Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1852-03-11

| P"S"u"hS vi tue lduy, ln6 innocent cause OF the
sad occurrence, might prevail upon fathers
heart, in which they found deep and mighty
response, when popular clamor was impotent and
the dread of public odium Intellectual. Instead
OF this, however, the father himself descended
to the dungeon to tell his son that the following
morning was fixed for his execution, and to
watch with him to prevent the possibility of his
escape.
The father entered, accompanied by Priest,
from whom the account was received j and lock-
ing the gate, himself kept the keys, and took a
seat in recess of the wall. The son approach
ed him, trembling; and, with faltering lips, ask
ed if he had anything to hope for. "No, my
SON." he answered, your life is forfeited to the
laws; and at sunrise you must die. have pray
ed for your prosperity, but that is at an end
With the world you have done forever. Were
any other but your wretched father your juage, I
could not only have wept over my chids misfor-
tunes, but solicited his life, even though stained
with murder. But you must die. These are
the last drops that shall quench the sparks Of
nature. And now, if you dare hope, impIore
that heaven may not shut the gates of its mercy
on the destroyer of the life of his fellow man.
| am come, with this good man, to JOIN in petit
tioning the Almighty to give you strength to
meet your punishment as you ought"
Then, as it fearful ofrelapslng into his natural
soltness, he requested the priest to proceed
When he had administered to him the last rites
they spent the night, sometimes in praying, some
times in silence, broken only by sobbings, in an
ticpaton of the fearful event Of the approach.
ing morning. At dawn the father rose assisted
the executioner to remove the irons from his son,
and then, unlocking the door, he made him take
hold Of the priests arm on one side, and of his
own on the other In this manner they ascended
flight of steps lined with soldiers, and were
passing on to gain the street. where strong es-
cort had been appointed to receive and go along
with them 10 the place of execution, which was
then at the eastern extremity of the town.
The concluding scene Of the fathers struggles
and Of the sons misery was, it might be sup
posed now very nigh but trial more severe
awaited them. The relations of the unhappy
culprit surrounded the father; they impored him
to spare his son. His mother-of the honorable
sept of Blakc-few in distraction to the chief
people of her own family, and prevailed on them
to avert the dishonor about to fall on their name.
They armed for his rescue. Immense crowds
had, by this time, assembled and the soldiers
themselves, sympathizing with the multitude had
suffered them to approach so close, and in mass
so dense, that all possibility Of passing through
them was hopeless. But the father was not to
be moved from his purpose.
1t is probable that he had prepared himself for
such an extremity. Turning back aud stisfSeo1-
ing hold of his son, he mounted by winding
stairs within the building, which led to an arch
ed window that overlooked the street in which
the populace was assembled. He there present
ed himself and his victim, about whose neck he
had previously fastened the rope; and, fastening
the other end upon an iron projecting from the
wall, he told his son to commend his soul to God,
and receive his last embrace. He then launched
him into eternity, amid the silence Of the horror.
stricken crowd-and, in few moments the last
death. struggle was over.
The rcsolute, but unhappy father kept his
ground, not knowing but the infuriated people
would do with him as he had dohe with his sor
perhaps hardly sorowful if they should do SO
But it was far otherwise. After long and deeE
stiffness they separated without almost any sounC
being heard except groana of agony from the
men, and wailings Of the deepest woe from the
women.
The innocent cause of this sad tragedy died o.
grief. The father was never afterwards seer
outside of his own dwelling. His house still
exists in Lombard street, (which is yet knowr
by the name of Dead mans lane" Over the
window whence the unhappy youth was execut
ed, is handsome representation carved in black
marble, of a human SKULL with two bones eros
sed beneath. 1t is dated 1924, and is supposed
to have been put up by some of the family, as Q
public memorial Of transaction which succeed
ing times looked upon with astonishment, ant
which the production of the artsin this coun
try should perpetuate with statues.
"Opinions," says the historian, may, NJ
doubt, be divided, as to the cruelty or inhuman
ity Of the father; but few will question the in
tegrity of the judge,or the equity of the sentence
Nor can it be any longer surprising that, afte
so brilliant an example of justice, united to thu
general character of the inhabitants, the towI
attained that degree of universal credit which i
will be found to have done, within little mort
than century after this period.