The weekly Placer herald., 1853-08-06
For the Placer Herald.
THE NIGHT BEFORE LARRY WAS HUNG.
FANCY sKrTCH.

full day! who that witnessed the scenes of
that day Of days hath them not indelibly
stamped upon the tablet of memory,-ay
deeply fixed IS il with brand of burning
iron were they driven into the quivering
brain! But it is not Of that would speak, it
il Of the night previous-of scenes partially
hidden by the sable curtain of night, that
these lines are intended to record.
A thick unwholesome atmosphere o'erspread
the earth, the day had been he. and sultry, o
few stars were twinkling family, and the wa
ming moon was vainly struggling to break
through ominously murky clouds One could
not step into the streets without feeling at.
mospherically the impending doom of the vic
tim Of sin. Nearly all the houses were closed
and dark, and all the better citizens Of
auburn, fairest village of the plains"
were fast bound in honest slumber Occa-
sionally the dull flicker of tallow candle
was seen in bars and groceries, billiards, ten
pins nor other amusemeuts there were none,
all minds were deeply intent upon the work
of to morrow there was enough light from
the mist covered stars to distinguish the
figure of a man as treading through the sur
rounding gloom, the horrors of Macbeth came
rushing to your memory,
"Tis now the very witching time Of night;
"When church yards yawn and hell itself
"Breathes out contagion to the world"
All Placer was aroused and fully represen-
ted. There were friends Of Larry, sworn and
true and in great numbers, fully resolved
that the execution should not take place
These mixed around among the citizens, and
held intercourse with little knots of people
in mxtterings ''deep but not loud" or cor
nered kak dozen in some bar room and be-
came loQuacious as men do when aspiring for
senatorial honors Like "spirits from the
misty deep" they moved about-they were
seen on the street corners, seated on benches,
in hooks and out of the way places, under
door ways and in the shadows of porticoes.-
They were thick about the corners at the
"Inns of Court" and in the vicinity of the
"Old Bailey" Towards morning these col
lected on the brow of the hill above the "Old
Bailey" and were harangued by one appa-
rently their leading spirit. Like counsel
of native chiefs they sat around, while the
tall slender and singularly warped figure OF
the orator loomed high above them in the
mists of night. 1 think. see him now, as
with his tall beaver thrown far back upon his
head, his elbows out of his coat half the
length of the sleeve, with violent gesture and
shrill voice he declared himself in favor of ex
tension of operations, and signifed his belief
that they were strong enough to make their
enemies take ,Dater. When he had concluded
several propositions were made one Of which
prevailed, and this was to creep up stealthily
and if possible saw the scaffolding and plant
powder around the galows, and then they all
made rush for "Mechanic's Hail."
But there were other spirits floating about,
whose badge was of the "mcuse color" and
they were for diuided interest, some fully
determined on supporting the executioners Of
poor Larry, and others said nay let's not
hang him outright-let us protract his life on
state prison contract fare, but let him for
the sins he hath committed never sit in the
upper synagogue, and very stealthily they
moved about, and very secret they were. and
enignatical in all their discourse,
"1st ,citeh-Thrice the brinded cat hath
mewed.
end ,oitch-Thrice; and once the hedge pig
whined.
3rd ,Oiteh-Harper cries; it's time. 'tis
time"
and then rs the chief passed each one he
whispered in his ear
.Double, double, toll and trouble,
Fire burn, and cauldron bubble"
having said which. he gave him certain
yarn MANUFACTURED for the purpose,
with quantity of drilling. (for they seemed
to be manufacturing on article like the hose
that minors use,) and telling him that the
crisis was nigh, enjoined each follower to be
faithful, as it was better to live on bad whis'
| ky all their lives than submit to take water
from Larry's friends. Then they exchanged
the grand hailing distress sign of the society
Of E Clampsus, and each in an audible
whisper repeated the word yale and vanished.
How fare the guardians of the law' do they
quail before the rising storm' have the NUT
terinp thunders no terror for them' do they
hsar Il, ave. but like old war horses who