Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1883-09-27

and said Captain, | leave TINS couh-
try and all my past, | hope for good
tomor, ow; but / think it would just
relieve my heart to tell all | have
suffered, and if you care to listen I'll
spin you the yarn?' l signifed will
ing desire. and Watts continued:
L was born in the town of Fal-
mouth, Cornwall, My father was a
ail-maker, doing a fair business. I
was an only child. My mother l do
not remember. l was sent to the
grammar school i; learned to read,
write, arrange books and other mat
ters in keeping with my station. At
fifteen my father took me into his
store as assistant. The Cornish coast
abounds in rocky cliffs, where thous-
ands of gulls build their nests. | Of
ten used to 60 egg hunting with my
boy friends There was plenty of
excitement in it. We used to fix a
stick in knot of rope some twenty
feet long. One end would be fasten-
ed securely to stake in the ground
and then We used to let ourselves
slowly down over the cliff und swing
backw ward and forward, seated on the
stick, along the face Of the rocks,
rrighten the old birds away and fill
our wallets with eggs. 1t was lit
tie dangerous, as the rope might cut
at any time on the rough surface of
the rocks, but we were generally in
parties of dozen, and one division
Of us kept a sharp eye on the ropes
white the rest hunted,
TIE FIRST AND SECOND HANGINGS,
4 loved the sea in those days, One
morning l started out alone with my
coil of rope, l expected to find some
comrades by the shore, but none were
there, However, thinking they would
soon arrive, let nv self down, lot
IN the seat. Us usual, but with the
rore in slip-knot beneath my
shoulders, Directly my full weight
was in the moose, it began to tighten
to an uncomfortable extent, SO |
placed my foot against small ridge
and began to loosen the strain, got
one arm out and was gradually pull
ing the rope over my body so AS to
sit in the moose, when dozen gul's
flew out and began to attack NE, My
foot sl;ppt d from its holl as the rop"
closed rapidly round my neck, |
had time to place my right hand to
my check, an act which saved my
life, for, although the pain was Sc
we're, | could breathe,
1 shouted for help, but no help
was near, | hung there f'r hours, to
me it seemed years, losing conscious
ness from time to time and having
the most horrible visions, Finally
the agony was so great that with an
effort of despair freed my hand and
suliocatcd. | recovered consciousness
to find myself on my back in a fish.
iny tent with two men bending over
me, 1t seems they had discovered
nv dilemma and were drawing me
up within halt. a minute after the
rop" had closed round my neck, My
windpipe, | have since had reason to
discover, is pretty strong-l can take
deal of hanging, my first eXper-
ience, nevertheless, gave me bad
attack of brain fever, during which !
must have acquired the fear and
aversion for the SEA I have felt ever
since,
When I recovered my health | be,
came wild and dissipated, and, al
though | managed to remain on
friendly terms with my father, for
the next five years | was regarded in
my native town us qnarrelsone fell
low, foremost in every row and ready
to get drunk whenever | had IL
chance, Looking back, believe |
suffered in my brain for several years
after my first hanging, One night
in a general row, killed one of my
pothouse companions with blow on
the head, delivered with a heavy
pewter vessel, l was arrested, tried
and condemned to be hanged, The
verdict should have been manslaugh-
ter. for the deed was done in free
fight; but | had no friends oil the