The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1890-04-10

"But he will not get through" said
the dispatcher, "for re has no fireman. "
"Yes, he has, exclaimed the engineer,
'he's doin' the frin' too. He's just lettin
hcr run, he'll just fire and whistle"
And, as if to confirm the engineer S
statement, the scream of the steam
reached their ears-the whistle shrieking
frantic demand for clear track.
At the Jail the Sheriff's jury were
drawn up in the corridor, solemuly wait
ing for the conclusion of the last con-
ference of the condemned with his spirit
ual adviser. The Sheriff rcstlessly paced
the tagging, while one of the deputies
nervously fingered black cap and the
other toyed with the cords to be used
in pinioning the prisoner.
The Sheriff, VINO had repeatedly looked
at his watch in way that seemed to
beg time to go more slowly, glanced at
it at last with heavy sigh and went to
the Jail entrance for final look toward
the telegraph office. The deputy sta
toned there was not in sight and the
executive official turned with a heavy
heart to the prisoners cell.
Come" he said, and the heavy foot
falls of the jury sounded dismally
through the corridor.
"It is time" he said gently to the
prisoner, who courageously stepped into
the corridor and bravely faced the jury
while the deputies bound his arms and
slipped the cord of the cap over his head.
He was ready, but just when the word to
move to the yard was given, he turned a
longing glance toward the main entrance,
as if he hoped to see his wife appear there
suddenly.
Slowly the procession moved, the
prisoner leaning on the arm of the clergy
man, his back toward the main entrance,
his temples throbbing many beats be-
tween the footballs of his cxecutioners,
who stepped heavily and in time with
him, as if to deaden to him the sound of
his own feet, which shuffled in spite of
him, the nails in the heels of his boots
rasping on the stone floor.
And then came shrieking through the
corridor the whistle of a locomotive
strident scream on scream rising higher
each second aud indicating that the en-
gine was approaching at terrible speed.
The heart OF every man in the Jail leaped.
The prisoner stood still and his lips
moved as if in silent thanksgiving, for to
him the shrill sounds were trumpeting
his freedom. The Sheriff rushed to the
jail entrance, commotion rose among
the visitors who had grown cold in the
snow, and they began to crowd into the
Jail. The deputies momertarily forgot
the prisoner, while they contended with
the impatient and excited spectators,
forcing them back to the yard.
The conductor of the gravel train was
startled when the whistle penetrated his
cars with its cry for clear track, and he
was glad that he had reached with his
train the safety of the siding at the
county seat when he saw the engine leap
ing toward the town on steep down
grade.
The deputy stationed at the telegraph
office ran out on the track to learn tn"
meaning of the terrible shreking. The
operator ran with him, aud the crowd
around the Jail stampeded toward the
station. The whistle ceased its screams
and man was seen standing between
the Gao and the tender, as tho engine,
with unabated speed forged toward the
station.
The crowd stood still in silence as thC
man lowered himself on the step TO thC
Gao.
"Heavens. he is going to jump" sait
the deputy, and the crowd fell pell-mel
back out of the way, but every one
heard the man cry;
Take this to the Sheriff"
He waved his hand in which h,
clutched something yellow.
"A mans life depends on it," h
shouted again.
Then he jumped and rolled to the fee
of the deputy, who wrenched an envel
ope from the grasp of his twitchins fin
gers. Without psusing to see whethc
the man was alive or dead, the crowd ra'
after the deputy, and no one lookc'
around when the engine crashed into tn
dump and was totally wrecked.
The Sheriff in trembling, eager haste
opened the envelope and read aloud tn