The Pascagoula democrat-star., 1891-03-06

numerous To leel The 1ull elect o
that mysterious reflex influenc,
which makes crowd OF men o.
much worse, and at times so mucl
better than any one of them slngIy
"At the end of some months m,
trial came. 1t could have but one
result. circumstances too plainly
declared my guilt. knew they
lied. The absence of the jury was
very brief To their verdict | paid
but little heed. 1t was a single
hideous word, but long anticlpa.
ted il. and it made no impression
AS little impression was made by
the words of the Judge which fol
lowed ii and his solemn invocation
that God might have that mercy
upon me which man was too jus,
to vouchsafe, sounded like the hol.
lowest OF hollow mockeries. II
may be hard for the condemned
criminal to meet death; it Ia still
harder for him who is innocent.
The one, when the first snock is
over, acQuiesces in his doom and
gives himself to repentance the
heart OF the other, filled with re.
bellion against mans injustice, can
scarcely bring itself to ask pardon
of God. had gradually overcome
this feeling, in spite of the good
clergymans irritating efforts, which
were mainly directed toward ex.
tracing a confession, without
which he assured me. he had no
hope to offer.
"On the morning of the day fix
ed for the execution | felt meas.
urably resigned. l had so long
stood face TO face with death, had
so long accustomed myself 10 look
upon it as merely momentary
pang, that | no longer felt solici.
tous save that my memory should
one day be vindicated. She for
whom | had gone to prepare
home had already found one iu
heaven. The tidings OF my calam.
ity had broken her heart. She,
alone, Of all the world, believed me
innocent; ; and she had died with
prayer upon her lips that the
truth might yet be brought to light.
All this | had heard, and it had
soothed as If sweet incense my
troubled spirit. Death, however
unwelcome the shape, was now
portal, beyond which | could see
one angel waiting to receive me.
| heard the sound of approaching
footsteps, and nerved myself to
meet the expected summons, The
door of my cell opened, and the |
sheriff and his attendants entered. |
He held in his held a paper. 1t
was doubtless my death warrant. |
He began 10 read it. My thoughts |
were busted elsewhere. The words
full and free pardon were the first |
to strike my pre- occupied senses.
They affected the bystanders more
than myself. Yet 30 it was; | was
lardoned for an ofense had nev.
er committed.
"The real culprit. none other, 1t
is needless 10 say, that he who had
sought and abused my hospitality,
had been MORALLY wounded in a
recent affray in a distant city, but
had lived long enough 10 make
disclosure, which had been laid
before the Governor barely IN time
10 save me from a shameful death,
and condemn me TO a cherries
and burdensome experience. My
Judgment, as yours in the case be.
lore US, leads to but one conclusion,
that of the prisoners guilt; but
not less confident and apparently
lnerring was the Judgment that
falsely pronounced my own"
We no longer importuned our
fellow-Juror, but patiently awaited
our discharge, on the ground of in
ability to agree, which came at
asst.
The prisoner was tried and con.
victed at a subsequent term, and
1t the last moment confessed his
,rime on the scoffold. +