Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1869-07-28
How IL Feels 70 be Hanged.

The Overland Monthly has q very in
genious story of a murderer who, after
being hanged until life was supposed to
be extinct, was secretly brought to life
again by the aid of electricity. Years
afterward he detailed to one of the wit
nesses of the execution, who chanced to
meet him in New Orleans, the following
account of his sensations on that fearful
occasion:
The final prayer was said; the usual
thanks rendered and greetings given the
cord was adjusted about my neck; / was
placed upon the trap; looked for the
last time upon familiar objects; the cap
was adjusted over my face; / felt an in.
creased heat around my heart, q fullness
of the throat, q slight weakness of the
muscles Of my limbs, then an involuntary
shrinking of the nerves and q catching of
the breath as felt myself falling, then
fierce, fiery pain shot through my whole
frame, my head seemed bursting, and my
consciousness was gone.
How long remained unconscious do
not know, but when sensibility returned
it was entirely mental. The shock of my
fall had evidently paralyzed the nervous
sensibilities and destroyed the physical
sensibilities of sense, but my mental
powers were soon resumed in a wonder
full manner, for my earliest remembrance
of anything was the combination of all
the colors in the prism glowing radiantly
before my eyes. OF course | did not see
them with my eyes, but | seemed to see
them thus, as they glowed and waved and
blended, then separated, then reformed
themselves in new combinations, and
even danced and laughed with bril-
liaucy fer exceeding the rainbows' s paint
ing 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
combustion, but light of dazzling, glow
ing, glorious whiteness and purity, of
which my own mind seemed to be part.
/ now began to observe my own condi-
ton; / knew my whole body was grow
ing cold and rigid, the only perceptible
warmth being in my heart, and won
dered how long it would be before that,
too, should become cold like the balance,
and l should entirely die.
While / thus took note of the physical
condition, my mind, with grandly in
creased power, was fully occupied. Be-
fore me in review and then gathered
around me were all transactions-good
or evil-of life; there was nothing for
gotten-nothing absent. / saw them all;
knew and recognized them all; even
minute and Insignificant circumstances.
which at the time made no impression on
me, were now there, and | became fully
aware of the fact that this sentient being
which had animated my body would not
die, but would live on aud on eternally,
surrounded by and in companionship
with all the transactions of life.
Everlasting life was as conclusively
shown to me as If the spirit of one who
had been dead thousand years had
spoken the fact. But how was to exist,
where should | exist2 / knew was not
a part Of my body. In fact, desired to
entirely sever the connection with it, and
impatiently waited till the warm spot OF
my heart should get cold. Had / been at
liberty to accept or reject an offer of re-
turn to vitality, l should have rejected it.
In vain | scanned the light around me
for revelation of my future condition.
In vain applied all the brilliant powers
of my puriied mind to pierce the future,
even to comprehend the present. / re-
called my early instructions, and sought |
for yawning gulf and crystal gates, but
on one hand ifound no devouring fiends,
and on the other / saw no cleaning |
chsr;ots; / heard neither song of joy or
wailings of woe, nor found any other |
being than my own. / existed in my own |
former life, and so far as | could dis
cover, would continue to exist there for
ever. This was not desirable, but from II |
| saw no way of escape. |
| have no idea of the time passed in |
this condition, but it must have been all
the time required by medical judgment to |
deprive me Of life, fof in the midst OF my |
speculations / became aware of the re-
moval and handling of my body. | re-
member l thought they we're about to bury
me, and as | was not dead i wished TO
protest against il. loathed the idea OF
being inearceraied in the grave with my |
body, or having any further companion
ship with il. l did not know what was
being done, but felt myself in motion
for time, then the motion ceased.
Then there was squick, sharp, rendlng
pain. fearful shudder of my whole ply
steal powers, q writhing, an anguish, far
worse than the anguish of death, and
sensibility and sense slowly returned to
me; once my heart, which had never
grown cold, .throbbed, my vital functions
we're partially re-essablished, and ! be-
came again burdsned with the cares,
anxietlss aud sorrows Of li.e To ne Il
has been one long sorrow, and without
joy or hope await the time when / shall
once more bathe in the sea Of light, once
more gather round the radiance Of life
everlasting.
Ny resusciiation was the result Of an
applications of electricity aud the skill Of
q surgeon, For few days, until | had
partially recovered my sirength, was
concealed, and then fed the country.