Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1855-11-16

was one ol tHoSc oedutHui IHoIdH Sui-
mer days, peculiar TO the American att
iumn. The forests looked resplendentIy
beautiful, as they stood dressed in their
rich golden and purple hues, beneath the
subdued light of an auiumnal sun.
lmpelled by morbid curiosity which
| cannot define, | was at the scene Of ex.
ecution. Thousands of men and women
were assembled to witness the horrid
spectacle. Even the ministers were seen
standing in the crowd with Weir faces
turned heavenward. Thank God our
Legislators are becoming wiser. and ,hs,
people cannot now. as formerly. gaze on
the demoralizing spectacle Of fellow
creature strangling.
"At the appointed hour B was
brought forth to die. Confinement and
grief had made sad ravages upon his once
manly form. His pale face and sunken
eyes told Of the misery that preyed upon
his heart. After ascending to the scaf.
fold with slow but firm step. he gazed
around him, to ,akc a hrewell view Of
the world which was soon 10 be shut out
from him forever. Then addressed the
crowd which stood brea,hless before him
he said
81 should not stand before you to-day
a condemned criminal, had learned to
shun the intoxicating cup. The distiI-
led beverage Of hell has been the rock on
which | split. and feel it my duty to
warn you against its specious ensnare.
men,s. On the morning Of the fatal day
on which committed the deed for which
am about to suffer the ,gnominy Of the
scaffoId, | solemnly promised my wife to
abstain from the iLebriasing bowl. Bot
Squire H and others around the
festive board, sneered at my resolution.
l was weak enough to yield to their per-
suasions. You know what followed.
The demon drunkenness gave place to
the demon wrath. In a moment of fren.
zy, my hand was imbued in the blood of
my neighbor and friend. Had l kept
my pied &c, should not now stand on the
Threshold OF eternity, with the deep
damnaton Of "a fellow creatures blood
upon my head. l am not innocent, 1t is
true, but are they less SO who pc rsuaded
the against my will to partake of the Ii.
quld fire Of perdl.on They and l aud
the murdered friend, will NEE, together
at the bar of Jehovah, to answer Tor the
fatal deed--,"
81 could hear no more rushed from
the crowd, mounted my horse, and hur-
r'odly left for a neighboring town, vainly
endeavoring to silence. in the exci,emen,
OF change, the pangs Of conscience which
were gnawing TO my very soul. As
was returning home in the evening. me,
a neishbor, who told me that Mary, the
eldes, child Of the executed man, was dy
ing. She had seen some twelve sum.
mer., and was remarkable for her intel
lectual powers, as also for her pensiveiy
beautiful face. She had been the idol
of her poor f..ther, and the pride of the
village. From the day her father was
arrested, she had dropped like stricken
lilly. Her step grew more languld, and
her face and form more e,heria. She
visited her father daily during his impris.
onment and by reading and conversation
cheered his spirits and whiled away the
tedium Of the long hours. On the NOR
ming Of the execution she visited him for
the last time, and parted from him with
crushed hear, and tottering frame.
On reaching home she seemed lost and
wrapped up in the intensity Of her emo
,ions. Nothing served to arrest her OF.
ten,ion until the village clock struck the
hour at which her father was to be exc
cuted. Then u,tering fearful shrek,
she fell swooning into the arms Of
friend, and was borne insensible to a
couch. Consciousness returned slowly,
but only to allow her time to embrace
her friends, aud say farewell The blow
had proved too E.uch for her fragile ma
.ure. aud now she was dying.
"My conscience accused me of baing
the instrument Of misery and suffering
to this afflicted family, and resolved to
make all the repara,ion in my power. |
entered the house unhoticed. Mary, the
dying girl. was conversIng in a feeble
tone will; her mother. "No," she said
IL shall not live i do not wish TO re.
main longer here. When am dead lay
me beside my poor father lie suffered
for the death Of Sheriff W; bu,
he was not so guilty as those who placed