The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-06-03
COLUMBIA TENNESSEE FRIDAY. JUNE s. $50.

Grating about half an hour, returned
into court and declared, through theil
foreman, that was guilty of the viii
full murder of Edward Strange.
Gentlemen, man who has gone
through that s0rdeal-who has heard
the jury pronounce him guilty of capi-
4 tai crime, and heard the Judge pass
sentence of death upon him-a man, ]
say, gentleman, who had gone through
| that ordeal and still lives to tell the
tale, may Tor am presumptuous? p be
looked upon as man who had really
gone through what, in these days,
would be called \ sensational time. /
heard every word the foreman of the
jury said, and wondering what the
Judges black cap-of which every one
has seen, would be like. Then was
| in kind of dream for q time, until /
heard the words condemning me to be
hanged by the neck until was dead.
A sensational effect upon me, gentle
men, or am l presumptqous? And
will you favor me, sir, with light?
In spite of appearances" said this
little old gentleman, smoking with eX-
ceeding relish, my friends did not be-
lieve me to be guilty of the fearful crime
for which l was to he hanged by the
neck until was dead, in ten days after
the trial. They moved heaven and
earth to obtain commutation of my
sentence, and, after great deal of
trouble, they succeeded. At the time
of which speak, there was in England
temporary, but very strong reaction
against capital punishment. / cannot
recOllect all the circumstances of the
case, but, in trial formurder, two men
had been condemned to death and duly
executed, and, shortly after they had
been hanged by the neck until they
We're dead, their supposed victim made
his appearance, well and hearty. The
public press took up the question Of not
hanging upon circumstantial evidence
and benefited to the extent of my life
by the temporary excitement. l was
respited and condemned to Transports
ton for life, and very shortly after
wards-for in those days transportation
was in full swing-found myself on my
way out to Van Dieman's Land, con-
vict 'iifer.' 1a
"For seven long years, gentlemen,
did / undergo this punishment for q
crime of which was perfectly inn0-
cent. Curiousiy enough, the man who
really had murdered poor Strange, as
he afterward confessed, went out in the
same ship with me, condemned to sew
en- years. transportation for burglary.
He must have heard me tell my story
and declare my innocence over and
over again; for in the colony, we work.
ed long time together in the same
gang. He was afterward assigned to
master who lived near the prison where
1 had to slave out my time as in those
days 9ifers,' whose sentence had been
commuted for capital punishment,
were never allowed to leave the chain
gangs. But, after three years in Van
Dieman's Land, this real murderer took
to his old trade of burglary. To avoid
being captured he fed to the bush, and
on a party of police being sent after
the band to which he belonged, he shot
a constable i'm cold blood. He was cap
tured, sentenced TO be hanged by the
neck until he was dead, and two days
before his execution confessed that he
had murdered, at Southampton, per-
son called Strange, for which offence
another man had been sentenced to
death. - F ,s
"His statement was taken down,
and it was exact. 1t appeared that he
had been hidden for several hours i'm
the inn, intending to steal whatever he |
could lay his hands on. Early in the
morning he had found his way into
poor Strange's room, hoping to pick up
before the house was astir.
But his entrance awOke Strange, who
struggled for a few minutes with him,
and Kept hold OF him. The razor which
had TENT Strange being still lying OH
the bed, he murdered his victim with
it, and then put it into Strange's hand,
i'm order to make it appear that he had |
suicide. He secured the |
watch, the purse and the bank notes
of tile murdered man, and stole out of
the house, locking the door of the bed (
room on the outside, and hiding the
key. He declared that he had gone 1
into Strange's room before / had left
the house, and that, for some time af-
ter, his fear was lest / should come
back. Had / done 50, the murder
would, in all probability, have been
prevented.
"When the statement made by this
convict had been duly verified, and
when certain references had been made
to the Home authorities, was duly
liberated. That is to say, gentlemen,
[ obtained the royal pardon for having
a crime which | never COM
mitted. And very sensible / am gen.
tlemen of the royal clemency. Though
it seems odd.
"All tickets, gentlemen, all tickets"
"The train had reached the ticket
platform at VauXhall.
"Ah, yesv said the little old gem
tleman, producing his, "mine's re-
turn ticket; but it had very nearly
been otherwise"