The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1869-04-09
FINDLAN OHIO. gatysN MORNING.. "a APRIL g. 1869 r.. =.

one has heard, but, few have seen-
! would be like. Then l was in a kin
OF dream for time, until / hear
the words condemning me to
hanged by the neck until was deaf
A sensational effect upon me. gentle
men, or am / presumptuous? An,
will you favor me, sir, with a light
"In spite OF appearances" sal,
this little old gentleman, smoking
with exceeding relish, "my friend
did not believe me to be guilty o
! the fearful crime for which / was {,
be hanged by the neck until l wa
dead, in ten days after the trial
They moved heaven and earth tt
! obtain Communication ofmy sentence
and, after a great deal of trouble
they succeeded. At the time Of
which l Ispeak, there was 10 England
a temporary, but strong, reaction
against capital punishment. L can
not recoilect all the circumstances o.
the case, but 10 u trial for murdel
two men had been condemned tC
death aud duly executed, and shortly
after they had been hanged by the
neck until Mey were dead, their sup
posed victim made his appearance,
well and hearty. The public press
took up the question of not han ging
upon circumstantial evidence, and
benefited to the extent of my life by
the temporary excitement. | was
Tespited, and condemned TO trans
portation Tor life, and very shortly
aiterwards-for in those days trans
portatiOn was in full swing-found
myself on my way out to Van Die
man's Laud, convict 'lifer.'
For seven long years, gentlemen,
did | undergo .his punishment for "a
crime OF Which was perfectly inno-
cent. Curiously enough, tue maa
who really had murdered poor
Strange, as he afterwards confessed,
went out in the same slip with me,
condemned to seven years transpor-
tation for burglary. He must have
heard inc tell my story and declare
my lnnocenee over and over again !;
for in the colony we worked together
ill the same gang. He was after
wards assigned to master who
liVtGl nsaf the prison where | had to
slave out my time, as in these days
'iiters, whose sentence had been
commuted for capital punishment,
were never allowed to leave the
chain gangs. But, after three years
in Van Dicmaa's Land, this real
murderer took to his old trade OF
Burglary. To avoid being captured,
he fed TO the bush, and on party OF
police being sent after the band to
which he belonged, he shot consta-
bic in cold blood. He was captured,
sen'enced TO be hanged hy the seek
until lie was dead, and two days
before his execution confessed that
he had murdered, at Southampton, a
person called Strange. for which
offense another man had been sen
fenced to death His statement was
taken down, and it WAS exsct. It
that he had been hidden
for several hours iii the IuE. intend
ing to steal whatever he could Law
his hands on Early in the morning
he had found his wav into poor
Strange's room, hoping to pick up
something before The house was asiir
But his entrance awoke Strange, who
for few minutes with him,
and kept hold of him. The razor
which l had lent Strange being still
ly ing on the bed, he murdered his
victim with it, and then put 10 into
Strange's hand, IN order To make il
appear that he had committed sui
eide He secured the watch, the
purse, and the baDk'notcs of the
murdered man, and stole out of the
house, locking the door of the he'd
room on the outside, and hiding the
Key He declared that be had got
INTO Strange's room before [ left the
house, and that for some time after
lis fear was lest | should come back.
Had i done so, the murder would, in
Ill probability, have been prevented.
"When the statement made by this
convict had been duly verified, and
Wien certain references had been
made to the home authorities, | was
luly liberated. That is to say, gen
lemen, l obtained the royal pardon
or having committed crime |
lever committed. And very sensi-
lie l am, gentlemen, of the royal
lemency Though it seems odd"
"All tickets, gentlemen, all tickets
eady !'-
The train had reached the ticket
'latform az Vauxhall.
"Ah. Yes - said the little old
producing his: "mine's
Return Ticket; but it had very
early been otherwise.-ANhe Year
Pound.