Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1859-05-04
VOLUME'XXIV.--.No. IL.
Sentence of Abraham strickland.

sentence OI AuEdAuH otI1Ck4auus
For Me Murder Of Jnnes 'Srickland-B,
Judge JoAn Bslton 0Atal-Spring Tern
1883. "
ABRAHAM STRICKLAND The great duty o.
preparing you to meet the stern realities o.
the law, is now to be performed; and / ap
proach it with greater desire to reach you,
heart than in most other cases. For fee
that you must di:' that there is no hope oi
mercy on earth for such poor guilty creature
as you are.
Young man, review your past lifel Has IL
been one ui indulgence in strong drink, in
gaming, in swearing, in dcsecrating the Lord q
Day, in wearing concealed deadly weapons,
and in fighting? i" it has been 80 spent,
young ns you are, there is fearful amount
OF crime to be Considered.
The bloody tragedy which you enacted on
the night Of the 18th ot March, at Smokes
Cross Roads, must be next presented 10 your
mind. On that night, without moments
warning, you slew your uncle. With all his
sins un his hea with the awful oaths with
which he had polluted his lips, in taking the
name Of the living God in vsin-in his drum.
ken moments-you rushed him out of time
Into the presence Of tie awful Judge of quick
and dead Into what immeasurable horrors,
into what unending ,orments, have you con.
signed him Think oh, think, that you can
hear his lost spirit, as it sinks from the pres.
ence of God toward the lake which burns
with fire aud birthstone, crying out, "Loat,
lost, forever l.,st!" and then ask your soul
what forfeit you ought to pay? A few short
years here can be NO equivalent.
In w r CELL in darkness and light, will not
the bloody image of your slain uncle stand by
yoar side, and point to his gaping. wounds,
and say you did it2 Remember, I pray YOU,
the bloody sccne, when you struck Blow utter
blow upon the head, shoulder, ann and side,
of your drunken uncle; remember that his
blood WAS poured out like rain on the leaves
upon which you stood; that your clothes,
your hands, and knife, were covered with it.
Recullect, thut without u word from ! i'm. with
his hand lacked in your collar, and, perhaps,
one hand on your hair, you gave him seven
rounds! desire " sny to you, and ask you
10 remember it, that have been for forty.fvs
years next month, rs q lawyer and Judge,
connected with the administration Of justice,
and in that time, more than one hundred cases
of homicide have passed under my review,
aad have met with few cases where such
lieudish cruelty was exhibited as In your case.
You were drunk and demon; that fend.
ish disposition which had induced you again
and again to threaten the life Of your uncle,
was developed By the poisoned liquid which
you swallowed at the grog'shop, on thut fatal
night. Do not suppose that drunkenness is
i.c. n<,,l g..
bloody deed. 1t is rather an aggravation.
turn now from you, to your young and
newly.wedded wife. Will you turn with me
and bend over her tears? Oh, let at least,
her agony, let her lamentation for the hus.
band Of her youth awaken some pity, some
feeling, some remors., in your blood,stained
and guilty heart. >
But above all, young man, prepare to die
to die CHRISTIANS death, and with Chris.
tiau's hope. You have soon to pass through
the dark valley of the shadow of death il it
be not lighted by the Sun Of Rghteousuess,
i. will b. dark and full Of uniusginaOle lor.
rurd,
Let mo urge it upon you-pray to God,
wrcstle with him and say as old Jacob did,
81 will not let thee go except thou bless me-"
Such prayer may open the gates of Heaven.
1t may be that you have your SavioIr's pray
or, Father, forgive him, for he knew not
what he did" 1have been told you wished
to be baptized; you must first be reconciled
to God you must feel and know that you
have "pas.ed from death unto life" II you
can say, as the Eunuch did to Phillip, ~ be-
licve that Jesus Chris; is the Son of God"
you may be, as he wss, baztized; and if, in.
deed, he vouchsafes 10 give you the living
faith, hope, before you,go hence, you may
be buried in baptism, aud rise to newness of
lie.
Poor, guilty young man, my heart bleeds
for you. I know that you are the child
of ignorance and vice; your life Of .wea,y.
three years has not BEEN illuminated by .
single ray Of goodness. AL, oil III ,he past
is dark and gloomy. The thunder OF Gods
vengeance is rolling over your head he is
about to say, "Cut him down, why cumb.reth
he the ground" Haste to the outstretched
arms Of the Saviour! He says "Come." Oh,
come to him, and live forever.
The sentence Of the law is: That yoI 9
taken hence to the place whence you last came,
and there, thai yoI lie closely and SAFELY con.
fined until Friday, the 18th day of June next,
on which day, between tile hours Of 10 in tie
forenoon and in the afternoon, you will be
taken by the Sheriff OF Colleton District u
tue place Of public execution, and there be
hung by your neck till your body be dead
and may the Lord have mercy on yo,r soul.
-Colleton Sun.