The Anaconda standard., 1898-11-24

Smith were to have bee hanged at the
little village Of vittoria. not far from
Toronto. for the alleged stealing Of an
or I was q little boy then. living In
vittoria. but I remember the circum-
stances well. althouvh the main incl
dents I know from having them fire.
q simple minded man of middle age
and Smith was a younger man Of
about the same mental caliber. A far
mer In the vicinity had an OK stolen
one night The skin was FOUND In
place where Carr and Smith had been
see. and the two men were arrested.
charged with being the thieves. The
trial seemed to satisfy the jury that
they were guilty. and they were con-
victed and sentenced to be hanged.
Among those who held that hang
ing for such a crime was no better
than murder were the Rev. John Ry-
Rolf. both of vittoria. They had
doubts. also. of the guilt Of the con-
demned men and used all their infiu-
ence for them on the trial. but In vain.
The day was set for the hanging. and
the gibbet erected in a public place.
On the morning OF the day of execu-
ton Dominic Ryerson and DIR. Rolf re-
the two men. The doctor was to mount
his horse and ride post haste to Tor
onto and appeal to the governor for
a reprieve or pardon. while the DOM
inie, as spiritual adviser of the con-
demned men. was to delay the hang
ing until the doctors return by exer-
cising his privilege In prayer.
"A great surging crowd of people sur
rounded the gallows when Carr and
Smith were carried under the gibbet
In a cart. I was one OF them. having
stolen from home for the occasion.
The sheriff. OF course. granted Dominic
Ryerson's request to offer prayer for
the two unfortunates. II was a hot
day and there was No shelter for any
one from the fierce rays OF the sun.
No one had any suspicion that the
good preacher had any ulterior mo-
tive in making that prayer. and for
the first Is minutes OF II the sheriff and
sweltering crowd listened 10 II with re-
spectful patience. Then something OF
uneasiness began to take possession OF
the great audience. But the dominic
prayed on. The sheriff moved about
10 call the preachers attention to the
fact that time was passing and the
sweating crowd began to sway and
murmur. But prayer was not to he
rudely interrupted even on such a
pressing occasion as that. and the DOM
inie prayed on. An hour passed. The
preachers voice had grown husky. His
throat was dry and parched. his tongue
almost clung to the roof OF his mouth
and his lips were shrivelled and crack
ed: but still he prayed. The condemn
ed men themselves became impatient
and showed by their looks that they
longed for the good man TO cease. still
he prayed. uttering words OF no sig
nificance and almost inarticulate.
THE crowd became noisy In their
heat and impatience. and the sheriff.
at last feeling that duty should take
the place Of reverence. was about to
take the dominic by the shoulder and
compel him TO cease. when there was
a shout heard on the outer edge of the
crowd and the people made way me-
chanicallv for a me- who struggled
through the surging mass toward the
The man was DIR. Rolf and the paper
was a reprieve signed by the governor.
AT the sight Of the doctor with a
paper Dominic Ryerson fell insensible
on the cart and II was for a long time
a matter of grave doubt whether he
would recover from the effects OF the
extraordinary physical and nervous
strain his prayer against time had
subjected him to. but he came TO In
good time The reprieve led to fur
ther investigation into the case OF
Carr and Smith and the result was a
pardon for both OF them and the abol-
ition OF the death penalty In Upper
Canada for any crime except murder.
This old ballad I refer TO was one
of many similar pieces OF doRgerel that
the expected hanging Of Carr and
Smith called forth. and they were pur-
chased by the hundred by the excited
crowd, more than half OF which were
disappointed at the way the AFFAIR end
ed as Il spoiled their holiday. after
listening to a prayer an hour and a
half long. That was praying against
time to some purpose. wasn't it,"