The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1879-12-18

Well, after some delay Ihe lA1"!
On, The witness that swore to seein' tne
man last afore his remains
was A1nnd was his own brother, when
WAS Nh ! same man that had heldIthe prl'
yateisI with the Sheriff the day l was
took up. A..ho.
'He swore that him and his brother
had come our to buy land, and had been
stoppin' fonsome days with settler IN
the neighborhood. His brother anu
him had started out one afternoon 70
take a look at the country, but ne had
cot tired and not feelin' very well, had
turned back, while his brother went on,
intendin' when night came to stop at the
nearest cabin. After that he had never
seen his brother alive, but he fully lden'
tilted both the pocket. book and the
body, The pocket book had $S,OOO
in it.
NV LAWYER cross examined this wit.
ness sharp, and mixed him up good
deal. In fact he contradiCted himself 80
much that more'n one of the jury begun
to look doubtful.
All at once the truth flushed onto
me.
'iThat's the man that done it ! says |,
springin' up, and pintin' at the witness, 8,
Il know now why the dyin' man didn't
want nothin' said
THE officers forced me back into my
seat, and the witness took out his pocket
handkerchief and begun weepin' vilent'
". He could stand anything, he said,
sohhin' sooner'n bein' charged with his
brothers. murder.
The scene powerfully affected the
very iurymen that just atore had begun
to show signs of doubt; and they, too,
took out their handkerchers, and wiped
their eyes, and blowed their noses, and
then shook their heads.
The young lawyer made good speech
for me, but 'twan't no use. When mur
dered mans money and body's both
found on the prisoner it's easy to see he
don't stand much chance,
The Jury brung me in guilty, and the
Judge pronounced sentence.
AS I'd got to be hung. I'd been glad
to have it over; but the judge give me
couple of months to prepare for death
and said he hoped I'd improve the time
repenting of the great offence,
Them sixty days passed mighty tedi
GUS. Every one of 'em was spun ou
with sufferin'. Hold your hand in the
fire minnit, and l guess you'll think itl
full hour.
To add to it all, Parson Piget KEEP
teszin' of me to confess, He said hi
could not offer me no hope onless | did
told him nay hope want in him tina
I'd put my trust in One that didn't wan
any lyin' confessions. / felt sorry after
wards for bein' so sharp with Piget, TO
he was good man, and have no doub
meant right.
Then came my last night. I'd beel
long wishin' that all was over; but tina
night somehow the horror of my situa
ton came before me more distinct thai
ever before. I'd been listenin' durin
the day to the carpenter putin up tn
gallows, and my measure had been tool
for my coffin.
When night came I throwed mysel
on my bed and thought over my pas
life. l begged forgiveness for all sins
had actually committed, and tried t
pray that he, too, might be forgiven 70
whose crime l was about to suffer, Thi
was up. hill work, but | trust l done
sincerely. But, oh the bitter agony 0
the thought that / was to die a shamefu
death, and that all them that had love-
me could never again hear my nam
without blush.
Worn out with anguish, fell aslee
at last, and dreamed of happy days G
childhood, and of my dear mother, haV
ing sort Of confused notion that, 70
some reason, felt glad that she had die,
years ago.
4 slep' till they woke me in the morn
in. The Sheriff, his assistants, and MI
Piget was there.
THE Sheriff read the death warrant
Then Mr.. Plget prayed very fervently
and my heart said Amen for he didn'
speak no more of my crime but onl
asked the Heavenly Father to hav
mercy on me.
THE Sheriff then took the rope fror
his pocket. l started back at the sigh
Much as l had thought over all that wa
to come, l found l was not yet prepare
for the horrld reality.
Hold on, Mr.. Sheriff. says my law
yer, rushin' in and holdin' up a paper
I've been ridin' night and day for thre
days, and thank God l am in time
The Sheriff took the paper and rea
it.
can right, Mr.. Mopson, says hi
you're a free man that is full pardo
from the Gov'nerP
4 won't try to describe my feelin's. 1t
enough to say that the truth had com
out. The murdered mans brother
who'd got the pocket-book and none
after my conviction, got mortally Stable
in a row over gamin' table, and afor
his death confessed that he'd shot hi
brother while attempting to rob hin
but the latter had escaped after receiV
ing his death wound. This, of course
ex planned the fact of both the pocke
book and the body bein' found on m
| nramiaea'