The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-04-04
SAVED ON THE GALLONS.
A GOOD MINIS TIERS LONG PRAYER
AGAINST TIME.
Two Mems Narrow Escape i'm the
Days when Theft was a Capital
Crime IN Canada.

out by the death of Richard Carr, a Can
adam octogenarian: 81 had no idea
that Carr was living on this side of the
lake, or that he was living at all, " said
DR.. Clark "Not having heard anything
of him for thirty years | supposed him
long since dead. His arrest, conviction,
sentence and escape are events closely
connected with my family and my child
hood my uncle, Rev. John Byerson,
being the clcrgymcn who attended Carr
to the scailold and who prayed against
time for the purpose of cheating the
hangman. lie succeeded, and this is
how it all happened: l was a child at
Nittoria, Canadian village Just across
the lake, about tifty-fivc years ago. Who
did Carr kill No one. lie was a quiet
and inoifensive young man, and so was
Smith, condemned to die with him The
affair formed the theme for many afro
cious ballads by vilainous village poets
Just as the execution of the three Thavers
in Buffalo did. see by the papers that
nowadays Il cold -bloodcd murderer fire.
quently escapes the attention of her most
excellent maicsty's hangman through
some fine point of law; but in the good
old days no poor wretch, whose suffer-
ing family prompted him to steal sheep
or oxen, escaped. They were swung Off
promptly if not artistically.
cone day, remember well, the village
was thrown into great excitement by the
discovery of a crime for which the pen
atty was death. The whole village of
Vittoria was in an uproar. Some one had
stolen an OK. A diligcnt search resulted
in the discovery of the hide, and suspi-
Cion fell on Carr who was known to be
poor, and in whose house the odor of
cooked meat still hung. The village dog
berry and shallow dignitarics. that were
next to deities in my eyes then, succeed
ed in eXtorting confession of guilt
from Carr and another poor fellow named
Smith. The culprits were brought to
trial, and jury of twelve fellow-men
found no difficulty in consigning both to
the scaiiold, after the learned judge had
eXpatiatcd for hours upon the enormity
of the crime against God and man.
"Sentcncc of death was passed upon
Carr and Smith and they would probably
have been executed the next dav, but |
suppose the sheriff thought it would be
regarded as ngentlemanly and unfriend-
ly if he did not arrange the time so that
witness the sight. Travel was slow in
those days of no railroads. Among those
who were Mortified and shocked at the
approaching execution were my uncle,
the spiritual adviser of the poor fellows,
and DR.. John Rolf, whose memory still
clings TO the village. The Rev. Jonn
Ryerson was brother to DR.. Egcrton Ry-
erson, ID. d., superintendent of cduca-
ton in Ontario, who died two years ago,
the houses of parliament adjournng to
attend the funeral.
DIR. Rolf was more excited than any
other of Smith and Cars sympathizers,
and he determined to ride to Toronto
and intercede with the governor, who, |
think, was Sir John Colborn. Before de
parting on his hazardous GRAND of mercy,
Dr. Rolf was closeted with my uncle,
Rev. John Ryerson. The latter subse-
quently told me that he had agreed to
delay the hanging all he could by making
the closing prayer as long as his strength
and power of utterancc would permit,
provided that Rolf had not returned
Good DR.. Rolf calculated upon getting
back a few hours before the time set for
the execution. lie set out on the swiftcst
horse to be had in the village, but the
people had little faith in his ability to
make the journey in time and less faith
in the governors inclination to interfere.
The days flew on and the people tlocked
in from the surrounding country. Uncle
John did all he could to comfort the
doomed men and led them to "A realiZa-
ton of a greater mercy than mans. but
they refused to be comfortcd. The fatal
l,,+ al, l 4
DR.. Rolf. The hour arrived and the
men were led out to die. Private hang
ing had not come into fashion then. 1t
was considered good and wholesome for
the common people to witness the awful
and just punishment of the horse, sheep
or cattle stealer. The gallows was erected
out in the open and in full view of all.
1t was none of your patent, latest style
instrument of death. No sand-b bag OF
scientific tests were made to assure the
quickest death possible, 1t was a rude
structure, upon which the village car
penter may not have expended more than
two hours labor.
"Smith and Carr were placed in po-
sition. and when the hangman's little
preliminaries were over the sheriff was
informed that all was ready for the par
sons final blessing or prayer. Then Rev.
Ryerson got down on his knees and be
gan the longest and most remarkable
prayer on record. His voice was low
purposely, for he wished to husband hi,
vocal strength. He prayed for about
twenty minutes without creating remark,
for long prayers were not so distastefu
then as now. But when he entered up
on the second half hour great restlessnes>
was manifested The sun poured down
upon the uncovered heads and many did
not hesitate to say aloud that they were
getting too much Of good thing. The
sheriff was inpatient and the hangmar
looked weary. The proceedings made
him tired. Even the poor wretches wait
ing death showed signs of annoyance
for uncle had not told them of his com
pact with DR., Rolf. The murmurs rosC
higher and higher, but ancle prayed OF
without ceasing An hour passed anC