Morning journal and courier., 1883-05-22
A strange Plea I'm Court.

An octoroon named W. 81. Finck, who was
sentenced to be hanged for double murder
at Fort Smith. Ark, last week, addressed the
court as follows:
MAY it please the court: I know not
which weighs the heaviest upon me-wonder
or grief Both weigh heavily upon me. 1
must first call to mind the occasion for which
am called upon to make my appearance be-
fore the court to-day. This to me is most
solemn and serious. It is as the sadness
of death itself--death which, in brief
while, will come to me with sickle and ter
ror Alasl Alas! for such unlucky stars
that beamed at my birth. But am not pos
sessed of that obstinate stubbornness charac
teristic of one who is about to have sentence
of death passed upon him, or, more generally
speaking, a hardened criminal. Being truly
sensible of the singular and serious position
in which am placed, I cannot help bat
shudder, and 1 must say that these are the
saddest moments of my life.
stDeath is the destiny of all men; and,
being debt of nature which must be paid,
1 do not fear to meet it in its natural form.
But shudder-I fear-the best OF rs do SO,
to die disgraceful and ignominious death.
1 do not make this talk as an effort to save
my life 1t is an effort to seek justice and to
save the reputation of my family, whose hon
or is dearer to me than my life. For what
is life !? 1t is but vspor; 1t appears pos a
little while and then it vanisheth away. 1t
but g SDarR SGrUOk OQt VI hObA4bSAOoo anu
expires in darkness. Nay, it is but flash
out of darkness soon again to return. AS
the old Saxon imagination pictured it, it ls
like the swift fight of bird from the night
without, through lighted chamber TILED
with guests, heated with the breath of pas
sion, back into the cold night again. The
strange uncertainty of life is but mock
theme of pathos. No description can touch
all the sorrowfuI tendencies which death In
me excites, now becomes SO tragic and SO
bitter o ipnominy thou art more bitter to
me than the gall which Socrates drank. 1t
is not death fear it is the form OF death
its ignominy and the shame OF the gailoWs:
Under nv present circumstances can but
fill nv mind with the gloomy images of
death, and SO torment the present by appre-
tensions of the future.
ssBut religion does not countenance any
such merbid anxiety. She comes Dearlng IN
her hands the flowers of hope. and, ike the
angel which she is whispers OF the crucineu
Christ; He is risen The star OF nope tnat
first beamed upon men like me shone from
the murderer's dying faith, as he hung upon
the cross a champion in death with christ,
and that same star of hope scatters It's rays
in INV heart Yet find it hard to Danish the
dread events from me. sfet Wny SO nave
sIways been honest, and stand guiltless to day
of the crimes for which am abo4t to be sem
+enced. I stand here and boldly say, and
with clear conscience, that did not kill
those two men. If speak falsely, miserable
or happy souls, whoever you are, make your
appearance upon the threshold of this room
and cry out, Thou liesti' And from you
addressing the judge1 whose duty it is to be
tender as well as just, ask all clemency you
can give. And now farewell, earth, made
wet with tears and blood. farewell, and to
my enemies, farewell. Times brief work in
the face of eternity, ray of celestial JOY
falls upon me and takes away every fear, and
r L. 70 To
The effect on the Judge and audience was
marked. The prisoner was impassioned in
his utterance, and was more than ever pa
thetic and touching