Daily Davenport Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1864-1874, 1866-02-15

1fo0 Ne O40eeo0oo4o OoDoeoos
Wait ~ ys1 heae l. Tse
yeaee go I vQeslesoed dhssiG Of thie eDsa-
y. xTiis ~ oy st s,sesssA ~ I hsO
~ scturnjG sssj Aeit ever e ~ As1e
elDsats - s0(k edlrs was os1 = &ise -
kpss INT Z y. n GFiaine WI -
fresvsds o0d< teooJ 4Ssts6s 10 NJ 49,
Indicted 6oe - otrociouo and brutal murder.
The fellow w. gseetly hasdened end soo0.
ed 70 esrU bat iittls bow ~ lsiaf WUut-'
the evidence vss strong and aeaiost bin,
and, vbsn ~ eqge Woos ooe0issed % the
Jury, they returned 3 verdict Of guilty
without leaving their seats.
The exscu,ieu Wae 0sed e. . day tWo
weeks from the Trial. VI course Il was ~
daty 70 put The rope around bis nsck, end
Isdnch him into eternity. Il vas DIS
tasteful dut I assure you for. theoGh
knew foil veil The man deserved his death.
did roe fssssh he ~ of Hanging bin.
got through With Il, however, ed 81
him dancing 10 The cir. He did not strug
:e much.. cad lthousht hadan sasy death.
Aftse hsosips The usual tire b. wss 81
down and his body given 70 biz ltisaae ~
intermsnt. I thought bed seen the last
sf The man, q the wagon containing the
body drove cut Of The jail yard; but ! ~
mistaken.
About four months after the execution,
happened 10 be passing my barn, whsn !
saw msn sitting in the doorway, his hssd
resting on his hands. did not like hts
looks, 20 l approached him, and asked bin
what he wanted there. He raised HE hsad
and looked 1t me in silence. am not Civ
en- to superstition, and I don't think I'm
very timid. but felt my blood grow icy
cold - recoguized in the mas before ne
the man whose execution had conducted.
Ills face showed no traces Of bic violent
end and the only indication Of il, now
visible, was . light dis6gursosnt Of the
neck. scarcely knew what to Say or
think, for had seen him hung, and heard
him pronounced dead, and he'd delivered
his body to bic friends for burial, and yet,
after lapse Of four months, there he sat,
looking at me with face - white - .
sheet. The terror that wss exhibited in
his countenance convinced me that he vas
no ghost, - asked him, with % much
GOODNESS - command:
Jack Larkins, do you know me -
You're the man that hung me-" be r.
piled doegedly, It the same time moving
away. t-t
before you go, Larkins, said J. : vpula
like to hear how you cheated The gailots.
"You won't peach on any Of them folks
IS helped me. will you :" he asked. -
mo-" replied, ~ will not get tbUm
into any trouble. ! simply wish TO know
how you felt while you were hanging, and
how you were resuscitated."
He hesitated for some time, but upon .
renewal Of my Assurance that none Of his
friends should be molested, be told me tho
following story:
When Iput the rope around his neck,
and Left him on the gallows. he felt faint
ness about the heart, caused BY his reali-
Eng his fearful situation for the FIRST time;
but before he had time to think, the trap
was sprung, and fell through the opening.
Tho shock Of tho fall was rather more
startling than painful, and did not produce
either insensibility or confusion. His
thoughts were remarkably clear, and he
seemed to have the power Of seeing fer
above, below and al around him. Every
thing assumed . bright vermillion hue,
and soft dreamy ianguor stole over him,
unit. he became insensi5lc. There was
nothing painful or unpleasant in anything
40 had undergone. He seemed to be sink.
ing gently into delicious sleep. end all his
thoughts were pleasant The next he 70
mcmbcred was being wrung by the most
agonizing torture. The pains were not
confined to any particular place, but ex-
tended through the whole body. His arst
thought Was that he vas in pc dition, and
vas suffering the penalty Of his crimes
The pains increased each monent, and ct
last became 80 intense that he started to his
feet with scream Of anguish, at tho same
time openidg his eyes. Gres. Vas his sur
prise to find himself in his fathers house,
in the midst Of his friends and relatives
lie tainted At once, and when he recovered
found himself in his own bed. A soon a.
It was thought safe to do 30, his friends in
formed him that upon bringing his body
home, Trey had determined to try to rcsus
citate It, although they feared it would be
useless: They worked faithfully, and last
succeeded.
But, sir" said the man, in conclusion,
Coming to life again WAS much worse than
dying"
The man promised to leave the State and
try to do better. I had but little conf
dencc in him. yet let him 20. He kept
his word, however. and q short time ago
heard he was WELT do farmer in ons Of
the territories.
This. gentlemen. is the manner in which
| got my ideas about hanging. and think
you will admit their force.