The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1872-01-13
yNDER SENTENCE.
The Sensations aud ExperIences
% Man Condemned TO
Death


aud beantiful woman passionately, but,
for sorns slight quarrel, had left her and
his home, and had wandered through
strange lands for many years. Upon his
retarnfhe met her again. but this time as
married woman. The old love came
back With greater force than ever, and
attractsa sympathy from the object upon
whom + was brought to bear The baron
secured . friendly footing in her house
l. old, and his passion was increased by
his nortiicaticn and remorse at seeing
and dkEowing her to belong to another
So pdweriully did this love control his
whos being that he brought himself to
the W4templation of removing the ob
ziachfiiat stood between her and him.
, The apught soou developed into pur
nose. I'D one night, a. the husband aud
lover wsx2 it;ing together in the former :
-sliSase, the-bssen ayaiiel aimssi q Q
4 momentary absence to place poison Iu
the husbands S cup When the deed was
done however, the criminal seemed to
lose all power Of controlling himself
aud he easily betrayed himself as soon
as SUSPICION was attracted to him. The
story Of his sensation and experiences
during imprisonment, trial, aud coudem-
nation is thus told By himself
When l again opeued my eyes and my
deadeued senses gradually resumed their
functions, found that | was IN jail. |
looked about me, but could not bring
myself to a realization of the situation.
1t seems TO me that l was 10 dream-a
hard, terrible dream.
To- fta nr rr,nufbs tn Of
| reganed my fail consciousness.
could neither think, feel. nor judge |
could not grasp the full measure Of my
wreteheduess Behind me, l saw my
crime; before me, l saw disgrace, doubt,
aud death.
1t was sad, melancholy day late in
autumu-a day we'll suited to terrible
drama like this-that l was led into the
old. stately court-room that had once
been part of an ancient Franciscan
monastery During Eve long hours was
the fearful deed, for which ! was arraug
ed, examined from its beginning to its
end; and I was compelled to 20 over
again every incident OF the terrible ca
tastrophe, the very recollection of which
made me shudder Then followed the
tedious and formal defense with all its
I legal technicalities, aud the medical tes-
timony in regard to nay sanity, on which
alone hung the decision OF my life OF
death. Then the judge resumed the
evidence with his damning clearneSs aud
sharpness. 4 short question directed
+ toward the accused, aud all vas over.
/ The jury went out. They we're gone
+ but an hour, and yet ! counted each min
ute as the duration of an hour. They
retur4i. There was not CLEAN Of
hope - ny bosom, and yet my eyes and
soul Hre riveted upon the foreman as il
; s.abted what the verdict would
i,o -rsoke tbe sTosssa. assoEd - :, aIIty '.
aud q few moments more l WAS con
1 " expected nothing else, hoped
for nShiug else; my life vas no longer
worth hoping for Aud yet, what hor
ror seized me as l heard the word Of
sentence pronounced | felt all ths
blood in NV veins rush back to the heart
it seemed suddenly to become Dight al
about me; everything before nay eye:
was black and obscure; the floor ap
peared to rise under my feet; | reeied
like drunken man. and had to seize the
railing TO keep from falling
Two Of the officers tuTCed toward me
and hastily led me out Of the court room
The change from the warm air of the
house to the cold atmosphere outside
unhappily brought me back TO my senses
for il vas long way between the cour
house aud the Jail, and | was forced tt
bear the taunts of the excited crowd
from whose wrath il was ditleultto snatch
me. Al last the heavy jail doors were
thrown open, but was led to different
cell from that which l had been occupy
ing. in order that | might be guarded
vet more securely. 1t had grown dark
The cell was narrow and close. 4 watch
man was placed with me, who took pain:
to deprive me of everything with which
| might bring about my own death
taking away the very neekerchief wore
Itwas all done with great kindness and
friendliness. a humanity that was more
terrifying than any amount OF cruelty
could possibly have been.
| permitted everything to be done
mechanically l was like frightened
heipless child that gives himself up tC
everv strangers will that offers.
thought of uothing-neither of the
drearipess Of the cell nor OF my guard
who endeavored to bring me forgetful
ness by his constant ehattering. The
sentence had rendered me absolutely dull
to all impressions. sank down upon
the side of the little iron bedstead. Then
[ sat Ike a statue and gazed about va
cantly and objeetless upon the whitenec
walls There was but one thought haC
and this Knocked with the weight of j;
hammer on nay brain-it was OF the
headsman.
knew this frightful exeeutioner of {
relentless law which civilized society has
not Yet dared to abolish three times hac
Iseen this fearful man dc bis bloody work
Was it the recollection of this tha
brought him so vividly before my mind
| saw his big body, his great knife, th'
bloody head -all drawing me toward th'
fearful thing like a magnet toward hin
and the scaffold.
Night came, but it brought no sleel
for me- When | sought sleep, aud clos
ed my eyes, more horrible sight thar
that OF the headsmau and scaffold cam
before me. 1t was but phantom, ant
yet so like the horrible reality. 1t wa
the dead body of the unhappy man VIII
had taken my poison that waltzed betor
me ia his winding sheet. He had loni
lain 10 the cold grave, had long sine
been food for worms, aad his heshles
bones bedaubed with dirt were all tha
was left of his once manly form; an
yet there he was before me, making th
night hideous.
AT the first CLEAN Of day that stol
into my cell through the iron shutter:
the phanfoms disappeared, and, my Who'll
physical being worn out, l sank lot
slaen Rnf IL was nnt the sleen of othe