The constitutional union., 1861-04-05

PdRy wtth that Notorious Highpoaynqn, Pickpoeke
 and Housebreaker, Archibald Taylor) on Bosto,
 Nech, on Thursday Me 8th of lHay 1788, for
 IeoLent Assault and Robbery He HghwGy
 Committed on he Person and Property Of Mr
 Nathaniel Cunningham, Butcher, m October, 1787
 In letter from said Joseph Taylor to his kind friend and countryman, MT. Phelim Dolace, in Boston:
 Fec HARBoR, Mouth of the Delaware, l
 May F, 1789.
 ; MY DEAR FRIEND: :- You will, no doubt be greatly astonished at receiving a letter from one whom you so lately saw. to all ap- pearance numbered with the dead, with all the lgnominy of public and most shameful execution. But, though strange as it may appear, 1t is no less strange than true. that blessed be God for his infinite goodness. I am now among the living to praise him. It was my fervUnt desire that you should have been made acquainted with the steps which were taken to recover me to life immediately after my being hanged. But the doctor who man. aged the affair would not admit of more than five persons in the secret, as he feared dis covery, and said a crowd around me would be fatal, and prevent the air getting into my lungs, and ODOnnell and Hector had been told of it before I saw you, and they, with the doctor, his young man, and a person he brought with him, made the i've I there fore take this early opportunity to let you know of my being alive, and in health bless ed by God, as 1 hope that these lines will find you, as also the circumstances which at tend my execution and recovery to life; as also my present frame of mind and resolu- tion, through the grace of God, to sin no more, but endeavor after new obedience You remember that you, among other friends, had great hopes of my being pardoned on account of my youth but when their Honors sat, soon found 1 must be made an example of as they were determined never to par don highwaymcn. 1 then began to prepare for death, but must needs say, though | had many affecting conferences with the reverend persons who visited me in jail, never, even after my condemnation, realized that | was suddenly to die in so awful a manner; until gentleman, who I afterward found was a doe tor, came and talked privately with the late unhappy sufferer, and my fellow convict, Archibald Taylor, who, when the gentleman was gone, came to me with money in his hand, and so smiling countenance that I thought he had received it in charity But he soon undeceived me, telling me with an air of gaety, that it was the price of his body, and then added a shocking speech, which I sincerely hope Is plotted out of the book of Gods remembrance against his poor soul This was the first time since my condemna- tion that 1 thought what it was to die. The shock was terrible, and Taylor increased it, saying that the doctor had desired him to bargain with me for my body also. The thoughts of my bones. not being permjtted to. rema,,' ,' ,-,v noor mother had so often caressed and dandled on her knee, and which had been so pampered by my friends In my better days, being slashed and man9led by the doctors, was too much for me. had been deaf to the pjous exhortatlon of the priests, but now my conscience was awaken ed, and hell seemed indeed to yawn for me. What reht of horror was the next niobt! When the doctor came in the morning to Bargain for my body, was in q cold swef; my knees smote together, and my tono1p seemed to cleave to the roof of my mouh He perceived the agony of my soul ard asked me some questions of the state If my mind. I found utterance, and pourd out my heart to him. He seemed affected at my distress, especially as my con- duet was so different from that of A. Fay k's; and, after pausing, he left me with out mentioning the sale of my body, and said he would call again the next day. He came and asked me privately whether had two or three friends I could depend upon in anything for my benefit He communi- cated his design of attempting to recover mo to life if my body could be carried, immediately after 1 was cut down, to some convenient place.. out of the reach of the people, assuring me, by all that was sacred, that if he failed in his attempt he would give my body a Christian burial. closed with it without hesitation. The doctor then left me. and soon after Hector and O'Donnell came to see me, to whom 1 communicated the plan in confdence The doctor came back to charge me not to trust more persons than were sufficient to carry my body from the gal lows to the place provided. 1 told him who the persons with me were; and upon ODon- nelPs engaging to procure number of hls countrymen to remove my body to private place. who were not to be let into the secret upon pain of his not having to do In the al fair as soon as it should be discovered H( gave them money to hlre sllal podI 'o p' in readiness at the wharf, nearest to tho t place of execution which boat 1 think wa' a hired of one Mir. Skinner or Skilllngs, neal Q Offers Dock The doctor undertook to mo l the place of execution, which was then re- 5 norted to be in several places, and to procure t a two-mast boat with a good cuddy, which r was to be moored off the wharf at conven tent distance, all which was accordingly done The two-mast boat in which was the doctor his friend and apprentice, with their doctors : instruments, was moored up the bay, near th' |" gallows, the morning of the execution day F but fell down with the tide, about two hour :. before the execution, toward Dorcheste n Point, for fear of being grounded.
 n The state of my mind, after my converse . tion with the doctor, until the day of execu ~ ton, it is impossible for me to describe. Thi : glimpse of hopc-this mere chance of escaT , ing the jaws of death, and of avoiding tn .t eyes of an offended Judge, at whose bar ,' was noways prepared to appear, seemed bu to render my mind more distracted some :, times indulged myself with the thoughts l being recovered to life; and as had tortr u a4oi1. aoroool lod ,nv rnal name that | mioil