The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-05-11
A PRISONERS PLEA.
An Address by Convicted Negro-A Re-
markabIe Scene in Court.

markabIe Scene in Court.
Fort Smith Special.
Death sentence was passed on Saturday last
upon three men-Martin Joseph a negro,
who killed two men after having ravished
the wife of one of them; Tu-al-is-to, an In
dian, and William II. Finck. They were SEN
fenced to hang on the 10Th of June. Finck
is quadroon, 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 SEN
tence of death should not be passed upon
him. arose, calm and collected, and said in
distinct and rather musical voice:
May it please the court: l know not
which weighs the heaviest upon me-wonder
or grief. Both weigh heavily upon me. 1
must first call to mind the occasion which [
am called upon to make my appearance be-
fore the court to-day. This to me is most
solemn and serious. 1t is as the sadness of
death itself-death which in a brief while
will come to me with sickle and terror
Alas alas! for such unlucky stars that beam
ed at my birth. But am not possessed of
that obstinate StubbOrnness characteristic of
one who is about to have sentence of death
passed upon him, or, more generally speak
ing, hardened criminal. Being truly sensi-
bic OF the singular and serious position in
which | am placed, l cannot help but
shudder and must say that these are the sad
dest moments of my life.
Death is the destiny of all men; and being
debt of nature which must be paid, l do
not fear to meet it in It's natural form. But
| shudder-I fear-the best of us do so, to
die a disgraceful and ignomnious death.
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 vapor; it appears
but little while and then it vanisheth
away. tits but spark struck out of moth
ingness and expires in darkness. Nay, it is
but flash out of darkness, soon again to re-
turn. AS the old Saxon Imagination
pictured it, it is, like the swift flight of a
bird from the night without throuh a
lighted chamber 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 sorrowful
tenderness which death in me excites,
now becomes so tragic and so
bitter. o. ignominy thou art bitterer to me
than the gall which Socrates drank. 1t is
not death l fear-it is the form of death-its
ignomny 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 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 crucfed
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, 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 so? L have
always been honest, and stand guiltless to-
day of the crimes for which am about to be
sentenced l stand here and boldly
say, and with clear conscience
that L did not kill those two
men. If L speak falsely, miserable or happy
souls, whoever you are make your appear
ance upon the threshold of this room
and cry out, Thou liest!' And to you fad
dressing the judgel 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, a ray of celestial Joy
falls upon me and takes away every fear, and
1 now know how easy it is to die"
Thus ended the most eloquent plea ever
made by any prisoner at this court. The eff
feet on the judge and audience was marked
The prisoner was imprisoned in his utter
ance, and was more than ever pathetic and
touching.
The Judge then, in feeling manner, re-
viewed the evidence and passed the sentence.
Finck now awaits his end, and his execution
promises to draw from him another oratori-
cal flourish.