The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1885-03-12
THE s lARK COUN DEMO-. al .MANOLl II lso5.

food, He cnrsed me, and began TO n~'s
him,
"lis stood under tho gas lamp, and drew
out a great gold watch and looked 40 tho
time, Then no asked u man near which ROAD
hs must take 70 get tO a village named Cher
WELL The man told him. saw him walk
Why, and j lnrW whore he vas going,
~ shall be hanged nuxt week, there Is NO
hope ior me, But | toll the truth WHOM
say that, bad fellow an ! am, had never
committed such crime rs the one which At
that moment entered my head. That tall
man had money, jeNery and good clothing,
! had nothing, ! was starving, 30 l ran
on, got before Elm, went miles up tho road,
and sat down In the bitter cold ON heap OF
stones, waiting for him 10 come and making
up my mind 10 kill and rob him. ] knew |
must kill him, because no was 40 much
stronger aud bigger than ] was My pistol
was loaded,
"He came. / Isaw him In the moonlight
stood up MS he came near and, God forgive
mo, pulled the trigger, and shot him through
the heart llc fell like stone. and knew
i was a murderer
"Oh, II | could would have undons the
decd stood Tor long time before dared
10 20 10 the body and steal the things for
which Ihad committed tho crime. Then |
nerved myself AMI went 10 take tho price
for which, unless God Is mercilul, had sold
my soul 80,
about 10 begin ! heard the sound Of feet
looked up, and saw woman or spirit
coming "a me, dropped the pistol In terror.
i folt sure she saw me, | lookol at her
und,r he moon, Her face was white, her
lips w'ro moving, her hair was all lying
about. She came straight TO whore tho
dead man lay then stopped and wrung hor
hands. fed away In deadly fear Iran
across several fields, | dared not stop,
thought that spirit on ghost was folowng'mo
~ ran on untll tho snow began. | must
have diel In that snow storm II had not
found u half rooted cowshed, l crept into
this, md lay all tho night and part of tho
next day, was tho most wretched being In
the world,
Hunger at last drove mo out got
through the snow somehow, aud reached a
house, where tho people saved mo from
starvation. But nothing could mako mo 20
TO the spot where | had done tho murder
My lie since ,hen has beon one Of agony.
Even now that | am going 10 DO hanged
am happier than | have falt for months.
MAY God forgive my crlmel
'I pleaded guilty at the trial because l
turned round IN the dock and saw the
woman who thought was n spirit standing
up aud ready 70 denounce mo 10 tho Judge,
i KNOW lNNl hno thW Illo llllb nlknlt uHh 4
was bound 10 be found guilty
al have confessed all. Every word OF this
lA tr As hope for mercy II Is all truOl
"WMLIAM EVANS"
"P. =. IL took the above confession down
from the prsoaers dlctatlon, IL should DO
all you want The man seems thoroughly
penltCnt, but do not trouble you with his
expressions OF remorSe and regret
~ remain, dear sir, yours faithfully
"STErHEN CRISp,N
We road the lotter; the paper awtorod
down from our handsi We turned 10 ohch
other. Tears OF deep thanSiulnesR were In
my wlfe's sweet owes, Down 20 the smallest
detail the wrctchol mans confession made
everything c,eo", Nothing was left uncx.
planned except, perhaps, tho mo I've which
induced Phlllppn 10 20 that night 20
meet he. wOuld.bo betray0r once
more. This We shall novor know, but hor
temporary madness may amply account for
H. We need seek no further; tho falntest
doubt ~ 10 her own pcrfcct Innocence Ia ro.
moved from my wife's mind Hand IN hand,
honrt to heart, lip 10 lip, wo can stand and
feel that our troubles are NJ last over,
Our troubles ovorl Shall those words DO
the last | writei No, ono scon0 mOro--the
scene that Hes be ORC me even now,
An English home, Outside, greon ahavon
lawns, trlm paths, aud iino old troca In.
side, tho comfort And the peace which make
nm En lish home tho sweetest Ia tho world.
For when tho need was gone; whom sunny
Spain no longor was for Us the ono safe land,
its charms diminished, and We pinod TO 500
once moro England's fair fields and ruddy
honest faces So back w0 caro, aud made
ourselves homo fur, FAR away from every
spot tho sight OF which might wake sad
thoughts And hero We live, and shall live
till that hour when ono Of us must kiss the
others cluy.cold brow, and know that death
has pirted those whom naught but death
could part
Loci; out; look threughthlg shaded WIN
dow. There she sits my wilo; a tall son al
her side, fair daughter near h0r, Years,
many years have pnssod, hut lot no lines
upon her row; brought no white threads 10
Atroak that raven hair Tho rich, bright
beauty Of the girl s still her own, To mo,
now Ns OF yuro the sweetest, lairOst woman
In tho world
The children see me az gaze with thought.
full, happy eyes upon that group beneath
the trees, They call aud bookon mo, My
wife looks up; her oyea meet mine, Just
raised from those sad pages Ali love,
sweet love, In th se d,ar eyes what was II
once my fate 10 roadl Shame, sorrow, dread,
despair aud love, All these, save love, have
vanished long ago; and ~ turn 10 pom
these lines--the lnst--thnt look Of calm, as
Eurol, uncloudod JOY kcops with me, telling
me that from hor lifo has passed oven tho
very ,omoly Of those dark, dark d0ysl
lTIH nND1