The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1880-10-30

deayored to soothe the few remaining hours
of the doomed convict, and frequently
visited him in the condemned cell. The
more / saw of him the deeper grew my
sympathy IN his case, which was that of no
vulgar felon. 81 have been a most %unfortu-
nate man." said he one day to me. "a des-
tiny towards ruin in fortune and in life has
pursued me. 1 feel as if deserted by God
and man /; yet I know, OF at least would
persuade myself, that Heaven will one day
vindicate my innocence of this foul charge.
To think of being hanged like a dog for a
crime at which my soul ~revolts Great is
the crime of those imbecile jurors and that
false and hard-hearted judge, who thus, by
an irreversible decree, consign a fellow NOR
tai to a death of violence and disgrace. Oh,
God, help me-help me to sustain that
bitter, bitter hour!" And then the poor
man would throw himself on his bed and
weep.
But the parting with his wife and children.
What pen can describe that terrible inter-
view They knelt in prayer, their wo-be-
gone countenances suffused In tears, and
with hands convulsively elapsed together.
The scene was too narrowing and sacred for
the eye of a stranger. / rushed from the
cell, and buried myself in my lodgings.
whence | did not remove till all was over.
Next day James Harvey, a victim of cir
cumstantial evidence, and of a barbarous
criminal code, persisted on the scaffold.
Three weeks afterwards the court arrived
at a populous city in the west of England.
II had in the interval visited another assize
town, and there Judge A. had left three
for execution. 1t the trials of these men,
however, / had not attended, so shocked
had been my feelings with the mournful
event, which had taken place at -, that
l had gone into Wales for the sake of
change of scene. After roaming about for
a fortnight amidst the wild solitudes of
C~aenarvonshire / took the stage for the city
which 1 knew the court was to visit, and
arrived on the day previous to the opening
of the ~assizes. l
We'll, are we to have a heavy
calendar 7" | inquired next morning of a
brother barrister on entering the court.
Rather light for a March ~assize," replied
the impatient counsel as he hustled onward.
There's Cartwright's case-highway rob-
bery-in which / am for the prosecution.
He'll swing for it, and perhaps four or five
Others" rt
"A good hanging Judge is A." said
the under sheriff, who at this moment joined
US, rubbing his hands as if pleased with the
prospect of a few executions. No chance
of the prophecy yonder coming to pass, L
suppose?
mot in the least" replied the bustling
counsel. " He never looked better. His
illness has gone completely off, and this
days work will brighten him up" q
Cartwright's trial came on. / had never
seen the man before, and was not aware
that this was the same person whom Har-
vey had incidentally told me he had dis
L---zl g. kL1c. A. k-r,kH Aa,pr that 90
the last moment of his existence, that un-
fortunate man had not known how much he
had been a sacrifice to this wretch's malice.
The crime of which the villain now stood
accused was that of robbing a farmer of the
paltry sum of eight shillings, in the neigh
borhood of Ilfracombe. He pleaded not
guilty. but put in no defense. A verdict
was recorded against him, and in due form
A. sentenced him to be hanged. An
expression of iendish malignancy cleaned
over the haggard features of the felon as he
asked leave to address a few words to the
court. 1t was granted. Leaning forward,
and raising his heavy, ~scowling eyes to the
Judge, he thus begun There is something
on my mind, my lord-a dreadful crime
which, as | am to die for the eight shillings
I took from the farmer, l may as well con-
fess. You may remember Harvey, my lord,
whom you hanged the other day at"
What of it, fellow ? replied the judge,
his features suddenly flashing crimson.
Why, my lord, only this-that he was
as innocent of the crime for which you
hanged him as the child yet unborn / did
the deed ] put the watch in the trunk!"
and to the unutterable horror of the entire
| court he related the whole particulars of the
transaction, the origin of his grudge against
Harvey, and his delight on bringing him to
the gallows.
sInhuman, execrable villain +" gasped
the Judge In extreme excitement.
"Cleverly done, though Was it not, my
lord /? 4" rejoined the ruffian with bitter irony.
The evidence, you know, was irresistible
the crime as clear as the sun at MONDAY;
and, if in such plain cases, the just and
| necessary law was not enforced, society
would be dissolved, and there would be no
| security for property! These were your
words I think. How on this occasion l ad-
mired your lordship's judgment and
eloquence /! Society would be dissolved if an
innocent man were not hanged Ha !-ha
-ha capital !-capital - shouted the fero-
cious fellow with demoniac glee, as he
| marked the effect of his words on the coun-
tenance of the judge.
Remove the prisoner T" cried the
sheriff. An officer was about to do so, but
the Judge motioned him to desist. His
lordship's features worked convulsively.
He seemed striving to speak, but the words
would not come.
81 suppose, my lord,' continued Cart
wright in low and kissing tones, as the
shadow of unutterable despair grew and
settled on his face. 81 suppose you know
that his wife destroyed herself. The
Coroner's jury said she had fallen accident
ally into the water. / know better. She
drowned herself under the agonies of a
broken heart! / saw her corpse, with the
dead baby in its arms and then l felt,
knew, that | was lost! Lost, doomed to
everlasting perdition |! But, my lord" and
here the wretch broke into a howl wild and
terrific, " zoe shall 60 down together-down
to where your deserts are known. A-h.h !
that pinches you does it? Hound of a Judge
Legal murderer /! Coward ! l spurn and spit
| upon thee :" The rest of the appallino OBJ