Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1869-06-11

mind, and hence the ends or justice would
be fully satisfied by Communication of the
sentence as prayed for.
Governor Holden felt impelled by his
sense of public duty, to deny the prayer of
the petition, but some think thatif he had
been left to the promptings of his own
breast, he would have acceded to it. For
the first time, however, in the recollection
OF the writer, the Governor was approached
both personally and by petition, by parties
deprecating the extension of Executive
clemency to the unfortunate men. In
charity the writer must suppose that such
persons were actueted by the purest mo-
tiyes. but it does not seem as If they appre-
ciated very highly the spirit of the lines,
"Teach me to feel anothers' woe,
! To hide the fault see:
That mercy l to others show,
| That mercy show to me-"
1t may not be improper to state in this
connection, that the point made by the
Raleigh Sentinel in its issue of ---
last, had not escaped the attention of the
prisoners Counsel. 1t is unnecessary to
specify what conclusion they arrived at, as
to the power of the Governor to grant o
respite during his absence from the State.
But they we're of the opinion that, no
matter in what light the point might be
viewed, they could take no proceedings
which would vary the final result. They
had given every day for week to the
unfortunate men; had expended considera-
BILE private funds in their behalf one of
them waited upon the Governor in person,
and they did not feel it incumbent upon
Thorn to draw on their own resources for
all the expenses of habeds corpus when
they could not hope for anything more, if
they could hope for SO much, than a pro-
longation of the imprisonment ending in
resentence.
[ have already made known that the
deceased were respited in order to secure
to them the mlnistrations of q Catholic
Clergyman, which they had ardently de-
sired. A message was sent to Bishop Glib
bons, informing him of the wish OF the
prisoners, and although the whole State
of North Carolina has but three Catholic
Priests within her limits, one of them,
the Rev. Father Gross, Of your city, reached
here on Monday last, for the purpose of
rendering spiritual assistance to the poor
men. He visited them on that day, and on
each day during the week he has spent
two hours in their cell, instructing them in
religious truth, and preparing them for
the world to come.
The deceased men have been represented
as very desperate characters, and as ex-
hibiting in Jail a stubborn, even de-
moniac spirit. Baker was far removed
from the negro. and might have passed
for a white man; he was fine look
ing man, with a well developed head and
naturally intelligent. Thomas was man
of more than ordinary understanding of
his class, but had nothing to distinguish
| him in appearance therefrom. Every day
| for d week the writer visited them in their
cell, and he feels impelled to say, that dur
ing the trying ordeal through which they
passed, he never witnessed more docility.
They did not give, during that time, the
slightest evidence Of i'll will to anyone, nor
did they exhibit the least stubbornness of
spirit They listened, most eagerly, to
religious instruction, and their humble and
contrite spirit edited the few Catholics
here, and filled the heart of the excellent
Father Gross with hope and consolation.
On yesterday the deceased went to con-
fession, and this morning, between Z and
s o'clock, Father Gross, accompanied by
one of their counsel, administered the
Holy Communion to them in their cell
It Was announced to them that all efforts
to procure a Communication of their sentence
had failed they heard the announcement
with entire resignation, and expressed their
willingness to die for Christs sake.
About two hours before the execution
Father Gross, in company with Mr.. CONG
|
again visited the cell. \ supply of cloth
ing was brought to the prisoners after
they had dressed religious exercises were
resumed, Father Gross invested them
with the scupular, and the whole time was
spent in instruction, exhortatlon and
prayer, some of the Psalms, the Litany of
Jesus, the prayers for the dying we're
recited, the pr soners joining most fer
vently therein. l will not detail all the in
cidents of those few hours, but hard indeed
must the heart have been that could have
participated therein without deep emotion.
| At length the hour came. AS the officers
proceeded to pinion their arms, each
kissed the Crucifx with much devotion.
They were led out, assembled the scaffold,
the ropes adjusted, Father Gross holding
| the Crucifix, standing between but just
little behind the two; stepping to the front
he said
q have been requested by Baker and
Thomas to state that they ask pardon of
all those whom they, in their life, may
have injured in any way, and they freely
and from their heart forgive those who
have injured them, as they hope for pardon
| from our Lord Jesus Christ
| Then resuming his position, the con-
demned men uttered the prayer
Unto Thy hands, o Lord Jesus Christ,
we commend our spirit, Jesus Jesus
Jesus !' Then each kissed the Crucifx,
embraced Father Gross on the cheek, their
! eyes filling with tears, the white cap was
placed over their heads the Sheriff read
his authority, the drop fell, and soon they
were in eternity. Baker died without a
struggle, but the convulsive spasms of
Thomas continued for some minutes.
During the day preceding the execution
the afflicted mother of Baker approached
a gentleman at the Jail, ENDURING if he
thought her son would be hung. 81 fear
sol have abandoned all hope" was the
reply. "When-to-morrow?" Eyes, to-
morrow" "Oh Lord, have mercy p ex-
claimed the poor heart-broken creature.
Those who have waited around the sick
bed of some dear ard precious one, by re-
calling the dreadful sinking of the heart,
which followed the announcement of the
physician, that all hope had fed, may ap
preciate the agony of spirit with which
the poor woman exclaimed, ooh Lord,
have mercy p