New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-08-07
Case Of the Unfortunate clemens

10 "a, Lo"'T ~ I"' if't"f
In nv communication OF Tuesday, |
promised 10 fln.sa your readers a fen more facts
IN reference 10 the young man whose name nOw
excltes so much interest II The public mind. WIS
requested TO visit him, with his two companions IN
misfortune, very soon after sentence Of death was
pronounced upon them ami was a, once struck with
the frankncss and sincerity Of Clemens. iils story
was straightforward and unre served, rs frank ~ con
Tossing where he wa, guilty IS IN ylndnallDg hun
sell against the charges UpOu which he was nno-
cent In an intercourse Of more than two months,
the interviews almost daily often more than m
hour and sometime, t~o hours N duration, never
once detected him IN ia!sclOoi. This Is also the
testimony OF two other gentlemen. Who regularly
visited him for religious conversation. Besides, the
account wh ch Clemen> gave OF the circumstances
resulting IN the death of iiaSen>. wds uniformly
corroborated by Benson aud It should BE-
borne IN mind that they We're ~ separate ceils,
without any means OF communicating, That would
not be heard by others. Benson after ms convct0n
and sentence gave himself upto the influences % re-
hgoliS truth. and the Spirit o. God and beNeve no
CHRISTIAN man " hO at any time cOnv6TsCd with him al
ter he prOfe ssed to bC religious ever doubted Al S-
ccrty or the hOrOue Illness o. ms moral change ms
k,el erS IN the prison bore witness 20 The alteration
IA HIM and expressed their conviction OF ms real and
unaffected piCiV. Now this man. WhO humbly hoped
he had obtained pardon Of the LORI through jesus
Christ the Mediator and Who ackno"iedgci the JUS
tice OF his sentence a. IN accessory IN the mar
der declared the tfuhglncss of Cemenss state nent
IN regard to 1t. and excupatcd him OF any plrcipa-
ton IN n Far be from me 10 reproach the memo
~ Of the unhapp, man Douglass, or 10 pam IN tue
least the feelings OF the living 10 whom ne was reld-
ted should these lines ever fall under their eye but
duty to the living now IN peril OF DEATH compc!S
ne 10 communicate what know. AMI then leave the
event with The GoyCnInent and win God for sew
eral weeks after my acquaintance VITA Douglass, IN
the retirement of the cell, he was wont steadasy 20
charge the murder upon Benson and II was not un-
I'll lac found that good men had gained confidence III
the religious professions o. Henson. AMI "Ouii De
likely TO believe his declarations. that he saw M 10
charcc the shooting upon Clemens. THIS sudden
change IN his taclcS was pointed Oul 10 nm Oy me
writer when ne tried 10 explain II rs a mistake IN
spccch and not until the absurdy Of such an expa-
nation was shown HIM did he admit thar he hat been
t,l Hing ali unruth. Until two days preceding ms er-
ccuiion, lie insisted that Clemens fred the mlsHci,
and that the murdered man ild no otyonc, wound
in the thigh when fearing he might, - suggested 10
him. be the murderer of Clemens dS Wei as slaYcnS,
he gave II ms opinion that the sailor man known
AS Wood, shot INN. In connection with tins last
shift Of the act, there were uahls taxable signs tldt
his cool calmnCss was fast falling han. was not,
therefore unpreparcd for hat lranepred the neu
day, which preceded the DAY o. nls execution lhen
in ms cell Ia The NeyA Ork prl>oa hc expressed an
unwllnqne>S tOdIC without declaring The lnno 'cn'c
Of Clemens OF any part N the murder. Tie Mas al
iured 10, for thOus md worlds 10 he n tn gal
lows. either 10 clear the guilty OF charge the inno-
cent On Friday morning he seemed ouiucnet III
ms soul, and laDorcd like one goaded by rs con
science TO speak the Truth and then again. as II
sung by feeling Of mortified pride. The struggle
was long and fearful, but The quotation OF a single
passago,oi Scripture seemed 70 turn The scale n ms
mlnt-that Scripture was Tim. 5th chap. and 2ith
verse " some mems SINS are open beforehand
gong before To Judgment, aud some men they follow
Sfter" Then cane tho full ana free communication
OF his agency and guilt In the dreadful deed
After he had thus unburdened his soul Of what
had for many long months oppressed MN, AMI the
ministers had PRAYED with hin. he broke out IN fer.
vent supphcaioa Tor himself and never perhaps did
q mortal more penItenty confess his sn, or more
feryenty plead Ter pardon N the hand of the Lord,
than did the unhappy Douglass When we had arisen
from before the ne!. y-Seat. letter was handed IN
from Clemens, add lessed To the doomed nan hr
Hodge read Il TO MIN. II Wa communication
breathing tic greatest tenderness eXhortng him 10
cast himself upon the SAVIOR grace ard cOuJuring
INN 10 confess hi crime and not TO DIE with he on
his lips. ~ Tie same time promising that the winter
of tie letter Clemens would remain on his fnees
from 10 o'clock that morning until IL NJ. praying
for The souls of them all The confession was alter
wards affirmed Nv the clergymen. and subsequently
LAID before the President by RCv hessrs Hodge dnd
Lockw God. and was by hun referred 10 the L. =
District Attorney J. Prescott Hall, Esq, and 10 The
Marshal for tie Southern District OF New-York, ii.
+ Talmadee. Esq. 10 examine ilo the clrcum
stances and report whether they thought Clemens
had been wrongfuv convicted OF the murder Of Ha-
vens Mr.. District Attorney Hall has rendered his
rerO1. ard informed me of IL import and the Tea-
sons upon which j. based p'opose 10 OK Hllne
these IN my next. Hlth vour PERMISSION l.