The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1879-04-19
Nll -. 3 5 q. J. 4.


]. yO(ss4t7I. n {
FAITHFUL INTO sDE1q,it.
~ 'U'1fe Fulfilling Iier iMarI.iagc
Iotg Ere,t to TIC 11Wp Of Tho
Gdttops.
4 Aitouching story issnarrated in
connection with!Htlie9 execution Of
WaltcriNNatsoil ataIIighl6nd, ,1Tndi7
ana on Fritaytlust for the murder
of:Ezra Compton. The parties llael
quarrelcd about the charge ola.
quarter dollar for some soap made
byiGompton, whowas a storekeop-
,er.-The feSofiWatson, 10 whom
he had bcenibuta i;yeat married,
endeavorel Ato restrain Sllim{irom.
the,quarrel but hcr, cntreatics fail
ell. 4 week, before tie execution.
Mrs latson visited tic Governor.
with her babe in her arms, and.
made aistrong personal appeal for
mercy, but that official declined
to.interfefc because the sentence.
had been conlirmedbylthe Supreme e
Court: The faithful wife was q
dailyiyisitor4 10 her husbands cell,
and Joined HMM feryentl prayers
for forgiveness. During the last
night lnostoftthe tine she sat on
Ills knee breathing words of love
and encouragement, or at his feet,
carcssing his! hands. He was. truly
apcnitent, and expressed himself
rs having made peace with God.
4As,the time approached ifor!tllc ;ex-
ecution she was for u moment over
come, and fell on 1ller husbands
nccklin uncomfortable. anguish,b
suddenly she raised her. ilaxcn
head and assisted in arranging
him for. his doom. She had con-
tributcd a necktic and a pairof
slippers, and put them on him
with "a fierce determination that
oycrmastered her agony: She:
cornbed bis hair, and seeing all was
ready, said she would go with him.
Allpresentiremonstrateds with her,
iin,which, ,theiministerjoine Her.
,replyswas a rebukei that women
would have yentued. should
not; t;llayo5 exnectod this sfronra min
:ister.4 When iIzwas married! i prom:
isedEt to.eleayeE 70 #lny5lillsbanl for
.6ctter@orzf for5Wors promised
thislto a ministcr4anl= Lam going
to keep my word as far as God will
let me" On reaching the gallows
the pair soon to be sundercd mount
cd tic steps hand in hand. They |
were seated sido by side over the
fatal trap. She again took his
hand and sobbcd with her little
head resting upon his shoulder,
while the minister made the clos
ing prayer.
, Meanwhile The culprit sat in his
chair. unmovcd. A heart-brokcn
wife was sobbins on his bosom,
strong men sobbed, but the man
about to be hanged seemed all un,
interested spectator Of the absorb.
ing scene Of which he was tho ccn-
tral figure. For fully five minutes
he sat there without tho leqst per-
ccptible twitch ola muscle. There
was no brnvado in his composure; |
it was rather the calmness of resig.
nation. at the close Of the relir.
ious exercises the two stood up,
and for tho last time she embraced !
her husband, kissed him passion
ntcly, and with " Goodbye, Wal
ter" stepped back and fell in The
arms Of the good christian ladies'
who were there e to receive her.
The last words of the unhappy
mun we're fervent prayer for mer-
cy and for heavenly aid to his poor
wife. At tho sleritf7s house she
saw the remains Of her husband
in his collin, and kissed his lips
and arranged the hair, turned away |
with look of woe, and said; ~
can cry no more; liayc no more
tcars.-C'o'l have mercy on me and
my little babe. D" -.. -'
An,hour later the coffin was IN
an cast.hound train, accompanied