The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1884-04-11
SAVED ON THE GALLOWS.
4 Good Minister PrayinT Against Time
The Days When Theft Was q Capita,

A Good Minister PrayinT Against Fine
The Days When Theft Was q Capital
Crime in Canada.
Erie, Pa. Letter to Philadelphia Times.
The following brief news item ap-
peared in a local paper on Thursday:
Richard Carr, an old Canadian octogenarian,
who hadlived on this side of the lake for many
years, died on Monday last and was taken to
Ontario for interment He was once sentenced
to be hanged.
1t was seen by DR.. NJ. J. Clark, of
this city, and the doctor furnished the
following account Of Cars escape from
the gallows:
II had no idea that Carr was living
on this side of the lake, or that he was
living at all. Not having heard any
thing of him for thirty years l supposed
him long since dead. His arrest, con
~viction, sentence and escape are events
closely connected with my family and
my childhood, my uncle, Rev. John
Ryerson, being the Clergyman who at
tended Carr to the scaffold and who
prayed against time for the purpose of
cheating the hangman. He succeeded,
and this is how it all happened: I was
a child at the time, and it happened at
Vittoria, a Canadian village just across
the lake, about ffty-tive years ago.
Who did Carr Kill? No one. He was a
quiet and inoffens1ve young man, and
SO was Smith, condemned to die with
him. The affair formed the theme for
many atrocious ballads by villainous
village poets, just as the execution of
the three Thayers in Buffalo did. l see
by the papers that nowadays a cold
blooded murderer frequently escapes
the attention of her most excellent
Majesty's hangman through some fine
point of law; but in the good old days
no poor wretch, whose suffering family
prompted him to steal sheep or oxen,
escaped. They were swung off prompt
~ if not artistically.
aOne day, l remember we'll, the vii
lage was thrown into great excitement
by the discovery of q crime for which
the penalty was death. The whole vii
lage of Vittoria was in an uproar. Some
one had stolen an OK. A dilligent
search resulted in the discovery of the
hide, and suspicion fell upon Carr, who
was known to be poor, and in whose
house the odor Of cooked meat still hung.
The village Dogberry and shallow dig
nitaries, that We're next to deities in my
eyes then, succeeded in extorting o con-
fession Of guilt from Carr and another
poor fellow named Smith. The culprits
We're brought to trial, and a jury of
twelve fellow-men found no difficulty
in consigning both to the scaffold, after
the learned judge had expatiated for
hours upon the enormity of the crime
against God and man.
Sentence of death was passed upon
Carr and Smitl: and they would proba-
bly, have been executed the next day.
butt suppose the Sheriff thought it
would be regarded as ungentlemanly
and unfriendly if he did not arrange the
time so that his distant constituency
could get in to witness the sight. Tray
el was slow inthose days ONO 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. John Ryerson was brother to
DIR. Egerton Ryerson, d. D., Superin-
tendent Of Education in the Province Of
Ontario, who died two years ago, the
Houses of Parliment a%djourning to at
tend 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
think til p ans'iS ST. JOHNS ano Col
born. Before departing on his hazard
GUS errand of mercy, DR.. Rolf was
closeted with my uncle, Rev. John Ry-
erson. The latter subsequently 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 utterance 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. He set out ON the swift
est 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 in
t~erfere. The days flew on and the peo-
pie iocked in from the surrounding
country, Uncle John did all he could
to comfort the doomed men and lead
them to u realization of a greater mer-
cy than mans, but they refused to be
comforted. The fatal morn came,
but without any tidings of DR.. Rolf.
The hour arrived and the men were
led cut to die. Private hangings had
not come into fashion then. It was
considered good and wholesome for
the common people to witness the aw-
ful and just punishment of the horse
sheep OF cattle s~tealer. The gallows
was erected out in the open air and Null
view OF all. It was none of your pat
ent, latest style instrument Of death.
No sand-bsg or scientific tests we're
made to assure the quickest death pos
sib1e. It was q rude structure, upon
which the village carpenter may not
have expended more than two hours
labor.
Smith and Gar were placed in posi-
ton, and when the hangman's little
preliminaries were over the Sheriff
was informed that all was ready for the
parsons final blessing or prayer. The
Rev. Ryerson got down on his knees
and began the longest and most remark
able prayer on record. His voice wa
low purposely, for he wished to hus-
band his vocal strength. He prayed
for about twenty minutes without Gre
ating remark, for long prayers we're
not so distastsful then as now. But
when he entered upon the second half
hour great restlessness was manifested.
The sun pouredsd1Nn upontthe uncov-
II;
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