Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-05-28
The Tenaeity Of Life.

Therefore dancing will We go;
Youths rejoice. the fiowrets blow
sing We, join the chorus gay
Hail this merry, merry May.
The Tenacity Of Life.
4 MAN WHO LIVED AFTER HIS NECK WAS
BEoKES-ANoTHER SURVIVES THRUST
IN TIE HEAET-A MEMORABLE sPKcTA-
Gle On THE sCAFFoLp.
IFrom the Boston Herail
Can man survive after his neck Is
broken? This question seems to admit
of an affirmative answer, for there are
cases on record in which the neck was
very badly dislocated, if not actually
broken, aud vet the victim lived. Such
respectable journal as the Buffalo Com
naercial tells of an eminent physician,
now living in that city, who once had a
narrow escape from death IN an accident
of this nature, and vet he lives to tell his
friends how he broke his neck, and de-
scribe the pains and tortures which he
experienced As Western men can do
almost anything, it is not surprising to
hear of another one of them who recent
ly gave his neck twist that might have
killed an OK, and still the neck twlster be
spared to tell the tale to the Omaha pa
was recently thrown from carriage with
great force, and struck the ground head
foremost. A careful examination of his
neck. which was greatly swollen and very
painful. led to the conclusion that par
tial disiocat;on Of the first two bones of
the neck, the atlas and axis, had taken
place The neck WAS greatly twisted and
very painful, and partial paralysis of the
a.i.a
found to exist. Fearing to attempt any
reduction of the dislocation, which Is
ALWAYS a very dangerous, and often fatal
operation. the doctor left him for the
night. determined the next day to hold a
consultation and put the man under
chloroform while the operation was per-
formed The next morning when he al
rived lie found that the neck had slipped
back into its socket during the mans
turning on his pillow.
A Herald attache has knowledge Of
more wonderful case than either of the
foregoing Western yarns. Some eight or
ten wears ago n man was hanged III the
iaiI at Hartford, CT His name was Will
liam Wilson, and he had killed the war
den. or some other officer, in the Weathers-
field prison. He was about 60 years old,
a thoroughly bad man, and was reputed
TO have robbed and murdered III about
every State from Maine to Oregon. Dur
ing his incarceration in jail pending the
day fixed for his execution he had ire
oTently declared that there was no sheriff
living who would ever put rope around
his neck. On account of these threats,
of course, he was closely guarded, to pre-
vent an escape or suicide. The night be-
fore the day fixed for his taking off he
male his oft repeated declaration IN the
presence of the Herald writer. Before
retiring for the night. he was stripped OF
every vestage of clothing, thoroughly
searched and then marched naked to
cell in different part Of the prison and
put to bed, and left in charge OF three
wakeful watchmen. About four o'clock
in the morning one of them noticed evil
dent pain and difficulty in breathing on
the part of the condemned man. An ex-
animation revealed the fact that some
thing was wrong, and Wilson aroused
himself sufficiently to declare, with an
sir of triumph. in spite Of his sufferings,
that he had forced sharpened wire
through his heart. A surgeon was sum
moned. who found that some sharp IN
strnmant had indeed been forced into his
body Immediately over the heart, and 1t
was given out that the wretch could live
but a few moments The warrant for the
execution named the hours between two
and four, and the nervous sheriff b e.
lieved that he was to be spared the or
deal of executing the penalty which he
had shrunk from all along. But as the
day grew on Wilson seemed to rally, but
vet he declared to the sheriff that he
would not have a chance to put rope
around his neck He described IN detail
how he obtained the wire from TIN dish
months before, sharpened it to a point
on the floor of his cell then wound 1t III a
piece Of leather which he tore from his
bible cover, and secreted 1t III portion
of his body not likely to be examined.
Hartford was terribly excited, and bulie-
tins of the condition Of the condemned
man were posted up every half hour. At
noon he ate hearty dinner, whereupon
the sheriff became very much dlscourag-
ed. He telegraphed to the governor for
A reprieye. assuring his excellency that
the man would die if he was only allowed
suitable time. The executive answered
back that the warrant must be obeyed.
The sheriff then decided to wait until the
last moment, hoping fondly that Provi-
dence would interfere IN his behalf But
his hopes were all i'll vain. At 10 min
utes to the final and fatal hour the per
sistent culprit WIS brought out upon the
scaifold.l He refused to be supported
but trotted along firmly and ascended the
steps without the slightest symptom o.
fear or nervousness. Beside being 1
trihe pale there was nothing to distin
guish Wilson from the 200 or more visit
ors who were crowded within the CORR
dors of the Jail. He gave searching
look to the dangling moose. and theI
gazed out of the grated window upon th'
military guard and vast rabble surround
ing the Jail. He did not sit down upoI
the chair placed for him until so bidder
by an officer. Then he turned to thu
right and caught the eye of Mr.. Hotch
kiss. the well known Hartford Journalist
and saluted him with "Hello Al )! II
the most graceful and easy manner possl
bic. 1t was now 3:55 O'Clock, and th'
sheriff informed Wilson that the fina
time had come, and was about proceed
ing to pinion his arms when the condemn
ed man stood up and said
''Mr. Sheriff L have declared al
along that you nor any other man shoul'
ever put a rope around my neck.
Then seizing the moose, Wilson, almos
in the fractional part of a second, place
it around his own neck, and adjusted til
knot under his left ear in manner tina
would have done credit to the most ex
pert hangman i'll the old country. The
continuing, he said
"Gentlemen-I have got three inche
of steel in my heart, but yet my nerv
and courage are not all gone. ] am t
hang for killing tyrant, and all hav
to say is that l am glad L killed hin
Under similar circumstances | would d
the same thing again. Good bye.
"Shall / pray for you" asked TIA
chaplain.
''Yes, you might offer short prayer,
answered the condemned contemptuously
The clergyman followed the wretch
Injunction, and uttered only few words
and lust as the clock on the tower of til
distant church was striking the dro
fell, and in few moments Wilson wa
dead.
most nortem examination was Imm'
diately held, and the fact revealed th,
the pointed wire had been pressed d
rectly through the centre OF the hear
Yet the man lived as described IN spite {
the puncture of this delicate organ, POI
ularly supposed to be vital.