The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1869-06-24
How 1T Feels to be Hung.

~ cution: ...
70 The final prayer was said, the usu
NJ thanks rendered and greetings give,
70 the cord was adjusted on my neck.
~ was placed upon the trap, looked f'
the last time upon familiar objects, IL
cap was adjusted over my face, / fe
"a an increased hest around my heart,
y fullness Of the throat slight weakness
n Of the muscles of my limbs, then a
|. involuntary sinking of the nerves an
!. a catching ofthe breath as felt myse
= falling, then fierce fiery pain she
c through my whole frame; my hea
IS seemed bursting and my consciousness
was gone.
How long l remained unconscious
5 do not know, but when sensibility re
turned it was entirely mental. TIL
, shock Of my fall had evidently paral
, yzed the nervous sensibilities and de
| stroyed the physical capacity of sense
, but my mental powers were resumed
, in wonderful manner, for my earlies
remembrance ofanything was the com
bination of all the colors Of the prism
glowing rad ianty before my eyes. 0
course | did not see them with my owr
eyes, but I seemed to see them thus
as they glowed and waved and blended
then separated, then reformed them
selves in new combinations, and danced
and laughed with brilliancy far exceed
ing the rainbow's painting or the prisms
power.
This gorgeous scene began to fade
away, and my Iext transition was into
a sea Of light, not the light ofthe sun,
or such a light as is made by any chem
ical combination, but light Of dazzling
glowing, glorious whiteness and purity
d which my own mind seemed to be a
part. / now began to observe my own
condition; l knew that my whole body
was growing cold and rigid, the only
perceptible warmth Being In my heart,
and I wondered how long ii would be
before that too should become cold
like the balance, and should certainly
die ! even speculated upon the sever
ity of the pain should have when that
spot should grow cold-but J. never
knew. While thus took note of the
physical condition, my mind with
grandly increased power was fully oc-
cupied. Before me in review and then
gathered around ne, were all the trans
actions of good or evil--of life; there
was nothing forgotten-nothing absent
saw them all knew and recognized
them all; even minute and insignificant
which at the time had
made no impression on me, were now
there, and l became fully aware of the
fact that this sentiment being which
had animated my body would not die
but would live On, and on, and eternal
" on, and eternally surrounded by and
in companionship with all the transac-
lions Of physical life. Everlasting
life was as clusively shown to me as if
he spirit of Him who had been dead
| Thousand years had spoken to the fact
But how was to exist, where should
exist? knew was not u part of
ny body; in fact desired to entirely
sever the connection with it, and impa-
iently waited until the warm spot of
ny heart should grow cold. Had l
'een at liberty to accept or reject an
'tfer OF return to vitality. l should
lavc rejected it. In vain scanned
he light around me for revelation of
ny future condition. In vain ! applied
III the brilliant powers of my purified
mind to pierce the future, even to fully
comprehend the present / recalled
ny early instructions, and sought for
awning gulf and crystal gates, but on
he one hand i found no devouring
lends, and on the other saw no glea-
ming chariots ! heard neither songs
If joy nor wailing Of woe, nor found
my other being than my own. / ex-
sted in my own former life, and so far
8 l could discover would continue to
xist there forever. This was not de- ,
irable, but from it saw no way of es-
ape. Il
l have no idea of the time passed in
bis condition, but il must have been
II the time required by medical judg-
,ent to deprive me of life, for in the
midst of my speculations l became
ware Of the removal and handling of
~ body. remember thought they
'ere about to bury inc, and, as / was
OF dead, l wished to protest against it
loathed the idea Of being incarcera-
ed in the grave With my body, OF hav-
,g any other companionship with it,
did not know what was being done,
ut I felt myself in motion for a time,
len the motion ceased then there was I
quick sharp rending pain, q fearful 9
hudder Of my whole physical powers
-r;tb;pn m ouo,,ich far ,ro... A.. l.