Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-10-10
HANGED FOUR TIMES.
The Unusual Experiences of Man Whose Neck
Was Badly Abused.
From the Philadelphia Press.I

he met shortly before leaving Liverpool
on his last voyage. Said the man:
"Watts, sir, Watts is my name
Jesse Watts, leastways that is the name
by which care to be called for the pres
ent. [ sail tomorrow for Colorado,
where they say there is plenty of work
for man who cares to dig for silver
and / know what mine is and what a
miners life is like; but you spoke some
thing about the sensation of hanging.
Now, look here, sir. AS sure as I'm a
living man, / have been hanged four
times. Three times I danced my
senses away on thin air, and the other
time l was saved just as the bolt was
about to be drawn to break my neck.
Still, as the cap was over my head, and
the parson had said, "Lord, receive his
spirit" [ should say that's about as
near hanging as most people would wish
to go, SO I calls it four times. [ was
born in the town of Falmouth, Cornwall.
Ny father was q sailmaker, doing fair
business. The Cornish coast abounds
in rocky cliffs, where thousands of gulls
build their nests. [ often used to go
egg-hunting with my boy friends. We
used to fix a stick in knot of rope some
twenty feet long. One end would be fas-
tened securely to a stake in the ground
and then we used to let ourselves slowly
down over the cliff and swing backward
and forward, seated on the stick, along
the face of the rocks, brighten the old
birds away and fill our wallets wit
eggs. One morning 1 started out alone
with my coil of rope. 1 expected to
find some comrades by the shore, but
none were there. However, thinking
they would soon arrive, [ let myself
down, not on the seat, as usual, but with
the rope in slip-knot beneath my
shoulders. Directly my full weight
was III the moose it began to tighten to
an uncomfortable extent, so / placed my
foot against a small ridge and began to
loosen the strain.
L got one arm out and was gradually
putting the rope over my body so as to
sit in the moose, when a dozen gulls few
out and began to attack me. Ny foot
slipped from its hold as the rope closed
rapidly round my neck. I had time to
place my right hand to my cheek, an act
which saved my life, for, although the
pain was severe, l could breathe. [
shouted for help, but no help was near.
Finally the agony was so great that
with an effort of despair [ freed my hand
and suffocated. / recovered conscious
ness to find myself on my back in fish
ing tent with two men leaning over me.
Itseems they had discovered my dilemma
and were drawing me up within half a
minute after the rope closed round my
neck.
When recovered my health I became
wild and dissipated, and, although
managed to remain on friendly terms
With my father for the next
five years, I was regarded in my
native town as a quarrelsome fell
low, foremost in every row, and ready to
get drunk whenever I had chance.
One night in a general row, I killed one
Of my pothouse companions with blow
on the head, delivered with heavy
pewter vessel. I was arrested, tried,
and condemned to be hanged.
The day arrived for my execution. My
hands we're piuioned. I took my last
look, as [ supposed, at the sun, felt the
white cap drawn over my face, and
begged the hangman to pull the bolt
when I arrived at the supplication In the
Lords Prayer 6 Forgive my trespasses. "
I had hardly finished the first words of
entreaty to Heaven when loud tumult
fell on my ears, and the word Re
prievet' was shouted from mouth to
mouth. The next moment I was IN
bound, and the royal message of mercy
read to me. The death penalty was COM
muted to ten years penal servitude.
Never mind how passed the next ten
years. Finally was once more a free
man. My poor old father gave me 92O0
and his blessing, and [ shipped for the
Cape of Good Hope and the diamond
fields. I arrived at the fields, and, in
partnership with an acquaintance Imade,
[ purchased claim for ESQ. For
month we found next to nothing; then
success crowned our work, and within
SIX months of leaving England I was
worth e., 900. Ireturned to Cape Town.
but could not make up my mind to cross
the ocean home, so l took rooms at a
crack hotel and began to enjoy myself.
Those who find fortune easily spend
freely; in short time gambling and
drink left nae with just enough cash to
return to the fields. This time I had no
money to buy claim, so had to work
for percentage. Luck favored me, and
again was the possessor of several hun
dreds, sufficient to join company of
ten in the purchase of large claim.
There was an old Dutchman who had
a daughter, handsome girl, the only
young woman for hundreds of miles.
She and I became intimate. The
Dutchman did not approve of my atten-
lions to his daughter, and the way in
which she favored me aroused the ieal-
ousy of my companions. The Dutch
man determined to get rid of me. One
day he accused me of robbing him, and,
certainly, package of loose stones be-
longing to him were placed in my coat
pocket. I had been talking to Gretchen
and had thrown off my coat because of
the heat, and the Dutchman placed the
plant on me. There is not much justice