American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-04-26
A Lesson from the GallOws.
BY DIR. s. IRENEUs PRIME.

~ y
: death on the gallows in this city. Hi
story is sad one full of interest and war;
/ ing to parents and children. He was
:. | child of Christian parents, Sunday -schoC
. boy, and his education at Il boarding schoC
in the country was enough to qualify hin
. | for success and usefulness.
He is spoken of by those who knew hin
well as a boy of good disposition, uncom
t monty mild and amiable. Fond of tn
, society of young fellows and of gay an,
, frolicksome turn, he was easily led into ba,
company. He was put into business, bu
he would not stick to it, being led away
by his associates who were idle and profit
gate. He became wild, reckless and law
less. He refused to submit to parenta
authority, and found congenial companion
ship in Il lower grade of people than Ii,
had been accustomed to meet in his faith
cr's house.
1t is not proper to invade the sacred pre-
cincts of the domestic circle, and inquire
| into the circumstances that led to Il fatal
mistake in parental treatment of a way
ward son. l will allude to nothing which
has not been publicly stated in the news
papers, and never denied.
His wild and eNtravagant habits led to
his being cast off by his father, who,
when he could no longer restrain him
| from his evil courses, refused him the pro
| lection of his home, and left him to the
chances of life, in the dangerous vortex of
tlis great city. His downward course was
more rapid, for it is with men as with
| things, that falling bodies sink with uni
! formly accelerated velocity. When this
boy began to drink intoxicating liquors
with his companions is not known But
when he became SO reduced in his crcum-
stances as to take a situation as Il conductor
| on Il street car, he had formed such bad
habits that he did not hold it long He
was out of business, even as a car cOnduc-
tor, when riding in one of the cars, and in
famed with rum, he insulted women and
murdered their innocent protector | need
not recite the facts SO often repeated; how
he was rebIfked for his insult; how he
brooded over the rebuke muttered ven
geance, selected a fitting weapon, with the
use of which he was familiar, and smote
his unsuspecting victim in the dark
on the head, and slew him For
This murder he was tried and con-
victed. The case was carried up
through all the courts, and the Just sen
tence maintained by the wisest and best
Judicial minds. The Governor of the
State, in whom resides the power to par
don or to commute the sentence of death
10 that OF Imprisonment, was then appeal
ed to, and pressure was brought to bear
upon him such as no Governor ever before |
experienced. Friends who had forsaken
the young man when he might have been, |
perhaps, restrained and saved now strove |
his shameful death and al tL.t ol,71.,,ouoo
INGENUITY. and money could do va dnno
to rescue him Intense sympathv was ex-
cited A whole city was moved with pitv
for the Young man and hisaff1icted friends
His wife, true to him, who had been so
false to her and their children, was amute
appeal to the heart of the whole commu-
greater than all There was no nossibIe
ground on which to base a successfi,l nIea
for the moor. wretcbed vo1,tb condamneJ
Io die OF Tho scenes tI.t f,iIo,,-aJ -,
he last hone was o,,encbed I viii NOT
write. 1t was cruel to deIude him with
he vain expectation that he MIGHT he
.ayed through the mercy of the Goyernor
or il made the anguish of the last week
IF his life only the more hitter whom dos
Rut there are lessons for narents and
.hiIdren in this terrible tragedy The rnin
# this Young man was dine tn the inf1u |
nee of bad company. intoxicatinp drink
nd parental unfaithfillness Yollnc neo-
lie are greatly exposed in city and country
D the corrupting influences of evil associ-
ties, and they are to be guarded from the =,
anger by judicious counsel by decided
and bv making home attractive.
l. l.,
act TO guide well IA household. But when
hildrcn show IA tendency to seek associa- !;
ons among the wild and dissolute. par
nts ought to rouse themselves to make
,me conversation for what they have ;
lrcadv lost by falling to entertain and
lstruct their children at home The faith :
r, tired with business, comes home to =
,st, and thinks it enough that he has !,
Orked all day for his family But young
eoplc will be amused. They will meet In y
very city and village there are ways and /
leans of furnishing rational and delightful :
musements to young people, which they | II
,lish none the less for being taught the o
ws of God at the fireside. To mingle -
isely and well the sobriety and power of !,
,ligious culture, with the fun and frOlic q
cheerful family and social life, may not =
: an easy art, but the Failure to do it has V
mt many and many boy to the bad. i
here is nothing in the Bible, the Creed .,
the Catechism to discourage amuse- p
ent in its season, and if young people Il
nnot have it with the company or con n
mt of their parents, they Will have ii on r.
e sly, and to do ANYTHING on the slv, is ~
be in league with the devil. y,