The Van Buren press., 1870-06-28

| of his condition. In this. he was successful.
and TO him the prisoner asserted that he had
hslrtly repented of his msdeeds and hoped
| for forgiveness. \ cousin of McCurtn scall-
ed upon him about O'Clock and Il strange
| spectacle it was to witness their interview
| The two sat together with heads bowed, the
one would speak a few words which only eX
| tortcd grunt from the other. then both were
| sile' -" moments when response would
| beg !hich would cause the companion to
! Civ, ALTAR grInt. But expression on the
| face either there was none-both looked
equally inpassive and stoical. And all this
time the noise of the construction of the Scaf-
fold broke upon the ear--whilst without the
Jail ard were gathered dense crowd Of
people On horses and in wagons citizens
came pouring into town until noon-all bent
on Witnessing the hanging" L. ;. Marshal
| Brittou had very wisely determined that the
execution should not be public, and as con-
sequence he was literally besciged with appli-
! cations for admission To the iail-yard. Dis
appointed in their wish to witness all of the
! dismal scene, many persons drove to the VI
cinity of the place Of confinement. hltched or
embarrassed their horses and remained about
! the Court House. determined TO see at least a
part of the show
ELEVEN O'CLOCK THE sky clear and bright,
| the sun luminous and undimned. without a
crowd of jostling boys. gray-haired men ana
maidens In all the completeness OF rustic
| toilet--each and everyone standing patiently
| in the heat perspiring with the warmth.
forgetting fatigue and heat alike in order that
they might witness the last agony of a tel-
! low creature.
Within sat the prisoner--hiS face buried in
! his hands giving no sign of the terrible tor
tnrc which must have been the result Of his
knowledge OF the dreadful past--his uncer-
| faint, of the still more dreaded future.
NH
! the iuil has increased ten fold, the boys ran
to the wooden fence and are rewarded for
| their prrsevpring attempts To see within py
an application OF cold water poured over
! them by the guards; the old men relate to
one another their experience OF the laSt
hanging" they witnessed, whilst the maid
ems look unpleasantly warm, their collars are
limp and shrunk, their linery is all awry
conscious are these rural beauties OF the
! fading glories of their appearance - but
the desire to re-arrargc their furbelows L.
| gollantly CONQUERED hv their curiosity to see
the "Inguue hurg." Men pass each other in
the street and t,e questions "are YOU going
to the hangingF' take the place OF the ordi-
nary salutations of the day. Early dinners
are ordered by sight-seers who strive to APP
peuse the housekeepers with the explanation
that :" it /. not likely one viii have much OF
an appetite after seeing the fellow hung
All without is hustle the streets are crowded,
one gentleman stands in wagon ana Dy
word of mouth proclaims the superiority OF
his Pain KILLER and other nostrums. whilst
below him is an enterprising person selling
hkewarm water colored WITH lemon at ~
cents "A glass" here's your ice cold leming-
ade and the visitors buy the medicine or
drink the "iemingade" and hurry now or
else we'll miss the hanging" and on they
speed to secure comfortable place on the
/ Court House fence.
As their ancestors crowded the Old Bailey to
witness the hangingS of Jonathan Wild; as
multitudrs gathered about The Temple to
see the Arstocruts die in the French Reyolu-
ton; a, the other day, thousands thronged
the streets of New \ ork 70 see the last mo-
ments of the murderer Revnolds--so do these
good people crowd and push each other that
they ma, gaze upon the wooden walls OF the
Van Buren Jail, that so soon is TO witness the
death of fellow creature. Truly. "What
has been shall be and there Is nothing new
under the sun
One O'clock And now the L. s. Marshal
enters the Jail yard; the numerous Deputies
are posted about the walls. and the Prisoner
commences his last toilet; with trembling
hands and shaking limbs, he puts on Iii
clothcs--his look of misery Is exchanged but
once, for a geam Of of pleasure as he glanc'
es at his improved attire. 1t is evident thai
t&eReu. t3eni at 't1ns sdiemM hi6mlHT All tht
childish love Of display 80 strong in many
savages and few women. Then sets he down
looking into vacancy, Stay. he has request
he wants to know if he cannot have his
picture taken.
No. he should have asked that before
Then comes anoth ,r question; " i'll some
one give him chew of tobacco.
The weed Is given him, aud its masticatior
imparts momentary brightness to the eyes
which soon relapse into their former vacant
stare.
And thus pass the flceting moments Of the
man who so rapidly is hurrying to eternity
All j. ready! And taking him 10y the arm,
the sheriff Major Anderson. leads him up the
stairs to the l.-ustained on the other side
by guard. The clergyman, who 50 faithful
~ has laborcd with him, then implores tho
mercy of the almighty for His erring crea'
ture and in irrvcnt tone beseeChes Him thai
He " i'll so guide the hearts of men as to cause
them to take warning by this dreadful eX-
ample. The Warrant is read to the prisoner
the moose is arranged. farewell is said TO hin
by all. Has hc a word to Sav-nO. lie ha'
said all. The black cap is placed on his head
And now
Above tha Heavens are brilliant in their
uuclOudcd clearness, the sun pour, forth It,
brightness upon the River-that in the dis
tance winds its way like a silver circle, the
Hill, are green and beautiful All is silent
save the birds in the square beyond, who
make the air resonant with their gladstone
notes. Below is n dense throng OF people
whose faces, young and old, are upturned
With mingled expressions of pity aud awe.
"All is ready. Mr.. Marshal" The sky /,
still clear the sun shines bright the birds
carrol their songs, Nature is beautiful in all It's
varied phases.
Ready and the soul of Amos McCurtain is
sent into the presence of its God.
lie died game is the expression Of those
who witnessed his fall and il that phrase |,
intended to convey the idea oiself- possession
up to nearly the last moment it j. well de-
| served, but. SO soon as the black cap was pEt-
ccd upon him his control Departed; and a
deputy Marshal OH either side had 70 support
In fact. little doubt but that McCurtain had
tainted and was inSeusihe when he fell
! through the Trap-door His neck was not
broken by the fall and life did not totally
cease until eighteen minutes af,er his swing
ing oil. The body at the expiration of half
an hour was placed in the coffin aud removed
to the yard where it was buried.
And now the visitors within the iHil-yard
commence leaving. Stay. where's my dog p
inquiries one and a search devplopes the fact
that the Bull Dog is sitting ON his haunches
in the yard near the gallows--whch he has
been steadily regarding with canine curiosity
! All l. over, and discussing the last match OF
Base Ball those who were within leave the
yard. whilst those without growl at the selfish
refusal TO have had the scene open to the pub
lie puZp--anU hurry homo To tell their upiVll