Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1857-08-26

~ i'i.u soihs other man WHO ~ guilty. Muir.
ders Will never lay. You'll find out yet am in
nocent An American citizep. stand before yos
belle we'd -murderer, l donf wonder at -
don't blarre you as God and myself know am
innocent AS Chester county man, am in.
nocent. was born in Chester county, q, the
Lancaster county pike, near the 4s mile stone -
was oorn In Chester CO. won't deny nv coun-
ty. Others, who are from Chester county, NAV
deny me, but ] never did anything to bring me
here. My life has been sworn away, as am nc
murderer As an American Citizen have RICH,
to speak to you, and could not die happy unless
did. As dying man every word have spo.
ken is true. know 1 can't convince you. but il
is SO. don't stand in the eyes of God as mur.
derer AS a dying man. I am not the murderer
of Norcross. did net murder zhim.z-s-s--z ~
have fought and bled for my country. have
fought for the stars and stripes. l have taken
the flag up to the muzz!es of the cannon and the
points of bayonets. Any man who kills his fellow
oeng deserves hanging. don't 90 IN for hang
ing an innocent man. / admit was not able to
prove 1t. They swore everything against me lust
like song. My counsel did their duty. They
DID everything in their power, in every manner.
shape and fofm. They did their whole duty, in
every manner, shape and form.
have heard it said that blamed thc Honora-
bic Judge for his able charge against me- 1t is
not true. AS ying man l never blamed him
would ask no man who was sworn to do his du-
ty, to do anything wrong to save my life.
have been chained nearly three mouths in
Jail. don't blame the honorable sheriff for chain
ing me. blame myself little for it. You all
know the reason why-for cutting the hobbies.
nave been used like gentleman by the honor
able sheriff, the honorable Mr. Hammond, and the
whole of them. They used me with respect. But
one word must say. By orders of Mr.. Ham
mond was handcutfed one night behind my back
the handcuffs were too tight and cut my wrists.
asked the honorable sheriff to take them off but
he would not do it until he got another pail l
told the honorable sheriff that would speak of it
to-day, and have done it. To the Sheriff-now
| will say no more. The Sheriff--its all right. |
Hon. Mr. Mcclure has been with me for about
six months. He has been with mo night and day.
lie has done his duty like officer. He has al
ways treated me well. Got me everything |
wanted or should have, being prisoner. Also
his lady treated me well. l think he is one of
the foremost citizens of the place. You ought to
be proud of him as the foremost citizen of the
county. He is a man of honor and respectable
ty. be Is man l love. / wish you to look upon
him with houor and respect. His wife is lady
She has the tenderness of a mother. She knows
May God Almighty bless you both is all l have
to say. ~ r-
A number of citizens have been very kind to me
Mr.. Junkin and Mr.. M'Lean have been very kind
to me. So has Mr.. Clarke. don't see him here
to-day. The pious people of this place have at
tended on me like christians They have kindly
feeling for their fellow man. They have come
time after time within the gloomy walls of that
prison. They have not been ashamed to read TO
me, and kneel in prayer within the gloomy walls
of that prison. Mr.. Junkin and Mr.. M'Lean
have come to escort me to the pinnacle of death
choose them myself. They have saved my soul
from He'll. l believe it. believe they have been
the instruments of saving my soul from He'll. A
number of Methodist people came and held pray
er there in the gloomy walls of that prison. They
don't think too much of themselves. May God
Almighty bless them. tr.e-
Citizens of Hollidaysburg, one and all, have
used me with respect. l love them all, as good
American citizens. You see me here pleading for
truth. They had no rope round their necks,
knowing that in the twinkling of an eye they wo'd
be plunged into Heaven or He'll If they had
they would mover have sworn my life away
They never would. tHIas - 5rs
have been charged with more crimes than this
l've seen it in the papers. But everything in
them amt true. / have bee. charged with muir
dering two more men. But they never said it
till M'Kim was chained by the leg. They had
me fast enough and could say what they pleased
God Almighty knows am innocent ard he will
speak for Mkim. | hope l may never See the
Kingdom of Heaven if l ever murdered any man.
l have been charged with horse stealing. 1t
is not true. l have never stolen anything. As
n dying man l never did no never, never, never,
except fruit. l have stolen fruit, and ate it
Who has not stolen fruit But never stole any
thing else. Amt it hard to be accused thus
while chained2 God Almighty has something to
say concerning that He knows Pm innocent
l care not what my fellow men say am inno-
cent. | could not die happy unless l expressed
my opinion. AS American citizen have a
right to. l am an innocent man. 1 have moth
ing to fear. | am happy man. have made
my calling and election sure. God knows it. /
soon as the breath is out of my body. III go to
Heaven. There Pll meet my aged mother, my
aged father, " no has gone before, my loving wife,
and son, my sisters and my brother. a -
What need care for this dishonorable death.
Ny friends care nothing about it. Their charac-
ters are faultless, l am sorry that am in this
fix, to bring disgrace upon them, but it was no
fault of mine. God Almighty knows it. My
frie nds do not believe am an innocent man, be
cause they are christians. They know know
whether am innocent or guilty of the murder of
Norcross. AS long as my heart continues to beat
and God gives me the power and will.of delivery,
| will contend for my rights. If was guilty it
would be wrong, but I'm innocent. Anything l
ought to will submit to, but not to what fought
not to. ~
One thing will submit to, I'll submit to all
wrongs like christian and an American citizen
ought to. The Devil got hold of me this morn
ing and forced me to try and deprive myself of
life. / did it without thinking. / thought only
Of the disgrace to my friends. by this death. But
if had succeeded it would have been more of
disgrace than this rope. believe in the Bible
and believe i would have been damned if / had.
never could have been saved when guilty of my
own murder. My friends (pointing at Mcclure
and the man who watches him) hindered me, and
gave up the weapon to them at once. thanked
God for it. May God bless you all. G
Here the prisoner ceased speaking, and
turned round to his religions advisers, but |
mpeled by some new idea, he suddenly tur-
ned his back upon them. and faced tho spec
ators, and spoke as follows : II know you
lon't believe me innocent, but1as dying man
,ofa.o Cod a,,, In faru nninutac my conl |