Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1877-01-20

ginia for the killing of Daniel Cor
coran on the 4th of August a year
ago. 1t was the second execution
that ever occurred in Virginia, aud
was witnessed by about hundred
spectators. Larkin had been reported
by the papers as very much afraid of
death all along from the time Of his
sentence, but when it came to the
last, to the realization of what had so
haunted and unnamed HIM, he
manifested uncommon courage. He
is reported as being the least Effected,
in outward appearance, at least, of all
who were present. He assembled the
steps of the scsffold with firm tread
and wearing a flushed face, over
which played smile not altogether
forced. His innocence he protested,
but resigned himself as a victim to
the will of preordaining power.
The execution was Q success, and the
body was pronounced lifeless at the
expiration of seven and one.half min
utes from the time it fell. The lead
ing features of this event are the per-
sistent protestations of his innocence
on the part of the doomed man and
the almost indifference with which
he approached his end. He en-
braced the Christian faith during the
last months of his confinement, and
it was perhaps that which buoyed
him in the terrible moments. II it
was, then Is faith more soothing
than all philosophy. But Larkin
mixed the two together, for he appar-
entls found solace IN the belief that
his fate could not have been avoided.
A man IN robust health aseends with
mistaken tread to where he is t. he
co1liy killed, submits with calm
resignation to the pinioning OF his
arms, legs, and tells the Sheriff to
make Il good JOB of it-this is sto-
icism or the predominance of reason
over emotion seldom witnessed. 1t
cannot be counted an insane desire to
terminate period of dreadful ankle
ty, for Larkin was as sound In body
and mind when he was hanged as
when he first went to prison If he was
made victim of an imperfect sys-
tenn of reaching justice between men,
if he was executed innocent, then
blame rests only with that system, or
with the natural imperfection of all
human things, or with their author,
except that we cannot question Di-
vinity, ana therefore cannot blame
at all.
1t may be we'll to remember
in thinking thus that in all
nature there appear faults and
sacrifices to those faults. As
when a sapling is reared to half
growth and is swept away by some
convulsion, or when child is per-
mitted in rosy health to reach the
period OF youth, only to be remorse-
lessly cut down. In each case it was
the evident intention of Nature to
bring to maturity and perfection that
which was brought to life, but there
was fault. Why wonder then that
in mans blinded ways, struggling as
he is with narrow experience and
finite powers, there should occur
errors costing fellows life. The
law is the perfection Of human rea-
soning, but the law is not perfect. It's
general sweep is in accord with the
goddess whose eyes do not see, but
there must fall now and then, AS the
sapling or the youth, an innocent
victim. 1t was an awful thing il
Larkin was innocent; more awful
than Ashtabula's horror or Brook
lyn's fatal fire, for these
were precipitated, while his fate was
reached by slow degrees. The black
est leaves of history are those that
record the execution of innocent men
and women. Not the most en-
sanguined page of the records of the
Inquisition furnish picture to the
feeling so narrowing as that OF the
London housemaid who was beheaded
for poisoning that she never did.
In these reflections, then, we can only
draw about US the curtains of consola-
ton, positive, yet pitiful, that naught
save the Deity himself is perfect, and
error is everywhere.