New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-04-27

Avaunt and quit my sight et ear.a niue ,d hcc'
Thy homes are marrowless, thy blood Is cold
Thon hast no speculation in those eyes,
Which thou d0st glare win '-tohaheSpe"ic'
Sir: Nathan Palmer, lieutenant in your
Majcsty's service, was taken in my camp as spy,
he was tried a spy, he was condemned as
ypy. he will be hanged as spy.
Respectfully your obedlent servant:
ISRAEL PUTNAM
p S-Ie is hanged
-tAmerican History
1t was near the hour of sunset one of those
nutumnal sunsets which in the Highlands of the
Hudson by their peculiarly tranquil mildness
and beauty, throw susceptible nature into a
dreamy yet nervous sort of trance, and which
make the old hills and hoary mountain sides seem
far within the boundary line of the dim shadow
land, that a figure in the prime of youth and
strength might have been seen leaning, If
wearied with his days toll. pensively upon his
rake, on one of those slopes which. rolling down
O gradual descent for miles, finally leave their
green edges in the river.
He appeared TO he musing for Hans Anderson,
though he was courageous and had done good
service in the carly part of the revolutionary
struggle then pending, was still a solitary and
thoughtful man. His countenance had none of
the sharp angles of one of Your analytic minds
which dwell with intensity upon the veriest
of one whose thoughts were his pastime, and who.
having caught the goblin-like form of an idea.
however wild, shadowy or romantic. let it fit
like a pleasing but unstable Ariel through his
brain, and give place to another as useless and
grotesque.
Perhaps he was regarding old Sol, who sinking
behind the green yet rugged heights of Dunder-
berg gave goodnight kiss to the evening sky,
which, coy and maden-liSe, blushed crimson
upon the spot where the loving salute had been
administered: and the color spreading over It's
surface grew almost imperceptibly DINNER. until
merged in its own deep azure blue. vet all
suffused with the softened and subducd light OF
modest pleasure: and thought with pride as he
gazed that the delicate tints given to the Italian
sky by the poets and travellers he had read dld
not even equal this his own mountain sunset
Or maybe he was admiring the vast extent
and unrivaled beauty of HILL valley. mountain
and rivers spread out before him, and wondering
as he watched the serpentine course of the Hudson
as il narrowed and disappeared behind some green
promontory or spread into a. broad. deep, placid
bay beneath whether the waters would not roll
more swiftly and the nipples send forth Gladder
murmur when that liberty for which his country
men were then struggling, and OF which, as was
usual with him, he had but vague and shadowy
idea, should have been gained But whatever
may have been his meditations a change seemed
TO come over his thoughts, and turning quickly,
he gazed long and intently at an old OAK wIlch
crowned the hill in his rear. And well might
he gaze. for this tree marked an epoch IN the lie
Of Hans Upon it's lower limb, then in full view.
lie had assisted cold drlzzly morning In
hanging a young promising handsome British
officer who caught q spy in the camp. mad been
condemned TO die without mercy by the lndom-
table Putnam
With his own hands he had frightened the
cord about the victims throat-with bis own ears
he had heard the muttered agonized prayer OF
the poor wretch-with his own eyes witnessed
the death struggle. the writing frame, the lvld
corpse. As be looked. the imagination Of Hans
pictured a cord and the outlines OF a form oareiS
visible doubling the evidences Oh MS senses Il"
rubbed his eyes, glanced again, and beheld the
officer SUSPENDED exactly as lie was on that event
full morning.
His flesh fairly tinging with horror, he wheeled
,ound sbook his powerful frame TO convince him
self that he was awake, and ventured announcer
viey Oh. who can describe his SPECIFICS terror
as the corpsc deliberately lifted its hands, united
the dcath-knot and lowered itself gently TO the
Garth? 4 moment il seemed uncertain what 70
do but il was only for a moment Tor WIN an
erect port and military step II marched s'ralgh'
for the spot where stood, or rather tottered, the
Mortified Hans.
The very terrible and unearthly character OF
the adventure appeared to fascinate him, though
struggling against il with the energy OF dcspcfa-
ton He would have fed, but his limbs refused
TO do their office; he would have famed, nut very
fright sharpened his faculties; he would nave
shouted, but an incubus of terror weighed upon
his tongue and cog9cd his utterance. Narrower
and narrower grew the space which divided iahs
from the corpse. His dead, leaden eyeballs were
staring steadily at his own. lie even marked the
lvid veal about the neck, and the Deep blacK
indenturcs the wrists. But on, calmly, de-
liberately, awfully on it came until within few
feet and a stone wall separated them. Hans
could endure it no longer; with one mighty effort
he cried, or rather shrcked, " For Gods sake.
who are you?' No answer. Speak for the
love Of Heaven, speak, But the sole reply
deigned by the corpse was scarcely perceptible,
yet ghastly. smile.
lis cold white hand was already on the wall.
IN another instant he knew, felt, it would be
upon hin. His frame quvcrcd in every fibre, he
thought his hour had come: but the extremity Of
his fright unloosed his shacked limbs; back many
PAGES he sprang, and Shot like an arrow for home,
ms terror imparting TO him tenfold swiftncss
S'one walls, rail fences afforded no obstacle;
i'i'N pafs were Vaulted with almost superhuman |
agiilty; The very cattle paused in feeding a,d |
'CoKed amazedly at his velocity. Through tho |
mick trees Of the orchard he sackened not his |
pace, but continued his headlong even pcrilous |
course and plunging right down the perpendicular |
uescent which led 10 his home, dashed in upon |
'he little family circle with his glazing eyes start
ing from their sockets, his hair erect, his face
The following story from the pen OF Chauncev NJ Dcpew
va written in 1855 In competition for an editorshp the
Of