Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1857-05-09

element which knew would naturally fol
low IN quitting the use of whiSkey, and fol
this purpose and no other got il.
And t0w, sirs, as you behold this wreck
OF an ill.spent life, suspended between the
Heavens and the Earth remember tba,
brandy, that curse TO mankind, has caused
all his woo. and brought about, my uniime.
~ end. 10 you who are in the habit
"i using. the accurstd stuff, thissc ought
TO speak louder than the thunders Of ueav-
zen, In warning you to dcsist from so bancful
practice, one, which, iC pursued in, their
is no telling here it will lead you. Sirs.
II Is whisky that fills yourJails, crowd your
! Penilenliaries, and alas furnishes Victims
Tor your scaftolds. 1t changes man into n
tTalss latest the m most 'a @Hdsm IL and adaBi h JqfSess
Young men, to.you in particular, | ad
dress myself When at The age of twenty.
one, there were but few young men if any,
who stood higher on the platform of honor
than myself My character so far as |
knew stood out to the world unimpeachvd
in every particular; but in the short space
/ OF five years and half, where do you find
me? lou find me a convicted feon, stand
ing on the very confines Of earth, with but
n lew moments between me and eternity
and TO leave behind me name which cold
and un(riendly worl1 has chose to encircle
with the deepest infamy.
And now, sirs, with this picture before
| you. and possessed of the knowledge that
! you are not infallible and liable at all times
TO fall, will you do as have done, in spite
of the entreatics and admonitions of kind
friends, work your way down to the lowest
! dcgredation,e to be unhonored, unlamented
and despised By all good men.
Oh sirs, you who have imbibed the hab-
1T of ti9pGng, pray you to take warning
from my sad end, before it is too late, and if
you are even tempted to drink the fiery
liquid think before you do it, that he who
drinks this glass may fill a murderer's grave.
| "Iouch not taste not the unhallowed thingn
| will now speak of some charges which
are circulated about me-. am sorry that
lfcel called upon on this solemn occasion,
| at leas: so to me, to do so, but in Justice 10
myself and family, it certainly is my duty
to lay these matters truthfully before the
! people, so that each man, woman and child
in this county may know for themselves,
and not from others, what is the truth.
lis reported that acknowledged myself
to he the man who burned the gin house of
MIR. Addison Burrus, of this county, about
the middle Of December, 1854; | have no
recollection of making any such acknowl-
edGement. / will now say that [ did not
burn it, nor am accessory TO il in any man
| nor, shape or form.
There is another of like cast. II is further
reported that | endeavored to get negro
man, belonging 10 my fathers estate, to burn
! the gin house Of Mr.. Alonzo Brown, of This
county. but like. the other, it is false.
And in conclusion let me say to you that
time may prove 10 you; but if time in her
mcandering course should fail, the judgment
bar of Just God who knows the secrets OF
all hearts wilnot fail toprove to you Young
| O. Bovard at heart, is not that wiiful sane
murderer that low degraded and debased
| villain which you have heard so faithfully
dnpicteh and for anght l know believed.
I have now alluded to all the reports which
have come to my knowledge, there may be
Others whichl do moi know OF, as my chance
has been very bad to learn anything, | have
been,allowed TO see my friends but very sell
dom, and then but a few minutes.
Sirs, will say for your qualification, that
| if was guiltyof wilful and knowing mur-
der, I deserve this; yes, if possible more
than this!. If I,was guilty as charged and
found, deserve the fiery stake instead Of
The gallows. You certainly dishonored
your halls of justice by giving me a trial and
chance for life: but I am not guilty ofknown
murder, although committed The deed, it
I was The act Of a maniac, not of sane man,
and according toyour, laws, how can you
reconcile,it with your conscience to take my
| life. Sins, you are doing me great wrong!
! One which yod'can never repair. even IL
time should prove it to your mind clearer
than the mid day sun that my statements
are true. 1ouare not only dep,vng me
| Of my life, my all, but you are wrohgfullly
| depriving two unfortunate children of their
only protection. You are casting them up
on the charities of cold and iuDfriendiv
world, wthcutt1e arm'of father to care for
I their tender years; think Of this, oh! how
iii would grieve your hearts TO be cut oft
from life, and that loo for "a crime of which
I you are not legally guilty, and to leave your
helpless offspring othe riducule and sneers
! ofa scoffing world. Are you as wiling to
do as you would be done By JaGcr like cir
cumstances lappeal TO hoayen for the
proof of my statements-to that judge who
knows the secrets Of all hearts.
humbly hope aud trust that although
my d''ys are numbered and nay hour has
come. that you will not forget that you are
by nature resting undera like sentence and
| perhaps for aqght You know ere another