The Woodville Republican. [volume] (Woodville, Miss.) 1847-1853, 1851-07-22


The Era-yfiOA aud C~Or6sfHON q Cram.
hs mHrdsrey Of BEokHer, az CoTfyeraAie.
Amiie oOasHfg Nus,
Friend Laa1hernaH | embrace tae OPP
porunity now Of complying with the prom
Re / made you, 10 furnish yoa with the De-
tshs Of the Confession made J. c. Cnns,
Of the awful murder OF Mr. Buekuer, az
Cenlreyille, last winter should have
done this before, but Craue requested that
the publication Of his confession should b.
delayed until after his execution, stating
that he intended to make a clean heart Of
all his crimes, upon the scafioId.
1t was the expressed wish Of Crane that
he should be publicly executed. From the
moment Of his conviction, he seemed TO be
impressed with the -atrociousness of the
deed he had committed, and abandoning all
hope Of escape, and even apparently court
ing death, he continually expressed the hope
that his fate might be made a lesson and
warning to parents and others charged with
the rearing of children.
The occasion had elected the most in-
tense interest, and early on Friday, the
streets of Liberty were crowded with peo-
pIe--some OF whom had come through the
ordinary ~promptings Of curiosity. and some
to hear the confession, Many, too, wished
to look upon the man, who, for the sole sake
Of money, could, at the dead hour OF night,
imbrue his hands in the blood Of a feeble old
man-from whose glass the sands of life
had already nearly exhausted.
At about IL O'Clock, the prisoner, accom-
panied by the Rev. Mesers. Lawrence and
Wall, and an armed guard, and followed by
a vast concourse Of citizens, left the Jail for
the gallows, about one mile from town. Ar.
rived at the place, the guard formed round
the prisoner, and the Rev. Mr.. Lawrence
announced the exercises by singing an ap-
propiate hymn, and offered a few admonito-
ry remarks. lie said that he would leave
the prisoner to make his own statement of
the crime that he had been with him much
of the time pending his sentence that the
prisoner had confessed all, and called on
Christ to forgive him. That the unfortu
nate man had expressed his faith that his
prayers had been heard, and hat his peace
was made. .r. as.
The Rev. Mr.. Wall then addressed a few
remarks, holding up the picture before the
audience as an example and sad lesson TO
the rising generation. lie called upon pa
rents to impress the lessons of piety upon
their children in their tender years. lie
concluded by bidding farewell to the prison
en- Snd exhorting him to meet the King o.
Terrors with GOODNESS and faith.
The prisoner then stepped forward, APP
p~arently unexcited, and requested the an.
dience to Join in singing the following
hymn:
Show pity, Lord 0. Lord forgive; 5
Let a repenting rebel live;
Are not thy mercies large and free
May not Il SINNER trust in thee :
My crimes are great but can'tsurpass
The power and glory of thy grace
Great God, thy nature hath no bound,
So let thy pardoning love be foYld. &,
o, wash my soul from every sin, .
And make my guilty conscience clean;
Here, on my heart, the burden lies,
And past offences pain my eyes.
.., NV lips. with shame. my sins confess.
Against thy law, against thy grace; !
Lord, should thy judgment grow severe,
| am condemned, but thou art clear.
Should sudden vengeance seize my breatl
must pronounce Thee just in death,
And if my soul were sent to hell,
Thy righteous law approves it well.
Yet save a trembling sinner, Lord, a.. ).
Whose hope still lowering round Thy wor'
Would light on some sweet promise Their
Some sure support against despair.
At the conclusion of the singing of tn
hymn, in which the prisoner united, ne mad
the following ,
COANE Eto5lOIN. Tl'.-. &c
Ladies' and Gentlemen: c
Yon have assembled this day, to witnes
the execution of a felIow-being. soyl ls
am twenty-six years and one week oil
: tins day, andI beg you all to take warning
from the fate that is about to attend me.
| am the nan who took the life OF oil
, Mr.. Buckner. l killed him with a hatche
/, OIL hand-axe, in the dead hour of night.
took six hundred and forty-five dollars
t v hich was all the money | could find.
then set fire to the house, in order to bur
up and deface the great and awful Grim
which ] had committed. | never took an
more money, and that amount is now IN til
r hands OF the Court. l l
1t is not my wish now to remain on TIL
! earth-I would not, if | could. | woul
I not wish to live, if | could gain all the az