Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-10-02
HANGED FOUR TIMES.
The Unusual Experiences of a Man
Whose Neck Was Badly Abused.

PhitddetDhid PceSs
Captain George Burton. commander nj
the steamship British Prince, which sailed
yesterday from this port for England re.
iates marvellous story of a man a", he me, .,
shortly before leaving Liverpool on his
last voyage. Said the man:
Nv ats, sir, Watts is my name-,Jesse
Watts, leastways that is the name by
which care to be called for the present.
l sail tomorrow for Colorado.
where they say there is plenty
of work for a man who cares ia
dig for silver-and l know what a mine is
and what miners life is like: but YOU
spoke something about the sensation of
hanging. Now, look here, sir. AS sure as
Pm living man, | have been hanged
four times. Three times | danced
my senses away on thin air, and the other
time ! was saved just as the bolt was
about to be drawn to break nv 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 90,
SO calls 1t four times. | was born in the
Town of Falmouth, Cornwall. NV father
was sailmaker, dong a fair business.
The cornish coast abOunds in rocky cliffs,
where thousands of gulls build their
nests. l often used to go egg-hunting
| with my boy friends. We used to fix a
stick in Il knot of rope some twenty feet
| long. one end would be fastened Sc
! curely TO 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, frighten the old
BIRDS away and fill our wallets with eggs.
one morning | started out alone with nv
coil of rope. | expected to find some com
rades by the shore, but none were there
/ However, thinking they would soon ar
rive, let myself down, not on the seat.
| as usual, but with the rope in a slip-knot
DeLeath my shoulders. Directly my full
weight was in the moose it began to tighten
to an uncomfortable extent. so | placed
my foot against a small ridge and began
to loosen the strain
| got one arm out and was gradually
putting the rope over my body so as to sit
IN the moose, When dozen gulIs flew out
and began to attack me. NV foot slipped
from its hold as the rope closed rapidly
round my neck. l had time to place my
right hand to my cheek, an act which saved
my life, for, although the pain was severe,
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 sutfOcated. recovered con-
seriousness to find myself on my back in a
| fishing tent with two men bending over
me. 1t seems they had discovered my d.
| lemma and were drawing me up within
half minute after the rope closed round
my neck.
When / recovered my health | became
wild and dissipated, and, although | man
aged to remain on friendly terms with my
| father for the next five years, | was re-
! garded i'll my native town as a quarrel
some fellow, foremost in every row, and
ready to get drunk whenever | had a
chance. One night in general row l
killed one OF my pothouse companions
with blow on the head, delivered with
heavy pewter vessel was arrested.
| tried and condemned to be hanged. \
! The day arrived for my execution.
Ny hands were pinioned. | 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 l arrived at the supplication in the
! Lords Prayer Forgive my trespasses."
l had hardly finished the first words of
| entreaty to heaven when a loud tumult
| fell on my ears, and the word 'Reprievev'
was shouted from mouth to mouth. The
| next moment | was unbound, and the
! royal message Of mercy read to me. The
! death penalty was committed to ten years
! penal servitude.
| Never mind how passed the next ten
! years. Finally | was once more a free
man. Ny poor old father gave me e9OO
! Cape of Good Hope and the diamond
fields. | arrived at the fields, and in part
nership with an acquaintance | made, |
| purchased Il claim for { 100. For a month
we found next to nothing; then success
crowned our work, and within six months
of leaving England was worth $4,000. /
returned to CapetOwn, 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 a short
time gambling and drink left me with lust
enough cash to return to the fields. This
time had no money to buy a claim. so |
had to work for a percentage. Luck fa-
Vored me, and again | was the pOssessOr
of several hundreds, sufficient to ioin
company of ten in the purchase of a large
claim.
There was an old Dutchman who had
daughter, a handsome girl, the only
young woman for hundreds af miles. She
and | became intimate. The Dutchman
did not approve of my attentions to his
daughter, and the way in which she ia
vOred me aroused the jealousy OF my com
paniOns. The Dutchman determined to
get rid of me. One day he accused me of
rObbing him, and, certainly, package of
! loose stones, belonging to him, were
found in my coat pocket. / 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 in a mining camp. As
| said, / was disliked because of Gretch-
ems preferences, and my partners.
no doubt, were willing to have my share
of the claim to divide among them: SO |
was tried and condemned to be hanged
IN less than an hour of the old mans ac-
cusatiOn, by lynch jury. | was allowed
two hours to.prepare for death, and then
I fol rD1 tn hn ft.pn
was placed around my neck ard | was
jerked by a dozen willing hands into the
air. But before strangulatiOn ensued |
fell to the ground with a thump. Gretchen
had not been idle. Her entreaties brought
an opposition crowd of diggers to my
assistance. The tide turned in my favor,
and believe the old villain would have
been burned in his shanty but for my inter-
cessiOn and his daughters tears. Gretch-
en- Tilted me, nevertheless, shortly after
ward, and, as | had next to no luck in nv
search for diamonds, / left the fields again
for Cape Town, this time with only 600
or $500 in my pocket. l found letter
awaiting me at the post office from a
friend in Falmouth, telling me my father
was dying.
After again enduring the miseries of a
sea voyage, | arrived in England only to
find my father dead and buried. He left
me small sum of money and his busi-
ness. There was no place for me in my
native city, however; blood was on my
hands and GOODNESS met me on all sides.
| sold my fathers effects at public auction
and jOurneyed to London, where nv iden
tity was soon lost among the many
millions. But the brand of Cain followed
me. l tried several kinds of business and
employment, but no luck was NINE. |
took to drink again, and a fight with "a DO
liceman landed me once more in prison
cell. | was committed to hard labor for
fourteen days. Despair seized me.
twisted rope out of the strands ] was
given to convert into Oakum. made a
moose for my neck, secured the other end
to the bars of the window, kicked away
the stool, and lost consciousness. To my
dying day ! shall remember the sensa-
tions of my last hanging. | was trans
ported to a beautiful paradise of meadows
and flowers, where lovely forms of chill
dren greeted me and delicious music
sounded in my ears. 1t seemed to last
for an age, but it could only have been
a lapse Of a few moments, for gruff
voices succeeded the delicious music.
and the faces Of the angelic children
faded into the stern features of a
pair Of prison warders, who cut me down
just in time. l was sentenced to three
months longer for the attempt at self
destruction, and was watched night and
day to prevent a repetition. | had, how
ever, no wish to end my life again; on the
contrary, the desire for new scenes and
fresh adventure was full on me when NV
release from prison arrived. | still pos
sessed a little money, so | purchased a
ticket for Colorado. In the far West, |