The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1861-11-26
A REMARKABLE STORY.

author of Tremaine:
The story to which we shall now advert has the
double value of being told, we presume on Mr.
Wards personal knowledge, and of illustrating
the extraordinary chances on which human life is
suffered to depend. The circumstances occurred
to the well known Sir Evan Nepean, in the Home
department. The popular version of the story
had been, that he was warned by a vision to save
the lives of three or four men condemned to die,
but reprisved; and who but for the vision would
have persisted through the under Secretary's neg
lect in forwarding the reprieve. On Sir Evans
being subsequently asked how far this story was
true his answer was: "The narrative romances
little, but what it aludes to was the most extra
ordinary thing that ever happened to me-" The
simple facts, as told by himself are these: One
night during his office under Secretary he felt
the most unaccountable wakefulness that could be
imagined; he was in perfect health, had dimed
early, and had nothing whatever on his mind to
keep him awake STILL he found all his attempts
to sleep impossible, and from eleven till two in
the morning he never closed his eyes. At length
weary of his struggle, and as the twilight was
breaking ut was in summer) he determined to
try what would be the effect Of a walk in the
park. There he nothing but the sleepy SEN
tinels. But, in his walk, happening to pass the
Home office several times, he thought of letting
himself in with his key, though without any par
ticular object. The book of entries of the day
listlessness he opened it. The first thing he saw
appalled, him-"A reprieve to be sent to York for
the colners ordered for execution" The execu-
ton had been appointed for the next day. 1t
struck him that he had received no return to his
order to send the rcprieve. He searched the
minutes" he could not find it there In alarm, |
he went to the house Of the head clerk. who lived
in Downing street, knocked him up, Git was then
past three,) and asked if he knew anything of the
rePrleve being sent. In great alarm, the chief |
clerk could not remember. " You are scarcely |
awake, said Sir Evan, "recollect yourself, it |
must have been sent"
The clerk now recollected he had sent it to the |
clerk OF tie Crown, whose business it was to |
forward it to York
"Good, said Sir Evan. But have you his |
receipt and certificate that it is gone ?"
Ono"
"Ihen come with me; must find him al
though it is SO early"
1t was now four, and the clerk of the Crown
now lived In Chancery Lane. There was no hack
ney coach to be seen, and they almost ran They
were just In time. The clerk of the crown had a
country house, and, meaning to have long holi-
DAY, he was at that moment stepping into his GIG
to 60 to his villa, Astonished at this visit of the
under-Secretary of State at such an hour he was
still more so at his business
Heavens" cried he, " the reprieve is locked
up In my desk - 1t was brought Sir Evan
sent to the post Office for the truest and feetest
express The reprieve reached York next morn
ing just at the moment the unhappy men were
ascending the cart
With Sir Evan Nepean we fully agree in regard
ing this little narratve one OF the most extra
ornlnary that We have heard We shall 90
further even than he acknowledged ard say that to
US 1t appears striking evidence OF what we should
conceive superior interpositon. 1t is true that
no ghost appears, nor is any prompting voice audi
We he InYa a. Il / q
sion OF seeming chances, aud each of these chances
was at once so improbable and so necessary. that
we are almost compelled to regard the whole as a
matter OF an influence not to be attributed to man
Ii the first link Of the chain might pass for COM
mon oceurrence-as, undoubtedly, fits of wakeful- /
ness will happen without any discovcrable ground Z,
In the state OF either body mnd-still what
coulo De less In the common course of tn ngs than
thus waking, he should take it into his head to =
get up and take walk in the park at two in the
morning! Yet, if he had, like others, contented c
himself with taking walk in his chamber or en- Z
loylng the cool air at the window, not one of the
events could have been realized Or
If when he took his walk, he had been contented
with getting rid OF the teverishness of the night.
and returned to his bed, the chain would have :?
been broken; Tor what was out of the natural Il
course of events than that at two in the morning N
The idea should come into the head of anv man to ii
go to Lis office, and sit down in the lonely rooms N
IN his department, for no purpose of business or p
pleasure, but simply from not knowing what to ',S
10 with himself? -
Or If, when he had let himself into those solta W
y rooms, the book of entries had not LAIN on the
able; land this We presume to have been among IN
me chances, as We can scarcely suppose books of -
his oclal Importance to be generally left to their
ate among the servants and messengers of the
Dthce;) or Ii the entry, instead OF being on the I
lrst page that opened to his eye, had been ON J
my other, even the second, as he might never
nave taken the trouble of turning the page or if g
he and the chief clerk had been five minutes later V,
It the clerk of the Crowns house, and Instead Of
lnding nm at the moment Of getting into his
arrlage, had been compelled to incur the DELAY Of t.
bringing him back from the country. all the nre ri
'edlng events would have been useless. The c
'eopie would have diel at York for. even as It NJ
vas, they were stopped on the very verge of exc "
ution. 4,
The remarkable feature of the whole is that tho c
hain might have been snapped at every link. and
nat eVe cry link was equally important In the s
of the probability of any one of these .
occurrences, mathematician would find the
chances very hard against the probability of the ''
'hole Ii 1t Is asked whether sufficient ground
or this high interposition is to be discovered in IL
aVing the lives of few wretched culprits, who, OF
s frequently in such cases, probably return to W
helr wicked trade as soon they escaped, and q
My plunged themselves into deeper iniquity; the to
nsWer is, that it is for US, in our Ignorance
mcte out the value of human life, however pL