The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1877-01-25
A MURnERER'S VISION.
a Remarkable ~taFS~-ttaw the Condemned
Man Imagined that ttc Was ENrrutvd--tiis
sentence tummutrd.

Remarkable ~tar, --ttaw the Condemned
Nfan lana aturd that IIc Was INrrutUd--tii-
sentence tummutrd.
Had Bclchcr The ESSEX county lOu-
tariol murderer been executed ON the
tWvuty-iirst uf December, us sentenced,
DO would have been hs second execution,
writes "a H,ruhi correspondent N tins
assertion reads strangely Il is capable oi
such uu explanation HH viii render II per
irctly plain.
Brlch,r is cool man. Tie stained his
luuis with humuu blood only after he
had hruodcl over his WRONGS FOR weeks
and weeks, and only after he had come
to the conclusion that hls own llio was "a
burden He scarcely attempted de
fruse when hls trial came un. lie could
have secured witnesses whose testimony
would have influenced the jury IN hla
favor more ur less, but he would not
send for them lie could have made ia
statement r1cuslug hls crime IN mtn-
sure and showing that he had been deeply
Wruugri hut hy would scarcely speak.
When the judge put on the black cap
and sentenced Brlchyr a. be hanged the
murderer exhibited less emotion than
any other person lu ia, courtroom. Ii
was only after Dc had been lruued hHnd
and foot and placed ln the murderer. 5
cell iu the gram jail at Sandwich that he
seemed 90 rr.llL, hls situation.
"lt's all right: III hy there when
WautaI. hr llmly observed, aud Lc
talked f.yly with the numerous journal
lsta who sought interviews.
There were few residents ut EsneN
county who wanted an execution 10 take
place. The county has NOT had one for
y,ur-. and iii, influence ui the auu-rupl-
u4 punishment people ut Michigan la
strongly felt along tine border. steps
were tpun taken a. secure Communication
II sentence. Belyagr WAS apalhetlc 40
first. being more Inclined o. pat the
u..u-r over Als head tHau o. east % from
hiw. There ea4v "a reaction. Perhaps
the winter sunshine pouring through tAv
cold mon h.Ua and warming the flag
stone, ui tAg corridor warmed AIs heart
10 tlc same time. lie could hear tAe
merry shouts uf the buys as they shd
down LlIl ur -hatei uu Tie uyrr below,
and the musical Jungle 81 sleigh bells
could NOT hr kyp, uut 10y the massive
walls. Eelchyr wanted t1 live, lie
vr.uch,l 10 L.s irons with the strength
II giant. and called uut because the
hours aui daNa were tyug -u swiftly.
He n,-sauEht the press O. plead his c.ssr.
Dee called for lawyers, hc remembered
that hr had witnesses Til, strong man
broke down and became ii child and
every day. and every AuuT outside IL
his rlgep De- thought If tAy gram gal
lows. thr fatal ual-t. and he saw himself
dangling lu tAy air. Three days before
iae rrrri,y, came Ey said ice would u1c
game. but bee said .t with face ON white
us SNOW and every nerve trembling with
fear. Hal ha beea taken tn execution
Dee caull na, have walked alone, and Ac
would han, sunk down ua thr .Up.
B-lclcr hoped aui feared Rcpreyos
ar, not -o ral4mau M tau.,iA tllaJ muir
d,rpr- 900 On, shadow ui thc g-lluvs Cau
RELY OH lh,m aal keep tAc.r courage up.
When sheriff AHd warleu and murderer
were counting the hours the rcpncyc
came. E,lcA,r c-rapei tht gal!"Vs. but
the doors uf Kingston were 10 close CA
hmm for life /, Was evening when the
news came. aud when thc Telegram Was
read 90 hmm D., could mot ut;,r "a worL
An hour before the sun wen, down The
jail WAS very quiet II is alv.ye $50 when
the shadow az death holds the keys Bel
cher paced mp and down. his face has.
garl and vuE and his eyes wearing such
"a loak as one never see- outside ut Pusuu
walls. Out .u the courtyard mon were
NJ work. uu, 10 the ullugs, hut al some
repairs. E,lcaeI believed that the scat
fold irum which he Was ta SWING vus b,-
ing rrrrt.i. aud Lle heart must have
stnai still as Lc heard the hammer and
SAW at work Leaning against the wall,
Lis ewes looking into vacancy, the mur-
drrgr suffered ail tire pam tAAt "a real tL-
crutiuu could iutliet some ni the prls-
uucr- were watching hmm. They saw
him hold ont hi, hands iur tAc sheriff to
remove the irons. They Saw him Enocl
in prayer They saw HIM arlsr and lnok
around as II following the officials tn the
raliaw4. lie looked up as If surveying
Oh, swayiug Euusr. and thudlry passed
over him.
The prisoners could read his thoughts
as plainly a- II hr had written them
down. In imagination ho mounted the
gallows. He looked ~ the uous" again
and suddenly iyrhel his head aside, as
II the rope had touched him. He bent
hIs head as II to have ltpassci over and
tightcuri about his neck When he
stood as If Whiting for the trap 10
spring. his face WAS NO longer pale; II
was 80 iiyii and distorted that almost
every line of humanity was crushed ont
uf sight Tho trap fell, and with an
awful gasp. shout. n scream Of agony,
Bnlchcr fell to the floor. his tongue pro-
truiug, his ewes open and CLASSY and a
fruth uuziug from hls mouth, IL WAS n
quarter uf am hour before hc was fully
rrsuscitatci and his first words We're
Oh. Gci but how the rope cut into
my neck e.
II WAS another fifteen minutes before
the man could hc convinced that his exc
cutiun was imaginary. He had suffered
all that haugman's victim suffers, and
in pitcous tones he cried ont, while tears
ran down his fnce
Don't hang me again Oh, my
throat is so sore
He Ind ON WOODEN shirt, fitting
loosely around the neck They unbut-
toned the collar. turned il down and
there WAS "a bright red mark clear around
his throat
Facts only are stated hero, and men
may thcorize MS they feel inclined That
mark did not die away for thirty hours.
and the murderer complained Of swollen
tuusils and n sore throat His rcprioye
came only after hc had been hanged
and yet it saved his life.
4 Mistake
An old couple living in "a village not
far from Berlin, Ms many provident souls
have done. anticipated certain want bv