The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1853-06-21
MIS- CELL Il N E 0 u S
The Ezecusion OF A1thur Spring.

a slip from tho office oi the Phlla-
delphia ledger, contains full re-
i mort, of the events whi.h transpircd
during the last hours of Arthur
Spring.
His manner seems to have heen
sunchanged, aud he maintained up to
the period Of Ills death, a general in
difference to his fate. His conrer.
sasion iii his cell with his spiritual
advisers, according to the published
reports, consist of ii series of dcclaro-
ttions and CALCULATIONS, with little co.
aherency, ana nothing to induce the
slightest confidence in Ms sincerity
With regart! to any thing he sail.--
The enl.y alterations seem to have
been, from raviuy ar. irrevcrent IN
plantations, in the name Of Jesus, to
uncouth and revolving i.sts, respect
ing his condition aud rroachiny
fate.
. The statcmrn, Of events i'r,u near
midnight OF thursday, up to the
hour Of execution are mainly includ
ed in the following sketch:
Pi.isoNER's CELL, NEAR MIDNIGHT.
Thursday Night, June 9.--Af,cr
religious services. by the Rev.
Messrs. Street and Kensil. Spring
!, was asked how ho Ee!tf lie answer
5d-I never iclt better in my life.
Inever murdered any person, and |
expect to die Christian. ! believe
lin the Lord Jesus Cnrist-and that
he alone can forgive my sins and
wash my soul in his blood, and that
the alone can save me. and I ney.r
did believe in anything else. l also
believe in the resurrection Of :.e DO.
2dy, and in Judgment to co.le, aud
life everlasting after death; and that
every man must give an account Of
every action Of his life, whe,herit be
a5gtsosa i, taail, ant'Siaza "a phtcG Of # rise:
~ for the wicked
10 question put to him. (wit:,
The open Giblc in his hand)-Do you
fee! that God, for Christ's sake,
accepts you and ioryiyes ynu2 lie
answered, Il trust he doe, and death
does not trouble me- 10 Question
put to him do you, III the fear Of
Gni. before whom yon will appeal
ina few hours, fc, give every one
who has in any way or n,a,.uer irinr.
ed your He answcrcd-.'I Do, aul
I trust He will forgive u,;: as I ior.
4 give tncm.'
His ia;: statement was was-.Although
the boy brought homc the money, he
never tod me that he murlrrcd the
women; neither do I ,"lcve he knew
anything about the murder, tor if he
) hal he would hare told me. lei.
thers do I believe he h.l any hand in
lit. These are to he considered as
. ny dying words.
He had previously goue into :"
! long detail ESQ often tidy about his
sons visit to Mrs. Shaw and Mrs.
Lynch after midnight, and bringing
home tho money. Hc then, in posi-.
tive terms, declared he was in bed
on the night Of the murder; and
though the son brought home the
money and put it IN his pocket book,
yet he declared that he believed. lis
son had 10 hand in the murder Of tie
:somcn, and that he is entirely clear.
81 q After having got through his
statement, lie commenced to ;,kc
aud laugh, although reminded 0. the
necessity CT being solemn. JIe said
| have got long journey to take in
tho morning., but | don't think they
will got NE off until afser din. Ter, as
want to lay 10 G good stock Of pro,
visions. And then lie went On to
relate an anecdote in relation to two
men swimming race. That one Of
them took weeks provisions on his
back, and when the other saw this
he gave up tho bet.
The prisoner then laughed acarti-
ay until reminded of lis condition.
To this he remarked that ho could
not help it, as he was SO glad to get
of. In answer to o remark that
every person in tho community be.
lievcd him guilty, and that we, bis
spiritual advisers, believed it also, he
said, you must think l am a Creek
and thus he went on until we left
him, about midnight, to tako his last
sleep previous to awakening in cterni
",
After the departure Of the Rev.
Alessrs. Street and Kcnsil, the chap
lin of the prison, the Rev. Mr.. AL.
eyander, took their place, and tue
prisoner, after some conversation
with him, slept for several hours
lie awoke about4 o'clock, and join.
oil in prayerwith't Rev. Mr.. AL.
exaadcr The prisoner then prayed