Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-06-18
In the GallOws' Shadow.

Covert Bennett, who, with Mrs.
Smith, was sentenced to be hanged for
The murder of Mrs. Smiths husband in
Jersey City, N. j., and who obtained u
new trial and was acquit ell, delivered
lecture in Jersey City few nights
ago. We copy as follows from report
il the Now York Sun:
When, having surrendered himself,
he thus describes his feelings on being
first taken to cell: ~ was, as it were,
in trance. Then l became conscious
Of my surroundings, and with this
knowledge came an overpowering desire
to get away from them. l began to
shake the heavy iron door and call for
the chief of police. Shortly he came.
when tried to argue with him to let
me out. saying that was guiltless, that
he had no right to old me, and could
not endure being i'll there. To all this
he paid no attention, simply relteratlng
that i hal to remain. Again left to
myself, was in despair. Then, as the
darkness grew deeper, by one of those
strange changes to which the human
mind Is subject, forgot all about my
surroundings. losing them in recollec.
tions Of the BAstile, the old man Fagin,
the NJ IN in the Iros Mask, Pascal, and
others which flu.ed through my brain.
With morning came exhau ton, and
worn out. l flung myself on the bench
and fell asleep"
The speaker then reviewed the cir
cumstances of MS indictment and vary
ing hopes during the three months pre-
ceding bis first tlal. or his sensations
during that period OF suspense he sa"".
"No thn-eLs uau but of the terri
Die charge for which l was held, 1t
seems as if it had taken possession of
my very vitals. 1 had pain intense. az.
ohlzing, not physical, get such seemed
to feel, 1ot only mentally. but through
my whole being. Often and .ften have
wished that I could remove my soul
out of my body that I might be freed,
1t for only moment, from the intens-
ity aud agony Of this nameles sensation
which Was ever present."
When arraigned for trial he thus de.
scribes his feelings: "And then, with
great trepidati N, I waited the selection
OF the jury. Even now I remember as
II the scenes were passing before me,
With what anxiety studied each Jurors
face, trying to read their dispositions,
and whether they were favorably in
clined toward me or not, 80 much l
thought depended upon a single man.
At night I had little or no
rest, nor could l eat, but woull pass
hour after hour walking back and for
ward in my barrow cell, thinking over all
that l had heard during the day, weigh.
ing In my own mind its effects upon
those who held my life in the balance"
He describes his sensations during
the trial through the summing up and
listening to the judges charge. "Wait.
ing Tor the verdict" he says, l felt
sure OF an acquittal, and within myself
was lubllant i'll anticipation of once
more being able to walk abroad as 9TH
er men. l Was in reverie thinking of
this, and fancying the joys and pleas.
ures which within SO short a time
would be mine, when the arrival of q
court officer to take me to the bar broke
IN upon this vein of thought. Waiting,
scanned the face of each Juror as he
Med into Misplace, also tho face of the
Judge. Had my conviction that I was
TO be acquitted not been 80 strong. the
sieht OK three OF the jnrymen in tears
would have told me that one of US at
least Mrs. Smith or himself was con-
demned.
As thunder. clap came the words
from the foreman's lips, GUILTY. Who
can fully describe my feelings? I can
not"
"a feeling of unutterable dread
came over me-, as if a mighty load had
eeen placed Opnn my shoulders and was
bearing me to the very earth. was
oumbfounded. While in this state l
was taken back to the Jail as if in a
dream, and there, in the privacy OF nv
cell became thoughtful human be-
1hg as the extent Of my misery and
peril gradually unfolded themselves in
all their terrible reality before me-"
he depicts ut much length his sensa.
tons during the nights and days of the
next few weeks. He refers to the TO-
nomlny OF the death to which he hal
been sentenced, as it would affect HE 4
mother and only sister. 81 Saw nv
mothers sweet face. so calm an gen
tie. y he says, 4" looking, oh! so grieved.
80 panied, so sad. Ny very heart
seemed bursting as I thought of her;
and my sister. too. her sweet, innocent
face, III all its girlish innocence and
beauty, would rise up before me plead
lnely. with great tears yelling in her
eyes, and pity and woe SO plaintively
Expressed GA her countenaLce, that the |
thought that she, an orphan, fatherless. |
mother.ess, WAS TO lose her brother. and |
by snch an ignominious death, was too I
much. The very thought of it was
even than the dread of the gal