Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1876-06-08


dier riding this way, then ride here and
tell me. Stay there till you are relieved
by the sight Of that soldier, or by Or
der"
Yes sir"
The orderly sped away.
"No, sir, 1 cannot permit it. They
are with ministers and priests: have
bat few minutes to live. have re-
fused every other correspondent"
"Do you expect reprieve, General?'
81 expect nothing. That woman,
however, shall not lose chance of life,
if can helpit. That's why l sent that
orderly to the gate"
He did expect areprieve, and his face
showed he did.
The eyes Of most we're now, fastened
on the iron door that led into the peni-
tentiary. 1t looked like postern in a
fortress, heavy, sullen and pitiless. My
eyes wandered back to the scaffold. I
then noticed, for the first time, that
above the platform, resting on two firm
posts, ran a beam. From this beam
hung four ropes. 1t sickened me to
see them. The sun in the meantime
shone down on the whole CHASTITY scene
as fierce in its unclouded splendor as
ever it shOne on the hot sands of Syria.
A sudden movement, a murmur, q
low exclamation:
''Here they are"
There they were issuing, one by one,
from the little door, preceded by SOL
diers, hanked by soldiers, followed by
soldiers, accompanied by men in civilian
dresses, the priest, the minister aud the
bangmen. There was hangman to
every prisoner.
Atzerct came first. Payne came Sec
ond, Harold came third. She came last.
Father Walter was talking to her all
the way to the scaffold, all the way up
its steps, and OH it, when she took. her
seat. They sat in the order in which
they had come.
The poor woman could scarcely walk,
and they assisted her to her death very
tenderly. As she sat down, could not
refrain from looking to the yard
gate, thinking of the orderly at the
outer gate beyond. There was 10
sign. looked at Hancock; his eyes
were turned the same way; his usually
forid face was the color of ashes. /
could see his hands open and close
nervously. He looked at his watch,
and the chain oscilated at the touch Of
his nervous fingers, usually as calm as
is the hand of a heavy lymphatic man,
for Hancock was both.
Al.
crucifix held before her by Father Wal
ter. Each of the others was listening
to the minister At length Father
Walter prayed aloud, and reporting
the PRAYER, for the time forgot the or
derby. The prayer over, looked gate
wards again. No sign! Hancock eyes
were riveted on the gate. The arms of
each were being pinIoned. They were
told to rise, and they all four rose
Each haugman placed the moose around
each of their necks. ] look again at
the gate. No sign! Hancock was look
ing at his watch. Turning again to
the scaffold, saw the straw hat of
Payne blown by a sudden, unexpected
breeze off his head, as if to make way
for the white cap. Detective Roberts,
his hangman, was about pulling it over
his face, turned TO sec her. She had
lost the power to stand. They had to
hold her up while they pulled down the
cap. Great God eau thought be
more horrible.
Still no one at the gatel
They were told to walk forward upon
the front and treacherous part of the
platform.
There they stood. Atzerot swaying
with fear; Payne erect and firm as the
gladiator, which he resembled, when
awaiting the fatal fiat; Harold, still
She lifeless to all appearance. The SEN
tries had ceased pacing. You could
hear pin drop.
"Good-bye my friends, we'll meet
again." exclaimed Harold.
Atzerot said something I could not
hear.
Still no one ut the gate!
Hancock closed his watch.
The men who upheld the lifeless wo-
man stepped back on the solid half of
the platform. She was falling, when
suddenly the supporting posts in front
were knocked down, aud all four dangled
and swung-the most CHASTITY spectacle
man ever saw!
She never perceptiblv moved. Her
petticoats and dress had been gathered
with string about her ankles. She
hung a dead weight of flesh, not less
than two hundred pounds.
Payne writhed and twisted for seve.
raj minutes.
There was no shout. There was a
shudder that went through all present
through soldiers and civilians-noth-
ing more.
Again l looked at Hancock. If ever
he wore that frightened lock on the
field. his soldier fame is a lie.
Who withheld the reprieve?
Holt saws Andrew Johnson did
Johnson said he was never asked for it.
Holt admits that an official application
by the murderous conclave of troopers.
called the court, was made to ANDY for
q reprieve. Andy said Stanton with
held it. Each threw the blame on the
other; but whosoever Was to blame. the
deed was done, in face Of day. under
the shadow Of the flag of the United
States. by the authority of its Presi.
dent. the aequiescence of his Cabinet,
the signing of the Secretary of War
and under the actual supervision Of a
major general of its armies.
7 OF all the more active participants in
!, that mun3sr Halt alops r.r,a;rs a. e.