The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1879-06-03
Fulfilling Her Marriage Vow.

A TOUCHING story is narrated in
n connection with the recent exc
cution Of Walter Watson at Highland,
Indiana, for the murder of Ezra Com
ton.
The parties had quarreled about the
charge of quarter dollar for some soap
made by Compton, who was store
keeper. The wife of Watson, to whom
he had been but year married, endeav-
ored to restrain him from the quarrel,
but her entreatles failed.
A week before the execution Mrs.
Watson visited the governor, with her
babe In her arms, and made a strong APP
peal for mercy, but that official de-
clined to interfere because the sentence
had been confirmed by the supreme
court.
The faithful wife was daily visitor
to her husbands cell, and Joined him in
fervent prayers forforgiveness. During
the last night most of the time she sat
upon his knee, breathing words of love
and encouragement, or at his feet, ca
ressing his hands. He was truly O pen
itent, and expressed himself as having
made peace with God.
AS the time approached for the execu-
ton she was for o moment overcome.
and fell on her husbands neck in un-
comfortable anguish, but suddenly she
raised her flaxen head and assisted in ar
raying him for his doom. She had con-
tributed necktie and q pair of slippers
and put them on him with fierce de-
termination that overmastered her ago
ny. She combed his hair, and seeing all
was ready, she said she would go with
him.
All present demonstrated with her, in
which the minister Joined. Her reply
was rubuke few women would have
ventured:
L should not have expected this from
o minister. When was married prom
ised to cleave to my husband for better
or for worse. L promised this to min
lister, and am going to keep my word
as far as God will let me.''
On reaching the gallows the pair soon
to be sundered mounted the steps hand
in hand. They were seated side by side
over the fatal trap She again took his
hand and sobbed with her little head
resting upon his breast, while the min
ister made the closing prayer.
Meanwhile the culprit sat in his chair,
unmoved. A heart-broken wife was
sobbing on his bosom, strong men Sob
bing, but the man about to be hanged
seemed an uninterested spectator of the
absorbing scene of which he was the
central figure.
For fully five minutes he sat there
without the least perceptible twitch of a
muscle. There was no bravado in this
composure; it was rather the calmness
of resignation.
At the close of the religious exercises
the two stood up, and for the last time
she embraced her husband, kissed him
passionately, and with " Goodbye, Wal
ter,' stepped back and fell into the arms
of the good Christian ladies who were
there to receive her.
The last words of the unhappy man
were prayer for mercy and for heaven
ly aid to his poor wife. AT the sheriff's
house she saw the remains of her hus-
band in coffin, and kissing his lips
and arranging his hair, turned away
with look of woe, and said:
can cry no more-I have no more
tears. God have mercy on me and my
child /"
An hour later the coffin was in an
east-bound train, accompanied by the
wife. At Richland, a bleak station sew
en- miles from Highland it was deposited
on the barren ground, and as the train
moved on only one other beside the
widow was in charge. The face that
broken-hearted woman turned up to the
occupants of the passing train, most of
whom had seen the hanging, will haunt
many in their dreams.