The Magnolia gazette. [volume] (Magnolia, Miss.) 1872-current, 1883-06-07
A Prisoners Plea.

Death sentence was passed on Satur-
day last upon three men-Martin
Joseph, negro, who killed two men;
Tu-al-is-to, an Indian, and William H.
Finck. They were sentenced to hang
on the 29th of June. Finck is quad
room, with decided Italian features, and
man of unusual intelligence. As was
expected by many, Finck, when asked
by the Judge if he had anything to say
why sentence of death should not be
passed upon him, arose, calm and col
lected, and said in a distinct and rather
musical voice:
May it please the Court: Iknow 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 called upon to
make my appearance before the Court
to-day. This to me is most solemn and
serious. 1t is as the sadness of death
itself-death which in brief while will
come to me with sickle and terror.
Alas! alasl for such unlucky stars that
beamed at my birth. But | am not
possessed of that obstinate stubborness
characteristic of one who is about to
have sentence of death passed upon
him, or, more generally speaking, a
hardened criminal. Being truly sensi-
Bile of the singular and serious position
in which l am placed, / can not help
but shudder, and must say that these
are the saddest moments Of my life.
''Death is the destiny of all men; and
being debt of nature which must be
paid, / do not fear to meet it in its nat
ural form. But shudder-I fear-the
best of us do so, to die disgraceful and
ignominious death. l 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
honor is dearer to me than my life. For
what is life? 1t is but a vapor; it ap-
pears but little while and then it van
isheth away. 1t is but spark struck
out of nothingness and expires in dark
ness. Nay, il is but flash out of dark
ness, soon again to return. AS the old
Saxon Imagination pictured it, it is,
like the swift flight of a bird from the
night without, through lighted cham
ber filled with guests, heated with the
breath of passion, back into the cold
night again. The strange uncertainty
of life is but mock theme of pathos.
No description can touch all the sorrow
full tenderness which death in me ex-
cites, now becomes so tragic and so bit
ter. Oh! ignominy thou art bitterer
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 gallows. Under my pres
ent circumstances ] can not but fiji my
mind with the gloomy images of death,
and to torment the present by appre-
tensions 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 crucified 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
from the cross, a companion in 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. Yet why SOP / have always been
honest, and stand guiltless to-day of the
crimes for which / am about to be SEN
fenced. l stand here and boldly saw.
and with clear conscience, that / did
not kill those two men. If / speak
falsely, miserable or happy souls, who
ever you are, make your appearance
upon the threshold of this room and cry
out, Thou liestp And to you Taddress-
ing the Judgel whose duty it is to be
tender as well as just, Task all clemency
you can give. And now, farewell, earth,
made wet with tears and blood, fare
well; and to my enemies, farewell.
Times brief work in the face of eter-
nifty, ray of celestial joy falls upon
me and takes away every fear, and
now know how easy it is to die"
Thus ended the most eloquent plea
ever made by any prisoner at this court.
The effect on the Judge and audience
was marked. The prisoner was impas-
stoned in his utterance, and was more
than ever pathetic and touching
Fort Smith special.