American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1858-02-19

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The PittsNu@g Journals Of Saturday
arc fi'icdwith ,ho vivid reports of their
Especial reporters" from Which We ex
tract the following:
The Spiritual advisors of the con.
domned were with them from o'clock
to the last. Religious dcvotions of q
most affecting character, were held in
their cells, up to the moment of their
removal to the scaflold. They renew
sd their assurances of preparation for
death. About half past one the con-
demned left their cells, and proceeded
to the scaflold-the two linked arm in
m--Rev. Mcssrs. Brown and Bell
preceding. and Sheriff Patterson and
Tailor Philips following them. Fife
was dressed in his usual clothes, adj
Justed with much care. Charlotte wore
a white tarlton dress, ruled ut the
sleeves, and drawn to the wrists
with a slight cord--a worked collar
shppors-and over her shoulders q
shawl which she requested and which
was given to her sister Mrs. Wolff
They assembled the scaffold and took
chairs. Rev. Mr.. Brown offered in
their behalf touching and earnest
prayer, after which the following dy-
ing statements were read, Flies by
himself, and Charlotte's by Mr.. VIII
hanson. While reading his statement
Fife was greatly affected, and frequent.
ly wept. Yet with n rcsolute nerve
rarely exhibited on the scafrold, he
spoke in firm, mistaken voice:
FIFEs DYING DECLARATION.
Gentlemen I'm u few short mo,
ments of time, / shall have answered
with my life for the terrible crime [
have committed, and which | have al
ready freely confessed. 1t must not
be supposed from what has been pub
lished in the newspapers here from time
to time since my arrest, that | am in
different or careless about the awful
fate am now to suffer; nor must it
he supposed that l have suffered no
compunctlon of conscience for the deed
that has brought me to felon's death.
On, no. l have already undergone
more torture Of soul than thousand
deaths, and oh, how often | have wish.
cd | could restore George Wilson and
his sister back to life. Vain thought.
Maddcned with thirst for gold, and
stimulated by drink, gave them tho
fatal blow that robbed them Of life,
and sent their souls without warning
to the bar of God. Ny fervont pray
er now is and long has been, that they
have been made happy by my wicked
ness, and that their immortal souls are
among the redeemed Of Christ, and I
prayAlmighty God for his pardon, and
that may be permitted to hope that
in the world of spirits, | may be there
and then beg there to be forgiven.
Since my arrest much has been done
of which | have right to complain
not that | was arrested tried and con-
victed, because that is a Just penalty
for my crime, but I do complain of
some of the means used against me be.
fore my trial came on. The public
press had so positively condemned nc,
that it was next to impossible to get
fair and impartial hearing Of my case,
and one of the papers the very day be-
fore the jury was cmpanellcd, publish
ed nearly two columns Of an article
upon me-, in which it was charged that
| was guilty beyond a doubt. How
is it possible for prisoners to get an
impartil jury if they are to first be tri-
cd and positively condemned by the
newspapers? 1t ought to be sufficient
for prisoner TO answer for his crimes
to an impartial court and jury. The
prisoner confined within the walls of
his cell has no opportunity to defend
himself frem these attacks, and if it is
continued the innocent will suffer with
the guilty. / do not complain Of the
jury that tried my case; | believe that
they did their duty consccntiously.-
During the eleven or twelve days that
| was on trial, my counsel took great
many exceptions to the opinion of the
court on the admission Of the evidence
and when the case was reported from
the Supreme Court, | observed none
Of those exceptions had been presented
or argued, but inquired of my counsel
about this, and he told me that they had
been lost out of the Clerks Office and
could not be found. There was large
numter ofthcso exceptions. Who car
ried them OF? / will not charge that
Mr.. Horner, the Clerk Of the Court
had anything to do with their being
taken away. ! believe he is an hon
est man, l do not believe that the
District Attorney had any knowledge