Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1884-04-04
I SAVED ON thin GALLONS.

A Good Minister prayinr Against Time
The Days When Theft Was . Capita
Crime In Canada. 4.E 4-...
Erie, Pa. Letter to Philadelphia Times. .=
The following brief news item ap-
peared in a local paper on Thursday:
Richard Carr, all old Canadian octogenarian,
who had lived 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 / supposed
him long since dead. His arrest, con-
yiction, 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: was
child at the time, and it happened at
Nittoria, a Canadian village just across
the lake, about fifty-tive years ago.
Who did Carr kill? No one He was
quiet and inofenslve 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 exc cution of
the three Thayers in Buffalo did. 1 see
by the papers that nowadays cold
hlooded murderer frequently escape s
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 OF oxen,
escaped. They were swung off prompt
" if not artistioally.
Zone day, I remember we'll, the vii
lage was thrown into great excitement
by the discovery of a 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 were next to deitiss in my
eyes then, succeeded in extorting con-
fession 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 cousigning both to the scafold, 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 Smith and they would proba-
bly, have been executed the next day,
but suppose the Sheriff thought it
would be regarded as ungentlenanly
and unfriendly if he did not arrange the
time SO that his distant constituency
could get III to witness the sight. Tray
Ell was slow i'll 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. John Ryerson was brother to
Dr.. Egerton Ryerson, ID. D., Superin-
tendent of Education in the Province Of
Ontario, who died two years ago, the
Houses of Parliment adjourning to at
tend the funeral Dr.. 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 I
think, was Sir John 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 asslong as his strength
and power Of utterance would permit,
provided that Rolf had not returned.
Good DIR. Rolf calculated upon getting
back 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 Governor inclination to in
terfere. The days few on and the peo-
pie focked in from. the surrounding
country, Uncle John did all he could
to comfort the doomed men and lead
them to a realization Of greater mer-
cy than mans, but they refused to be
conforted. The fatal morn came,
but without any tidings ofastDr. Rolf.
The hour arrived and the men were
led out to die Private hangings had
not come into fashion then. It was
considered good and wholesome for
/ the common people to witness the aw-
full and just punishment of the horse,
B sheep or cattle stealer. The gallows
was erected out in che open air and in full
1 view Of al. 1t was none of your pat
ent, latest style instrument Of death.
No sand bag on scientific tests were
made to assure the quickest death pos
sible. II was q rude structure, upon
which the village carpenter may not
have expended more than two hours
Labor. . s.; I'll Il 4. 81. Sc 55ss Il
Smith and Car we're placed in posi-
/ tion, and VIXEN the hangman,s little
/ prehminaries were over the Sheriff
was informed that all was ready for the
/. parson final blessing Of prayer. The
Rev. Ryerson got down on his knees
i and began the longest and most remark
able prayer on record. His voice was
r.. -