Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1858-11-15
aailg Sirgiaiau.
A Mournhil Visit,

paper, to the City Jail It's ono of the most sf
fcctng recitals We ever remember to have met
with.
| We made brief visit yesterday afternoon to
the jail, and after being politely welcomed by
| Captain James, tho gentlomanly warden. were
conducted to the cell where Henry Gambrill and
VIM. q, Ford. the two recently condemned muir
derers, confined. Their apartment is u base
| ment room, with one iron grated window, admit
ting only moderate amount Of light, ut best dis
| NAL and gloomy. Its furniture consists Of ono
bed and II stove. an old table, II STOOL n bench aud
two chairs In tho contrc is a strong iron staple
driven into the floor, attached to which aro seve-
ral massive links of a chain. On tho window-sil
| lay Bible, while several religious tracts were
| deposited ON tho table.
when wc entered this drcary abode young
Gambrill sat in one corner on the bench, in close
| conversation with II Methodist clergyman. who
| had called TO administer spiritual constellation
| lie looked pile. cmaciated and haggard, There
| was deep, solemn cast upon his countenancc,
| betrayng emotions Of IA sorrowful mind. Ills
| eyes were somewhat supken nnd heavy. whilst
indications of contrition oyershadowed his coun-
| tenancc.
After speaking with him. and asking how hc
felt. to which he replied, "Well rs could bc cxpcc-
ted the reverend gentleman in attendance pro-
posed uniting in prayer, when all knelt, and
icryent surplication was addressed to the Throne
of Grace. Gambrill bowed lowly on his knees,
close by tho Minister'S side. and appeared to unite
earnestly in the devotional exercises. His eyes
were filled with tears, whilst heavy sighs could
be distinctly heard. When the prayers were end
| ed, another clergyman who wns present. i'll
touching]and impressive manner, exhorted him to
repentance, and pointed ont the way OF salvation.
To this cxhortaton he paid marked attention, pro-
missing his earnest endeayors to seek repentance
aud salvation in the world to come. During these
solemn ceremonies his aged father was present.
Joining there in most frrycntly with fearful eyes
and sorrow stricken heart. and often nudibly re-
spending Amen. ,;ambrill seemed but but little
disposed to converse. His whole mind appeared
absorbed in ontemplating the awful doom to
which violated law had consigned him. Not even
the scmblancc OF n smile could be traced in his
palld countenancc. All was melancholy sadness,
painful to contemplate and ptiiul to behold. lie
uttered no word Of com plant. indicating n desire
to make reconciliation with his God
VIM q. Ford, his imprisoned companion. also
committed for murder. awaiting II s,milar DOOM
!ikowi." joined in the religious services. lie is
strong athletic man, in the prime of lItc. We
were impressed with n truly touching incident in
his case. Within the same lonely cell was little
girl. somo six years Of age his only child. 1t was
neatly clad, purely innocent in expression, quito
Intelligent nnd very pretty. Tins little creature
clung to her father though he were her last
earthly hope Her mild blue eyes, in tho inno-
cencc Of unconscious childhood were turned up
"a!a' iooAne "e""y .D ''o VI ' '"e''
whist her l'''e ar'S sun ci"sPeu ms oouy' sI''
ing Ford if this was his only offspring, smoothing
its head with his hand, and his eyes melting into
.e"rs' IL, "''"' ' ISL ' u ~! ~
1' " Pt -. III 2 ;, III; 60.
ice' ,'"PPy "n.n 'no "" n'o 10. .o. ~.
seemed t., penetrate her very heart. What u con-
trast was hero innocence, sweetness and beauty,
in childhood's tender years, unconscious OF its
la'hef rea, oo',u',''n , anu p.nu.S u'p. nn, ...
ien.,l "ne1''", "a'' s''% "' '''' s''"
s"'I'cr "'d "i"'' nav h," h'D' .r,
one hu.ian ."'E ""s 'p".nG l;a ian" iiia,u.
anu lenolu"S srI a ~ pa',, ". n a',I
wheh 'he eorrs VI NM a,'' t ;"', 'r",
oe soh'ere' '''e'..' "'iI'aa t ~ c u..' - J." "''u,
innocence ""y n",e nopeu ~. p'"'to'''n , u ""u
app'hess from I''e ne'p'.ss icing :" whom sao 70
!oha'y c'"''H II W." ;H 'u''"H '.."T uN"''r',"H
III solemn er..,"s'' a lp"'S '',o" :. ~, na
man ',e. INV nri i',',, "; ,;, ". "'";' -; wv,
~ h'S no"i' VI P"'.". :.i ~: ~ ,..u ono
NY ""u', ,"an a ,;, ",m ~, ., t. ~.
""SPr,,H y, o":.', "a W. q" - ta', ~ mn
'houeh'S, ,nah III y.a,1 y. P.""s', "p:,'s suen
as We're u. hiscomih"hu anu u ev'' account
beiore pe,hg inPr,So,''u anu pro"ouneeu Eu'n!.
WEI paie n''' i"'u "''' ""''", "''u
r"sseu r, ',.u , Nv o"nsmod nndcr cnnd.,ynr; r.
coiored man. Is cohhne'' unner concentration oi
oea'h' lie appears 'iAe s'o"e "'",'! ","', nc'
',ny'ne no rar.ou'"r e."'''''s NiP'uS 'o'n .ho
clergyman present ''n, @ he re:,'heu u" Goha'.'o',
anu was anA'o"s s W seeh 1'l le Johcu
IN prayers anu appeared 'n"en aa'csca ne eh.er-
'a'ns II" nope oi escape rom n'S l"n"ne do"m,
ana mahties!s ','"c' 'o"eer''o oe e'aDca 10 meet
| IL W'ti 'o'''"ue,
we neS' went 10 an upper room whefe some
ten or hteen prisoners we're ooIhneo, ana looking
through 'he gr"'en "'huo" sa" OrnPps' thc NJ
lcg"d assassin OF omcer h'gaon. ne was NOV,
ing about uncnh'erneuiy among MS abandoned