The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1869-07-23


A writer in the Overland Monthly pre-
tends to have undergone the extreme pen
atty of the law, but TO have been resusci-
tated by electricity. He then relates his
feelings on the interesting occasion of his
execution:
The final prayer was said, the usual
thanks rendered and greetings given; the
cord was adjusted on my neck, was placed
upon the trap, looked for the last time
upon familiar objects, the cap was adjust
ed over my face. / felt an increased heat
around my heart q fullness of the
throat, slight weakness of the muscles
of my limbs, then an involuntary shrink
ing of the nerves and a catching of the
breath as felt myself falling, then fierce,
fiery pain shot through my whole frame,
my head seemed bursting, and my con-
sciousneas was gone.
How long remained unconscious / do
not know, but when sensibili;y returned
it was entirely mental. The shock of my
fall had evidently paralyzed the nervous
sensibilities and destroyed the physical Ca
pacity Of sense, but my mental powers
were soon resumed in q wonderful man
ner; for my earliest remembrance of any
thing was the combination of all the colors
of the prism glowing radiantly before my
eyes. OF course did not see them with
my eyes, but I seemed to see them thus,
a. they glowed, and waved, and blended,
then separated, then re formed themselves
in new combinations, and danced and
laughed with a brillisncy far exceeding
the rainbow's painting or the prism's
power.
This gorgeous scene began to fade away,
and my next transition was into sea of
light; not the light of the sun, or such .
light as is made by any chemical combina
ton, but light of dazzling, glowing, glori-
GUS whiteness and purity, Of which my
own mind seemed to DC part. / now be-
gan to observe my own condition; knew
that my whole body was grown cold and
rigid, the only perceptible warmth being
in my heart, and / wondered how long it
would be before that should become cold
like the balance, and SHOULD certainly
die l even speculsted upon the severity
of the pain should have to endure when
that spot did grow cold,-but / never
knew. While / thus took note OF the
physical condition, my mind with grand
ly increased power was fully occupied.
Before me in review, and then gathered
around me, were all the transactions--of
good or evil-of life; there was nothing
forgotten, nothing absent. l saw them
all, knew and recognized them all; even
minute and insignificant circumstances
which at this time had made no impres
sion on me, were now there, and be-
came fully aware of the fact that this SEN
tient being which had animated, my
body would not die, but would live on
and on, and on eternally, and eternal!y
surrounded by, and in companionship with
all transactions of physical life. Ever
lasting life was as conclusively shown 70
me as If the spirit of Him who had beer
dead Q thousand years had spoken to the
fact. Bnt how was TO exist? where
should l exist I knew that / was not 9
part Of my body in fact, desired TO en-
tirely, sever the connection with it and
impatiently waited until the warm spot o.
my heart should glow cold. Had l beer
at liberty to accept or reject an Offer OF
vitality should have rejected 1t. In vain
scanned the prospect around me for Q rev
elation of my future condition. In vair
I applied all the brilliant powers Of my
purified mind to pierce the future, even II
comprehend the present. / recalled my
early instructions, and sought for yawn
ing gulf and crystal gates, but on the ont
hand I found no devouring fends, and OF
the other saw no cleaning chariots;
heard neither songs Of joy nor wailings o
woe, nor found any other being than my
own. / existed in my own former life
and, 30 far az could discover, would con
tinue to exist there forever. This was no
desirable, but from 1t I saw no way o
escape.
have no idea of the time passed in thi
condition, bat it must have been all tn
time required by medical judgment to de
prive me of life, for in the midst Of m,
speculations I became aware Of the re
moval and handling Of my body. l re
member thought they were about to bur
me, and, a. was not dead, wished to pre-
test against ii. I loathed the idea of beip
incarcerated In the grave with my body
or having any further companionshi.
J with 1t. I did not know what was beint
done, but ! felt myself in motion for
J time, then the motion ceased tin ther
was . quick. sharp, rending pals, fearfu
struggle Of my whole phys3Ai powers,
Witning, an anguish fsEfeofse than tn
snguish Of death, and ssssibility and sens
slowly returned 10 -; once more M'
heart which hs6 never grown ccsi
throbbed, my vitlf tanc1ior were partiAll,
70 essablished ftnd again I became bur
J denod WI ~ cares. anxieties and soI
now ofEA To ne IL has been one Ion,
soFsopg md. without Joy or hope, avrsi
ths 80 when ] shall once moreDaths b