Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-06-09

= AcA VI y eVnucmneu EkhHuuEEe
The trial Of William Fl. Finch for
murder, which came off recently at
Fort Smith, Ark, has brought forth
one of the most remarkable aud elo-
quent addresses ever delivered, on the
eve Of being hung. The following is
the prisoners plea:
May it please the court: / know
not which weighs the heaviest upon
me-wonder or grief. Both weigh
heavily upon me. | must first call TO
mind the occasion which l am now
called upon to make my appearance
before the court to. day. This to me
is most solemn and serious Its as
the sadness of death itself--death,
which in a briet while will come TO me
with sickle and terror. Alasl alas for
suck unlucky stars that beamed at my
birth. But am not possessed OF that
obstinate stubbornnessl characteristic
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 aud seri-
GUS position in which | am placed, /
can not help but shudder, and must
say that these are the saddest mo-
ments Of my life.
Death is the destiny of all men; and
being a debt Of nature which must be
paid, | do not fear to meet it in its
natural form. But shudder--I fear
the best of US do SO, to die dis
graceful and ignominious death. ] LIDO
not make talk as an effort to save my
lite. It. is an effort to seek justice,
and to save the reputation of my fam
lily, whose honor is dearer to me than
my life. For what IS life? 1t is but
vapor; it appears but a little while
and then it vsnisheth away. 1t is but
spark stuck out of nothingness and
expires in darkness. Nay, it is but
a fash out Of darkness. soon again to
return. AS the old Saxon imagina-
ton pictured it, it is like the
swift fight of a bird from the night
without through a lighted chamber
filled with guests, heated with the
breath OF passion, back into the cold
night again" The strange uncertain
ty of life is but mock theme of
pathos. No description can touch all |
the sorrowful tenderness which death
in me excites, now becomes so tragic
and SO bitter. o! ignominyl thou art
bitterer to me than the gall which
Socrates drank. 1t is not death l fear
lit is the form of death--its igDominy
and the shame of the gallows. Under
my present circumstances | cannot but
fill my mind with the gloomy images
OF death, and to torment the present
by apprehensions OF the future.
But religion does not countenance
any such morbid anxiety. She comes |
bearing in her hands the flowers of |
hope, and, like the angel which she is,
whispers Of the crucifed Christ. He
is risen." The star of hope that first |
beamed upon men like me shone from |
the murderer's dying faith as he hung |
upon the cross, compsnion ia death |
with Christ, and that same star Of hope |
scatters its rays in my heart. Yet |
find it hard to Danish the dread events
from me, why so? | have almost been
honest, and stand guiltless to day of
the crimes for which | am about to be |
sentenced. | stand here and boldly say. |
and with clear conscience, that did |
not kill those tive men. IF l Lpeak |
falsely, miserable or happy souls, who.
ever you are, make your appearance
upon the threshold of this room and |
cry out, Thou liestlp And to you,
addressing the Judge) whose duty it |
is to be tender as we'll as just, ask |
all clemency you can give. And now
farewell earth, made wet with tears
and blood, farewell, and stormy enc. |
mics, farewell. Times brief work in |
the face Of eternity, ray of celestial
JOY falls upon me and takes away every |
fear, and now know how easy it is
to de-"
Thus ended the most eloquent plea
ever made by any prisoner at this
court. The effect on she Judge and
audience was marked. The prisoner
was impassioned in his utterance, and
was more than ever pathetic and
touching. The Judge then in feel
ing manner reviewed the evidence and
passed the sentence. Finch now
awaits his end, and his execution
promises to draw from him another
Orat0rical flourish.