Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1879-05-22

readers whose only source of information, 80
far, has been Republican newspapers 1t
could not fail to exert powerful influence
for good if it were carefully and temporarily
written, and would be unanswerable, pro.
vided the army appropriation bill is passed
first.
THE ADVENTIST MURDER.
The New York Sun says that Mrs. Free.
man, mother of the little child who was kill.
ed as a religious sacrifice by its father, in
Massachusetts, the other day, is dying. and
investigation shows that the probabilities are
that she will live short time only. She is
weeping and starving herself to death, al
though she does not seek to compait suicide.
Confined alone in the cell on the upper floor
of the barn like building, she has, since the
first Sunday after the killing of Edith, wept
constantly day and night. She has tried to
eat, believing that it was her duty to do 90,
but in the ten days of her imprisonment she
has eaten less than would make an ordinary
meal. When the Sunday passed and her lit.
tie girl was not resurrected, as she firmly be-
lieved she would be, Mrs. Freeman Mt once
admitted that she and her husband had made
an awful mistake and with this acknowledg-
ment the maternal instinct that pleaded so
strongly in prayer that her child might be
spared, has returned. She has said that she
could not have consented to the sacrifice had
she not firmly believed that Edith would be
restored to life on the third day. She also
says that it was revealed to her husband thir-
ty.six hours before the sacrifice, that Edith's
immolation was demanded. He went to the
barn and prayed for hours that God would
take the cup from him, and she at length
went to the barn and, kneeling on the hay
beside her husband, put her around his neck,
and both Of them prayed to be spared the ne
cessity of doing the act but they got no peace
until they determined to do it. Her sorrow
is most distressing now. She is in entire pos
session of her reasoning faculties, and the
iailor's wife thinks it would be mercy if she
be bereft of reason. She means, "Oh, my
little darling, Edith, my darling child, how
could God have permitted us, who loved Him
so and tried to follow Him, to do such a
wrong" and then she bursts into the most
passionate sobbing that lasts for hours. The
seraphic look that was on her face when she
was brought before the Judge is gone. Her
face has wasted, leaving her cheek bones
prominent, and both are bright red with 8
hectic flush which indicates fever. Her 9th
erwise white face and bloodless lips, and her
great eyes that are red with weeping, her tot:
tering step and her inability to eat or sleep,
are regarded as indications that very soon the
reserve nervous strength will be exhausted,
and that she will rapidly decline. Her love
for the baby and her remorse have overshad.
owed her religious faith.
Her husband, who is also in the same pris
on at Barnstable, knows nothing Of this. He
is perfectly selfcontained and contented, and
eats and sleeps we'll, still confident that God
commanded the act. He says that he does
not want any pettifoggers to defend him for
notoriety, but that if an eminent lawyer OF
Boston or New York would take his case and
conduct the defense on the principles of the
right of every man to follow the honest con.
victions of his conscience, he would accept
such defense. Justice Hopkins, in bis verdict
given as coroner, and now filed, says that
Edith Freeman's death was caused by the
act of her father, who premeditated it, and
who committed it without provocation, abet-
ted by the mother, and that such act was done
because both honestly believed that they were
commanded by God to do it to illustrate their
faith. The Justice believes that if any law
yer dares 90 before the court and argue that
the act is consistent with belief in the liter.
al or supernatural teachings of the Bible. and
liable to be, therefore, repeated again, one Of
the most remarkable points will be placed be-
fore the courts of Massachusetts, which they
have ever been called on to consider.
It may be matter of interest to know
that the above is not the first adventist Sac
rifce" that has been offered up by religious
fanatics in New England. In 1849, just after
the excitement caused in the whole country
by the predictions of the end Of the world
and the "second coming" by Elder Miller,
a sect of these Adventists held meetings in
retired part of the city of Hartford, and here
one of their preachers announced that ne had,
through divine revelation, received a com.
m and to sacrifice his wife, who would be re-
stored to life on the third day. His congre.
CATION were fully convinced of bis authority
in the matter, and the wife yielded herself
joyfully to the sacri6cial knife, or rather axe,
for with that rude implement be severed the
DOOR woman's head from her body in presence
Of the assembled congregation and their pray.
ers. He was arrested by the police, who
broke in upon the strange conventicle, while
praying over the dead body, and when borne
away invoked the wrath Of heaven upon
these minions of the cruel law. The result ct
this extreme act of fanaticism was that the
main actor was sent to an asylum, while his
dupes, startled by the horrible scene they had
witnessed. were gradually restored to their
senses, and no ether exhibition of the kind
has been made, although the Adventists still
keep up their organization, until this sacrifice,
under similar circumstances, of his daughter
by Freeman. ID
p6y In Utah, a person convicted of crime
punishable by death, is permitted to choose
the mode in which the death penalty shall
be inflicted. In Provo City, last Friday,
Wallace Wilkerson, convicted Of murder
which he committed two years ago, was exc
cuted by being shot to death, he having cho-
sen that mode in preference to hanging. His
execution is thus described: The condemned
man evinced great nerve, and sat in chair
facing three guns, distant about thirty feet,
without either bandaging or closing bis eyes.
His wife spent the last night and UP to with
in half an hour of the execution With him.
The scene of the parting was very affecting
He made a set speech, expressing thanks to
the officials and others, stating that he had
no ill-will towards any one but the person
who swore falsely on the trial. He hoped
that God would forgive him. He bade good
bye and shook hands with few Of the off,
cials and others. Then be took a position on