Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1857-01-28
MISCEL L A n Y
Remarkable Cases--Criminals who have re
turned to Life after Execution.

MIS- G. e LII A n Y.
Remarkable Cases-.Criminals who have re-
turned to Life after Execution.
The following singular circumstance is record
ed by DR.. Plot, in his Natural History of Ok
fordshire
In the year 1860, Anne Green, servant of
Sir Thomas Read, was tried for the murder Of
her newborn child and found guilty. She was
executed in the courtyard at Oxford, whereshe
hung about half an hour. Being cut down, she
was put into a coffin and brought away to q
house to be dissected; where, when they open
ed the coffin, notwithstanding the rope remain
ed unloosened, and straight about her neck, they
perceived her breast to rise, whereupon one
Nassau, a tailor, intending only an act of chari-
", set his foot upon her, and as some say, one
Drum, q soldier, struck her again with the butt
end OF his musket. Notwithstanding all which,
when the learned and eminent Sir William Per-
ry, ancestor of the present Marquis of Lans-
downe, then Anatomy Professor of the Univer-
sity, DIR. Wallis and DR.. Clark, then President of
Magdalen College, and Vice Chancellor of the
University, came to prepare the body for dis
section, they perceived some small rafting in
her throat hereupon desistiug from their former
purpose, they presently used means for her re-
covery by opening Il vein, laying her IL warm
bed, and also using divers remedies respecting
her senselessnesS, insomuch, that within four
teen hours she began TO speak, and the next day
talked and prayed very heartily. During the
time of this her recovering the officers concern
ed in her execution would needs have had her
away again to have complete it on her; but by
the mediation of the worthy doctors, and some
other friends, with the then Governor Of the
city, Colonel Kelsey, there was guard put up
ON her from all further disturbance until they
had sued out her pardon from the government.
Much doubt indeed arose rs to her actual guilt.
crowds of people in the meantime came to see
her, and many asserted that 1t must be the prov
idence of God, who would thus assert her inno-
cence.
After some time. Dr. Petty hearing she dis
coursed with those about her, and suspecting that
the women might suggest unto her to relate
something of strange visions and apparitions she
had seen during the time she seemed to be dead,
(Which they had already begun to do, telling
that she said she had been in a fine green mead
ow, having a river running round it, and all
things there ghttered like silver and geld,) he
caused all to depart from the room but the gen.
tlemen of the faculty who were to have been at
the dissection and asked her concerning her
sense and apprehensions during the time she was
hanged To which she answered, that she nei-
ther remembered how the fetters were Knocked
off: how she went cut OF the prison; when she
was turned off the ladder; whether any psalm
was sung or not nor was she sensible OF any
pains that she could remember. She came to
herself as if she had awakened out of sleep, moi
recovering the Use of her speech by slow degrees
I but in d manner altogether, beginning to speak
/ Just where she left on the ga(lows.
Being thus at length perfectly recovered, after
thanks given to God and the persons instrument
tai in bringing her to life, and procuring her an
immunity from further punishment, she retired
into the country to her friends at Steeple Bar
ton, where she was afterwards married, and
lived in good repute amongst her neighbors, ,hav-
ing three children, and not dying till 1869.
The following account Of the case of girl,
who was wrongly executed in 1866, is given by
a celebrated French author, as an instance OF
the injustice which was often committed by the
equivocal mode Of trial then used in France.
About seventeen years since, young peasant
girl was placed at Paris, in the service Of man
who, smtten with'her beauty, tried to inveiglt
her; but she was vrtuous, and resisted. The
prudence of this girl irritaed the master, and ht
determined Oh revenge. He secretly conveyed
into her box many things belonging to him
marked with his name. He then exclaimed
that he was robbed, called in a commsSiare, e
ministerial officer of justice) and made his dep
osition. The girls box was searched, and
the things were discovered. The unhappy ser
want was imprisoned.
She defended herself only by her tears; she
! had 10 evidence to prove that she did not pu
the property in the box; and her only answer tc
the heterogeneous was, that she was innocent
The Judges had no suspicion OF the depravity O
the aceuser whose station was respectable, anc
they administered the law in all its rigor. The
| innocent girl was condemned to be hanged. The
dreadful Office was Intellectually performed, as II
was the first attempt Of the son OF the chief exc
cutioner A surgeon had purchased the body
for dissection, and it was conveyed to his house
! On that evening, being about to open the head
he perceived gentle warmth about the body
The disSecting knife fell from his hand, and he
placed in bed her whom he was about to dis
sect.
His efforts to restore her to life were etfec,ual
and at the same time he sent for clergyman on
whose discretion and experience he could depend
in order to consult with him on this strange e.
vent. as well as to have him for Il witness 20 his
eonduct The moment the unfortunate girl o.
pened her eyes she believed herself in the other
world, and perceving the figure of the priest,
who had a marked and majestic conntenance,s she
ioined her hands tremhlin&ly and exclaimed, "E
Iernal Father, YOU know my innocence, have
nity ON mel' In this man2er she continued to
invoke the eccles>tic, believing in her siulplic-
ity. that she behed her God, They were long
in nerSuadng her that she was not dead-so
much had the idea OF the punishment and OF
death haunted her Imagination.
As soon as she was restored to life and health,
she retired to hide herself in distant village,
fearing to meet tue judges or the officers, vino,
with the dreadful tree, necessarily haunted her
imagination. The accuser remained unpunished,
because his crime, although manifested by two
individual witnesses, was not clear to the eye
of the law. The people subsequently became
acquainted with the resurrection OF this grl,and
loaded with reproaches the author OF her mis-
cry.