The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1885-09-09
A BRIGHT FACE.
7.

CHAPTER T.
My name is Henry Debson. am not
ashamed of the name, ever though it
was diSgraced. My parents came to Ar
kansaw while was very young. My
father hating the idea of ever living in 4
town, settled in the wilderness, where,
after several years of toll, he succeeded
in opening up one of the best farms in
the State. Being educated and refined,
my parents were the leaders of our neigh
borhood society. and so familiar did our
name become that we were known far
and wide. Just about the time l at
tanned my nineteenth year, my parents
were taken i'll Of a disease which was at
that time spreading over the country, and
in spite Of the best medical attention
that could be procured they died, both
on the same day. AS | was the only
child, the property, of course, came into
my possession. Well, it is unnecessary
to dwell upon this part Of my cventful
history, SO | will--ignoring several years
proceed to relate a painful experience.
Ono day our nclghborhood was shocked
by the discovery that a Mr.. John Maple
son, one Of the most prominent men in
the community, had been murdered. |
was particularly shocked during the
evening before the murder, for Mr.. Ma
pleson and l had strollcd together
through the woods; and, startling to
contemplate, he was found near a certain
old house where We had separated. The
next dav after the body was found | was
arrested, charged with the crime, and,
after an examination before a justice Of
the peace, l was remanded to Jail to
await the action of the grand jury. 1t
would be vain to attempt a description
Of nv cmbarrassment-of my indigna-
ton. Not until l saw myself surrounded
by iron bars did I~realize my awful situa-
ton. What stung me most was that q
man named EvanS-a MN whom ! well
knew and who bore the reputation of
being a gentleman-sworc that he saw me
strike Mr.. Mapleson near the old house,
but %supposing that we were playing with
each other, he paid no attention 10 the
affair, but that in horror he soon after
ward discovered that Maplcson had been
stabbed. He did not stop at this-he
produced a knife-which he and several
other men had seen lying near the muir
dered mana knife bearing the initials
of my name.
The grand jury found an indictment
against me, and I was arranged before
the circuit court. l sold my farm and
employed able counsel. experienced
lawyers. who did everything they could
for me, but after q tedious trial l was
sentenced to be hanged. 4 more miscr-
able, utterly disconsolatc man never sat
in a cell, waiting to be choked to death.
Preachers came and prayed for me, but
my mind was so distraught that I could
not fix it upon death. One preacher, a
venerable old man, particularly impressed
me.
ooh, Mr.. Debson," said he, task the
Givcr of all good to forgive your sins.
Only q few more days now and you will
stand at the judgment bar of God. Let
me besecch you not to throw your time
away. You have friends in heaven, pray
for the glorious privilege of meeting
them. Do not think of the tortures of
death, but think of the sublime life be-
yond the grave"
III am not guilty, Mr.. Gray"
ooh, young man, do pot hold out in
such obstinacy. Do not, l beg Of you,
implorc you, do not perish with a
falsehood OF your lips"
81 tell no falsehood when 1swear that
am innocent
"Mr. Debson, you need not hope for
executive clemency. You are very
young, but the governor has refused to
do anything in your behalf"
"What do you want me to do, Mr..
Grayl"
knowledge your crime and pray
God for pardon"
II have committed no crime
"Think OF your perishing SOUL"
81 am innocent"
81 sec, Mr.. Debson, that it is useless
to talk to YOU"
YES; on that subject"
'Remember that day after tomorrow
you must die"
Cali right
"Good.bye. l hope that the Lord may
change your mind"
When the good man had gore Unused
during a long time over what he had
said, yet there occurred to me 10 thought
of regret that | had so plainly spoken to
him. There is q strange resignation that
comes to j man who is condemned to
die. Weary nights of contemplation
dull his dread, take off the keen edge of
fear. 1t is not a philosophy it is a "don't
care" which settles upon him. ! was not
afraid to meet the king Of the universe,
and knowing that not a shadow of hope
remained, l surrendered myself to an I'm
just fate.
1 was not hanged. The governor, on
account of my youthfulness, committed
my sentence to Imprisonment for life.
Even this was in~describably awful, still.
after thinking it over, / concluded that
it was better than being hanged.
Ishall never forget how | felt when l
first pu; on my suit OF stripes. The
thought that l was eternally disgraced
took such deep root in my mind that |
doubt If l were, at.the time, any better
morally than the most hardened convict
within the walls. l began to hate the
world, to mock, within myself, the very
idea Of honesty and virtue. Sundays we
were compelled to listen to long SER
mons, delivered by preachers not dis
tinguished for cloquencc. | sometimes
thought that, knowing we could not
leave the chapel. they took a peculiar
delight in frightening their discourses.
One day Mr.. Gray came out, but he did
not pay any special attention to me. This
stung me, and as | sat on q bench look
ing at him.-I won't say that | was listen
Ing TO him cursed the old man. l
ought to have been ashamed of myself,
but l had forgotten the meaning Of
shame.
The uppermost thought in my mind
was the thought of escape. I had lost
everything but my desire for freedom.
My chance came. One night while o
number of us were penned in a stockade.
near a coal mine, into whose dark
vaults we were daily driven, l heard one
of the guards say to a companion that
he was so sleepy he could scarcely hold
his eyes open.
$50 am l." the companion replied,
''and, to tell you the truth. | wouldn't
be surprised if l Go some little noddlng
tonight.
Crawling over where several of my
vile associates lay, | communicated the
intelligence which l had caught. They
agreed with me that our time had come.
We kept the secret closely guarded,
knowing that a general rush would be
fatal to our plans. We made our
stcalthy move about 2 o'clock in the
morning. We climbed the fence with
but little trouble. | passed near IL of
the guards. He was sitting, leaned
back against a stump, and was sound
asleep. l took his gun and box of cart
ridges which he had deposited or the
ground near him. We spoke not a
word until we were fully a half
mile from the scene Of our imprisonment.
Then we stopped and laughed. BY the
time the sun rose, we were quite a num-
Der of miles from the ''Stockade," but
we knew that we would be pursued.
Uunoor booon N ninrh us This WAS