The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1866-11-23
Ths Aaaepsk 9tfftrsonian
The Forgers.
[coNcLuDED.

lN'V"hcu thc uiielui SeCTcu all over Jl
remotcst places among the hills; foi
IN an hour, people came docking il
from all quarters, and it was seen
that eoncealment or escape was NJ
longer possible, and that father anC
son were destined to die together
felon's death" lil.... D,.....
| Here the pastors voice ceased; ant
| had heard enough to understand
the long deep sigh that had com,
moaning from that bowed down fig
ure beside the solitary we'll. "Tha
was the last work done by the fathe
and son, and finished the day befor,
the fatal discovery of their guilt
1t had probably been engaged in a
a sort Of amusement TO bcguile thei
unhappy minds OF ever. anxious
thoughts, or perhaps as solitary oc
cupation, at which they could unbur.
then their guilt to one another undis
turbed. Here, no doubt, in the ST
lence and solitude, they often felt re.
morse, perhaps penitence., They
ehiselled out their names on that
slab, as you perceive; and hither, as
duly as the morning and evening
shadows, comes the ghost whom we
beheld, and, after prayer for the
souls of them so tcnderly beloved in
their innocence, and doubtless even
more tenderly beloved in their guilt
and in their graves, she carries 10 her
lonely hut the water that helps to
preserve her hopeless life, from the
well dug bydearcst hands, now moul
dered away, both flesh and bone, into
the dust" ..l .r.
After q moments silence the old
man continucd,--for he saw that
longed to hear the details of the
dreadful catastrophe, and his own
soul seemed likewise desirous of re.
newing its gricf.-"rhe prisoners
we're condemned. Hope there was
none, from the moment OF tie YER
dict-guilty,-that they would not be
executed. Petitions were, indeed,
signed by many, many thousands /;
but it was all in vain, and the faith.
er and the son had to prepare them
selves for death. .0'.-n
"AboHt a week after condemnation
| visited them in their cell God
forbid | should say that they were
resigned. Human nature could not
resign itself to such a doom; aud
found the old man pacing up and
down the stone floor, in his clanking
chains, with hurried steps, and. a
countenance of unspeakable horror.
imseo il.s ss9no wstfral%S,,' and had not lifted
up lis head, as the massy bolts were
Withdrawn, and the door crealcd
sullenly on its hinges. The father
fixed his eyes upon me for some
time, as if / had been stranger in
truding upon his misery; and, as
soon as be knew me, shut them with
a deep groan, and pointed to his son.
81 have murdered William-I have
brought my only son to the scaffold,
and | am doomed to hellw gently
called on the youth 10y name, but he
was insensible--he was lying in fit.
"They have come upon him every
day since our condemnation, and
sometimes during the night. 1t is
not fear for himself tina, brings them
on--for my boy, though guilty, is
brave-but he continues looking on
my face for hours, till at last he
seems to lose all sense, and falls
down in strong commissions, often
upon the stone floor, till he is all
covered with blood" The old man
then went up to his son, knelt down,
and putting aside the thick cluster
ing hair from his forehead, continued
kissing him tor some minutes, with
deep sohs, but eyes dry as dust.
"But why should ! recall to my
remembrance. or describe to you,
every hour Of anguish that wit
messed in that cell? For several
weeks il was all agony and despair
tho Bible lay unheeded before their
ghastly eyes-and for them there
was no consolation. The old mans
soul was filed but with one thought
that he had deluded his son into
sin, death, and eternal punishment
He never slept; but visions, terrible
as these Of sleep, seemed often te
pass before him, till have seen the
grey hairs bristle horribly over his
temples, and big drops Of sweat
plash down upon the foor. i some
times thought, that they would botl
die before the day OF execution; bu
their mortal sorrows, though they
sadly changed both face and frame
seemed at last to give a horrible en-
ergy to life, and every morning tha
visited them, they were stronger
and more broadly awake in tie chill
silence of their lonesome prison
house. .. .H .f u.
al know not how a deep chang
was at last wrought upon their souls
but two days before that Of execu
tion, on entering their cell, i foun'
them sitting calm and composed b.
} each others side, with the Bible opel
before them. Their faces, thoug
. pale and haggard, had lost that glar
of misery, that SO long had shon
about their restless and wanderin
eyes, and they looked like men re
covering from long and painlu
sickness. l almost thought ! say
. something like q faint smile OF hops
"God has been merciful unto US,
said the father, with calm voice.
~ must not think that he has forgi,
emmy sins, but he has enabled me I