The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1853-08-17

| ahalueillaS HlSheF hSalnSC nm. They
sud that this story Of Shis was all a rabr;;-
cation, having forts e5eign nothing bu. his
final release, They said that he thought
to impose on public credulity, md to Gre
ate false sympathy for himself And then
one began the assertion that he was ba-
ser than even this crime would seem to
prove him. His very stories, already be-
lieved false in every particular, served to
heap hatred higher on his doomed head.
They found the key Of the door of the
murdered woman's apartment out in the
street. All, said tho public, this is his
,use lie thought to hide his own guilt
by this shallow artifice. He first locks the
door OH the inside, after his deed is done,
and then throws the key out of the win
dow to carry out his deceit We can
see through it all. There was no wo-
man in the case! II was false-all false
story of his own! And with this preiu-
dice in all minds to combat, and no light
OF testimony to shine on his dark side of
the transaction-with all this positive evi-
dence against him, and not a single par
tIcle to contravene its straight. forward
strength-it is not to beiwondered at that
the unfortunate mans guilt was publicly
fastened upon him, and that jury dcci-
ded that he ought to die!
When brought up for sentence he was
asked what he had to say why the SEN
tence Of murderers should not be pronounc-
ed on him.
81 have nothing to say" answered he,
"only that die an innocent man ~
Such evidence of confirmed harlihood
sent new shock TO tho hearts Of ALL
They felt that he was doubIy deserving of
his awful fate, and hung on the words of
the Judge with sort of satisfaction.
And with his sentence still ringing its
death knell in his ears, he was carried back
to his cell.
The day Of execution drew near. The
public event was finally announced in the
papers, and attention freshly called to It.
In city far back from the seaboard, n
paper containing the announcement chanc-
ell to fall into the hands Of the very wo-
man who was guilty Of this double crime.
For the first time she knew the name of
the man who had thus unwittingly been
ihhIe ut uupc.
In three days she presented herself at
the door of the prison, demanding to see
the condemned man. No one had seen
her before, to remember her; no one knew
her; she did not reveal her name. All
that she wanted, she said, was to have an
interview with the prisoner.
n request so strange, and made with
such earnestness, naturally excited more
than ordinary attention, especially as it
was known that n strange female had been
mixed up by the prisoner with the matter.
An officer accompanied her, and she was
ushered into the doomed mans presence.
The poor victim was to die the next
day. AS soon rs the light afforded him a
fair view Of the visitors countenance, he
threw out his arms wildly, and exclaimed (:
"Ha that is the face that is the wo-
man y
MY brother ~ shrieked the woman,
rushing towards him with open arms.
He stood back appalled,. The guilt he
had just sought TO fasten on her in the
presence of the officer, too, he would by
all means avert, il she in truth ,cere his
sister. There was terrible revulsion OF
feeling in his hoart--first remone--then
pity--then generous resolution to stand
| in the stead of a sister, when the law was
thus terribly to be vindicate and upheld.
He ~as sorry that he had charged her
with the crime. Far-far rather would
he suffer for it himself.
"Oh, my brother! my brother I" ex-
claimed the heart-broken woman. ITO
think that l sought to bring this upon
you u
He embraced her, but so frantically that
he seemed hardly to know whst he did.
"Us;sii hasis " said he, ii 8 low voice
"Don't take this on yourself new---let snt
bear it ALL I am better able than you.--
Oh, Emily that it shoald ever cone 10
this -
And he bowed his head, and they min.
gled freely their burning tears. The Off.
Ger was deeply moved with what he 60
unexpectedly saw.
II am the guilty one " at length cried
she, raising her face and looking at the
officer. "He did not do this deed it was
myselt-nobody but myself.
.Hush--hush !" said the doomed man
"this will do you no good, and it can't me
must del must die tomorrow. Let
me go In peace"
"No, no, no! you shall no, die You
did not do this 1t was nobody but my.
self Take me into custody, sirl" said
she to the officer; ''let me suffer mysel
for what I have done !"
emily, why do ynu seek 10 draw OF
yourself what Is already put upon mel
can bear I'll am able; let me do So"
The scene was one Of the moat affecting
imaginable. II was all tragedy, and rea
tragedy, too. On the one hand was In,
brother, eager 10 assume the guilt, anS
willing 10 put the lie on bis former declaFa
tons. II only he might save his efring sic
ter thereby; on The other, she stood weep
ling and bsseenhing that hissentence shsul,
Be taken from his head; and placed Q;
her own.