The Indiana State sentinel., 1880-05-19
IN THE GALLONS SHADOW.
How Man Feels Who Is Under Sentence
of Death.

was sentenced TO be hanged for the murder
of Mrs. Smiths husband in Jersey City, N.
j.. aud who obtained new trial and was
ACQUITTED, delivered lecture IN Jersey City
few nights ago. We copy as follows from
a report in the New York Sun:
When having surrendered himself, he thus
describes his feelings on being frst taken 10 a
cell: II was, as IL were, in a trance. Then
became CONSCIOUS oi came .g am oYerpo%einS
desire TO get away from them. began 70
shake the heavy iron door aud call Ior lhe
Chief OF Police. Shortly he came, when
tried 70 argue with him TO let me out, saying
that was gulltless, that he had no right TO
hold me- and that could not endure being In
fheTe To All this ne paid no attention, simply
reiterattng that had to remain. Again left TO
myself was in despair Then, as the lark
ness grew deeper, by one of those strange
changes TO which the human mind IL subject,
1 forgot all about my SURROUNDINGS, losing
them in recoilectiOnS of the Bastlle, the OLD
man Fagsn the Man in the Iron Mask, Pascal,
and others which fitted through my brain.
With morning came exhaustion, ana worn out
flung myself on the bench and fell asleep
Tire speaker then reviewed the crcum-
stances OF his indictment and varying hopes
during the three months preceding mis- nrst
suspense he says:
ssNo thought had but of the terrible charge
taken possession of my very vitals. L had
pain intense, agoniZing; not physical, yet
such I seemed to feel, not only mentally, but
through my whole being. Often and often
have 1 wished that 1 could remove my soul
out OF my body that might be freed, II Tor
only a moment, from the intensity ana agony
of This nsmelesS sensation which was ever
When arraigned for trial he thus described
his feelings: "And then, with great trepida-
ton, waited the selection of the jury. Even
now remember, as il the scenes were pass
ing before me, with what anxiety studied
each Jurors face, trying 10 read their dlsp0sl-
tions. aud whether they We're 1avorably In
elined towarI me or not, so much thought,
night had little or no rest, nor could eat,
but would pass hour after hour walking back
and forward in my narrow cell, thinking over
all that 1 had heard during the day, weighing
IN my own MIND its effects upon those VINO
held my life in The balance"
He describes his sensations during the trial,
through the summing up, and listening to the
Judges charge. waiting for the verdict he
says, 4 felt sure OF an acqulttal. and within
myself was jubilabt Ia anticipation OI once
more being ole tn walk abroad as other men.
was in n reverie thinking OF this, and fancy
ing the Joys and pleasures which within so
snort time Ould be mine, when the arrival
OF a Court officer to take me TO the bar broke
in upon this vein OF thought. waiting,
scanned the face OF each juror as he filed into
ms place; also the fSce of the Judge. Had my
conviction that was to be acquitted not heen
so strong. the sight of three of the jurymen in
tears would have told me that one OF us at
least Mrs. Smith or himSelfl was condemned.
'AS thunder clap came the words from the
forelnan's lips, Guilty. Who can fully de-
scribe my feelings: can not.
He depicts at mueh length MS Sensations %
during the nights and days OF the next lew
weeks. he refers to the ignomtny of the
death TO which he had been sentenced, as 1t
would affect his mother and only sister. II
saw my mothers sweet face, calm and
gentle" he says, "lcOking, Oh! SO gr1eved, so
panied, so sad My very neart seemed burst
her sweet, innocent face, in all its girlish in
nocencs and beauty, would rise mp before me
pleaaingly, with great tears yelling In her
eyes and pity and woe so plainttveIy expressed
on her cODntenance, that the thought that
she, orphan, fatherl6sS, motheriess, was
TO lose her bro. her, ano by such an ignomtnt-
Gus death, was too much. The very Thought
of it was worse even that the dread of the gal
lows"
Further along referring to Mrs. Smith and
his knowledge of ner absolute Innocence OF
the murder, he said: "Remorse would at this
moment become strong that felt that IL
any sacrifice on my part would result In the
saving of her life would willingly endure it.
Once, indeed, was so work.
ed upon that in the middle or the night, and
though sound asleep, sprung from the bed
me, when found myself in the middle of the
floor. The watchman was white as death, and
told me that l cried out: on, no! no! no.
And well L might, for in my sleep had
dreamed that, waking, saw in a coffin by my
SIDE Mrs. Smith, while above her W6s scaf-
fold in all its hideons ghastltness. On the
other side OF the coffin was thin. snadOwy
presence that, pointing its finger down into
The coffin, exclaimed: You are the cause OF
thisv
He passed through many alterations of
hope and despair, as he describes them, until
the time set Tor the exc cutlon approached 1t
may seem incredible" :" he says, Ito me even
now 1t seems singular, as my memory has
brought IL rather indistinctly to my mind, yet
1T is true that within week of the time
pointed for my execution became thor.
Oughly resigned that the thought OF death IT.
sell had no horror. Not tnat did not feel, in
all its fullneSS the awfulneSS of the death to
which was doomed, and the terrible stain
that il would forever leave upon my name.
All this fully how fully i can never ind
words to express) felt, but the calm that came
upon me was the calmneSS OF resignation born
OF that entire acceptance and belief In the su-
preme Power that governs all, who, If He so
willed that SHOULD suffer for this crime, OF
when was guiitless, did it for purpose tnst
however inscruta alb o 10 me was doubtless, to
His omniscience, all sufficient"
Then came the news of the granting of a
new trial. He says: 81 have read and heard
OF those who. standing on the brink OF prec
ipice, have felt the earth crumble and fall
beneath their feet-nothiDg above them but
thousands of feet but the light air, through
which they felt themselves falling with mo-
mentar1ly accelerated speed. A twig, blade
of grass, branch, perchance small stone,
has for an instant stayed the frightful tmpe-
tuS. How they have clung and held on TO IL,
digging their nails into the earth, biting with
have fallen. Suddenly and unlocked for, as
unthOught of. an obstacle stays their progress,
abgss f,g n0H Thev S are saveSi Can they describe
their feelings? No! Neither can !"
He describes the beginning and progress OF
the second trial until it reached the point
where the jury had retired. al noticed he
says, "without apparent effort, everything;
yet no single incident seemed TO make the
slightest impression upon me until / saw the
LAST of the Jurors pass slowly away. Then the
break which followed, the noise, hustle and
confusion, though at the time did not notice
them, probably brought me to myself. My
anxiety, however, was so great as to over
power every other feeling; and yet. with all
this, there was conviction In
my own mind that the verdict
would be one of acquittal, tempered
every now and then by the remembrance OF
that former experience when, with equal as
surance of acquittal, and with much of the
same grounds Tor basing that assurance upon,
Il
did, indeed, realize that all things were posi-.
BILE.
"Thls mental incertitude continued until
Judge and jury were once more assembled.
The verdict, Not Guilty. found an answering
echo in my heart. / 1elt my nerves leap to-
gether If renewed life and energy had
awakened in my soul. I was free once more; /;
my fellOw-man's equal: once more able TO call
my soul my own-to be my own master, TO
live, to speak and act as 1 chose"
A SNAKE CONCERT