIS wife and fte
daughter had travelled hGndred miles TO meet him once
more on the threshold Of the grave they met and from
that gloomy vault the hymn ascended with the risng
SUM- and the aor as he listened the meodous voices
of those persons. whom he looked upon the most de-
ISOLATE and lost Of all in the Wide world, almost doubted
the evidence Of his senses and stood in fixed asonsh
tnen at the massy door, Could these be the voices of
a murderer and uurdererrs wife and children?
This brief and TO be a hnal interview had passed,
however; those unfortunate had loudly commend
ed each other the keeping Of their heavenly Parent
and patedh 10 face the assembled multitude on the
scaold, aud hey. they said, return by weary jour
news to lh,it soUowiu home. The convict, worn out
with sickness and watching, now tlept.
His nalne was Jason Creel, his place Of residence
said be Virginia. lie had been taken up while ira
yelling norlh&afd 10 his home, and tried and convicted
a, country SOME miles distant, fot the murder Of
traveller who had borne him company from the Lakes.
and ascetaihed 10 have large sum of money with
him, and foGhd III room In which they both slept,
at country iun near Redciitf, with his throat cut
Cfpe always protested his innocence declaring that the
deed was perptrded by one willie he MAS asleep,
but the circumstances were against him, ard although
the money WAS hot found him, lie Was sehtencrd to
be hung and had been removrd to the old stone ai at
Reacf for sesuri,y The coShly Jail being cdnsidefed
unsafe THIS was the day the execution was to take
place; The scaod was already erected the crowd pass
I'd round the huidng, and frequent cries of i.Bnq ot
The murdemr." were heard.
The sun at last told the hour Of eleve1 And ,beFe
Gond be more delay; the convicts cell was en,red
by the officers in aeud nce, who aroused him With The
nomalioh that all was ready for him without and bade
hiu hasten to hte execution they laid hands upon him
and pnioned him tight while he looked up towards hea
ven IN Wild astohshhenh as one new born, and only
said-
'''fht dteath-the dream 20
hW hat dfaaln. Mr.. Cresl z" said The Sheriff ;;Yor
would do ME sFhai kindness II you would dream your
self and me odi of this disagreeabIe business"
al dreamed" replied Ihe convict! "lhat While 5ot teaC
the death warran, the on Tie ScafoId a man cams
srongh Vhe crowd AMI stood before US, in gray dress
with "hae $as aud large whiskers, and That bird fut
tered over him and sang distinctly, This is LAWS, the
murderer of tlre traveiler,''
The officers and the lalor had sbor, consolidation
which eaded in determination 70 look sbarrv ar be
in gray, with the white hat, accompau,rd with ma.
ny hints Of The remarkable resignation Of the p,isoner
and the possibility of Ills innocence hens asserted hv
supernatural agency. The ptison-doors wete OPENED
and Cree pale and feeble, with hymn book III hi,
hand and a meu all 1eekness and humility; was seer
tollering from the prison TO the scafod.
He had no sooner astended il, than his eyes began t
wander over the vast concobtse Of people around him
with scrutiny that seemed like faith In dreams; AMI
while the sheriff read the warrant the cohticts anxiety
seemed 10 increase; he looked and looked again the
raised his hands and eyes moment towards the clea
sky as if breathing last ejaculation, when 10! as HI
resumed his first position the very person he dsscrb