Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1853-11-10
Spoke TOO Sol bnl
4 Tnie with a REOfaI TO IL.

At the midsummer asBizes held A
D. 1921, at Cheltenhai d, England
one Thomas Street was transporte
for sheep stealing Great therefore
was the surprise of the criminal off
cials bf the place to find the iaenti
cal Thomas arrested for stealth;
clothes from a hedge the very mex
spring He had escaped from th,
,hplks, wherein prisoners Sentenced
to transportation were Confined
But What was the infatuauon tha
led Him back to the very place
where recognition and the punish.
ment of death must ensue. Here
was mystery which The quidnuncs
could not fath6m.
Howeve r, Thomas Street, already
convicted of sheep stealing, was no
less guilty, Of the second charge; he
was tried, found guilty and con-
demn9d to the gallows, the Judge
remar kinglw a benignant smile,
that 10 s1ch an offender no hope of
pardon could possibly be extended.
NoW there was something remark
able III tie earnesiness with which
Street protested his entire innocence
Of the second crime 1t was remem-
bered that he confessed the sheep
stealirg, and indeed we're it not for
his own confession, It was thought at
the time lie might have escaped, =
But though he appeared perfectly.
careless OF life, be protested solemn
", ana with many serious oaths,
that he never touched the clothes,
that be had returned to Chelten-
ham b fnlil a very different mis-
sion, md though perhaps he de-
served hanging for his past mis-
deeds and inten ions, his execution
on tho present i Allotment would be
a Judicial m rider.
The chaplain urged himto con.
fcss- the sheriff, the turnReys, the
doctor Or Homer by nIlne) all
followed suit, an d implorel him, as
,Ill hope W 5 over, to save bis soul
The additional and useless gailt Of
perjury. 7 Still the prisoncr WAS inn
+ riinent; he laughed at tile chap.
lam, smiled ut the sheriff and turn
keys, bat grew stra hgely enraged
Whenever DR. Homer ventured toad
dress him on the subject.
lle also possessed an immovable
belief that he wpuld not be hung -
On the yer y night preceding his exc
cution, eve h while he heard the ham
mers Of th { men engaged III erecting
the scaliola, he assured the turkeys
in coQfiltnt, e4eery tone that a re-
pfieye was already on its way from
london. The morning came, Street
was still sflfpos8essed, as smiling, As
iocoso as q yer. lie attended chapel,
but the go bd PASTORS eloquence failed
to excite any terror or remorse in
lis breast. He even sketched Il very
toleFable caricaturc, on the inside
cove Of his praS aSer-boolS, Of j man
hanging. The prison officers with.
one voice, declared they had never
seen such eooluess, not solid insoh-
slbiIity but downright copfde nee Of
esc4pe in all their past experience
1T was odd. Could it be insanity?
Insanity or not, the dealt bell
has began to toll, it is a qua rter TO
twelve, and at noon, 80 aid the
Jadge.J Thomas Street was to be
hung by the neck until he was
dead. "
We shall now permit DR.. Homer
from whom we received the s Tory, 70
tell it ii his own quaint wayl mere
IN remarking that the Doctpr IS q
large headed satnrmne man, ana
slow Of speech
"Well sir. when chapel was over,
tile prisoner Was requested to pre-
pare himself fJrthwith for execution.
lIe appeared to grow little anxious
Shall | say apprehensiSe? AS the
final ten minutes Jagged away he
even begged The sheriff, my brother.
said the DR. pompously, Ito delay f.
mai proceedings for an hour. OF
cdurse tbe request was inadmissible,
Ind the,turnlley was ordered to ex-
nn,l;,e his movements. Still the un-
happv man seemed not TO abate
With his ineraacal confidence IN re-
nr;ava IF thu door opened he start
ed. abrup pity from his sent and cred
Gwen. las # Gomez" I'm my mel
ancboly exnarieace.'' said the doc.
tor. folding back his hand religiously