Huntsville gazette., 1885-08-29
Would not the visions of the poor man

like an endless panorama; would not
the bloody axe appear and seem to in
fiict wounds upon the murderer himself;
would the great cash across the old mans
throat open its sickening mouth and
bleed afresh and the hot blood seem to
trickle down Charles breast as he had
seen it run down over the old mans bo-
som?
HE SLEPT NEVERTHELESS,
and when jailor, Charlie Rice, went into
the cell to awaken him at 3,45 a. m,
Charlie Townsend said he had been
sleeping but would be up in few min
utes.
Rev. A. W. Mckinney, colored min
lister, was with him in the cell from II
o'clock p. M, until o'clock a. m. There
was also number OF others in the cell,
mostly preachers.
Charley had been sleeping soundly,
they said, since 2 o'clock. At four o'clock
Reverends Mckinney and Goodloe
were admitted into the murderer's pres
ence for the purpose Of Strengthening his
faith in the love Of our Lord.
THE ELOQUENT PRAYERS
of Goodloe were overheard by the men,
bers of the press, beseeching our Heav-
enly Father to have mercy on the soul
Of this poor unfortunate man.
This simple service was awful and i'm
pressive. The solemnity would have
melted a IIheart of stone, and notwith-
standing the cowardly, diabolical and
atrocious crime that this man had com
mitted, one could not stand there and
listen to his words of humility and res
ignation without sympathizing with him
and muttering in unaudible accents,
"Poor Charley Townsend"
Then again, when you would cast the
eyes of the mind back to old man Free
mans little store at Madison, and think
of the many kindnesses he had shown
this black william, and the cruel and
heartless manner in which the latter had
accomplished the awful deed, all sympa-
thy takes wings and fiies-displaced en-
tirely by the promptings Of justice and
retribution.
THE SINGING AND PRAYING
continued. One of the ministers would
pray, then they would sing hymn.
-, .oll
send.
! When at last Charlie felt that the time
for his departure from earth was almost
at hand, said, in sad, but strong and
steady tones, full of pathos:
"Brudren, Charlie Townsend knows
dat de time for his de'th am drawin
nigh, an l would JUS like to say few
words to you all. | knows dat my Mas
ter loves me, an knows | loves him.
II am filled wild de love of de Holy
Ghost, and l fears muffin, No, brudren,
| fears muffin. | has a perfect cloak Of
de love of Jesus Christ aroun me, an
what has | to fear? And dare's muffin
what can hurt me while He loves me an
| Him. It might hurt dis ole body, it
might tear dis poor flesh, but it can't
hurt my soul.
! can now, brudren, befo' | go, let us
sing dat good ole hymn, what's done
Charlie Townsend so much good and
give him so much comfort: There is a
| fountain filled with bood, drawn from
Emmanuel's VEINS and Charlie started,
Dare is fountain, &C."
He actually gave out the words, and
they all sang. He broke i'll, and in loud
tones said, II am soldier of the cross,
follower of the lamb. Brudren all stan
up an sing dis wild me-"
| At AS Jailer Rice went into the cell
for Charlie, and as he came out, he broke
down for the first time, weeping bitterly
which caused all who had been consol-
ing him to give way to bursts of grief
and sympathy. r
Stimulant was offered him but he
manfully refused to take it.
He then shocks hands with his friends,
and by this time had become perfectly
calm. Deputy Fulgham placing the
hand-cuffs on, ordered him to be taken
to the gallows.
| HE WALKED OUT BRAvELY,
nodding his head in salutation to those
who were standing about the door OF the
Jail, saying softly, "Good mornin."
THE MARCH TO THE SCAFFOLD
was indeed solemn one. He was per-
fectly collected, and stepped with slow
majestic tread, his shoulders thrown
back and perfectly erect, but the express
sion he wore upon his countenance will
never be forgotten by the writer.
| He mounted the scaffold maintaining
his calm bearing. He never lost 1t. One
OF his counsel stepped up to him and
| asked him some questions. In answer