The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1879-02-06

W. u WSIO lunS at 1uoidL-
apolis last week. The Cincinnati Com
mercial has the following comments:
The pronounced religious orthodoxy of
convicted murderers cannot have escaped
the attention of newspaper readers. 1t
is rather the exception than otherwise
when an individual who is about to suffer
the extreme penalty of the law does not,
at the gallows' foot, proclaim his full be-
lief that all his sins have been pardoned,
and he is going to be shot out of this
world straight into glory. The last act
in the lives of the Mollie Maguires exc
cuted in Pennsylvania was to kiss the
crucifix and perform the rites of their
church. They died in the true faith. A
negro hung recently in the South preach
with the rope around his neck, exhorting g
them to repent and be converted, SO that
they might meet him in heaven. AS for
himself, in fifteen minutes he would be
in the arms of his Savior Discourses of
this nature from the lips Of condemned
men are SO common that an irreverent
Chicago paper invented for the descrip-
tion of hanging scenes the shocking
headline, "Jerked to Jesus"
Merrick and Achey, hung yesterday
at indianapolis, were both true believers
in the orthodox religion Achey was a
Roman Catholic, Merrick a Methodist
Such unquestioning theological faith as
Merrick's is not often met with. A COM
mittee of preachers visited him a few
days ago. with view to ascertaining the
prospects for his souls salvation This
interview took place
Minister-Do you believe in the Bible?
Merrick-Yes, 1 believe the Bible.
Min iSter-DO YOU believe that every word
that is in the Old and New Testaments is true
Merrick-YeS.
Minister-Do you believe in future rewards
ana pun1shments, in a heaven and hell that
endless in duration?
Minister-Have you any hope that if you are
executed next Wednesday your soul will be
Merrick-Yes.
Minister-You think that all oy your sins are
Merrick-Yes.
Minister-Do you pray?
Merrfck-Yes Sir; always pray.
Minister-Were you raised religiously?
Merrick-My parents were Methodists; was
pfa5Pinzed pap IN my infancy, and when | came to
ing as well as l could being in the undertakes
business.
The ministers, after praying with him for a
time, withdrew.
Circumstantial evidence of an appall-
ing kind had led to his conviction of the
murder of his wife. He had poisoned
her in a way that proved him to be a
monster in human shape. Nevertheless
when the committee of ministers began
to ask HIM the usual questions about his
soul, he declared that he believed every
word in the Old and New Testament. He
believed in hell of endless duration at
the very time he administered the fatal
dose to poor Julia. With the serene
faith of a Christian, he thought that his
sins were forgiven him. Moreover, he
prayed, and he had always prayed and
he had attended church as faithfu fully as
man could, being in the undertaking G
business. Such beautiful Christian faith
is touching. If the word of man in the
face of death can be taken, then Merrick
was eminently easy in his mind in his
last moments. He believed his views
and his prayers would, beyond doubt,
save his soul.
Merrick took his wife out to ride in a
buggy, and on the way bought some
whisky for himself, and glass of wine
for his wife, and he was seen to put a
white powder into the wine before he
gave it to his wife. This was afterw ards
proven to have been strychnine. He
| drove around with his wife in the buggy
until she died, and in, her death struggles
she gave birth to a child-the child of
her murderer. He then threw the bod
les of his wife and child aside, and left
them, where they were found in a week
or two. Now if such a monster can
escape hell, it is pretty safe for honest,
pure, upright men, whether their belief
is exactly orthodox or not. At least that
is the way in which we view it.