Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1899-10-04
actual event. l cannot rid myself o

actual event. cannot rid rnyself a
this impression. expect 1t may seen
foolish TO you or the result of the brood
ings and half waking imaginlngs of
man In my condition, but nevertheless
I will tell it to You.
Last night l dreamed I was stand
ing on the scaffold facing thousands
people. The scene was as real to me al
| the actually it;elf. had spoken
few words of farewell ,and was aboui
to resign myself to your hands wher
suddenly by the exercise of some new
faculty of perception l saw the rea
murderer standing in the crowd befor,
me. 1 never saw him before, and yel
l knew him to be the man In who's,
stead 1 was about to suffer death. HI,
was slight In build, with dark hair ant
are indelibly fixed in my mind With
this recognition my dream faded away
There was no further intImation as t.
my fate. yet l feel indeed us though
God himself has spoken to me and re
vealed the absolute assurance of Hi,
divine protection"
The narrator's manner was so earn
est and impressive that a hope spranl
up responsive in the sheriff's mind that
something might happen. he was men
tally prepared and on the watch for the
happening of the miraculous.
The day of the execution was a beau
dful, clear, cool October day. Thou
sands of people We're in attendance, and
had gathered about the gallows. 1t wal
to be public hanging ,and the multi
tude availed itself of the privilege OF
seeing a human being choked to death
AS has been int mated, there was much
feeling and sympathy for the doomed
man, much argument as to the falliblli
ty of circums,antial evidence, and 6
hundred vague rumors In circulation
suggesting his innocence.
At last Devereux stood upon the gal
lows platform and faced the people
There was no man in all that crowd
apparently so cool, collected. and SC
much the master of himself. he stepped
forward to say a few words of fare
well. His voice rang out in the still
ness clear, distinct and perfectly audi
bic to all.
Friends" he said, this is not fit
ting time to indulge in vain protesta
tions. | can but simply reaffirm that ]
am not guilty, knowing well whal
would be the consequences of a false
hood, standing, as 1 am, almost in the
presence of my immortal God. l de
sire especially to relieve any man from
the possible thought that he may have
misjudged or wronged me, and might
have to meet my Accusing words be
fore the great tribunal hereafter. L
was a human error, the result"
At this moment the speaker stepped
short and leaned heavily upon the rail
ing. His countenance betrayed terri
BILE excitement. His eyes seemed fixed
on some one in the crowd before him
whom he indicated, bound as he was
AS well as he could. When he found
his voice he fairly shrieked:
There he is! The man of my dream.
che murderer! Stop him! Stop himp
He had pointed out a slightly built
almost feminine looking young man
who uttered hasty exclamation ant
attempted to get away, but before he
could do so he was roughly seized and
held by the crowd. The sheriff, almost
beside himself with excitement, rushed
down from the scaffold, followed by
half dozen deputies. The young mar
was hurriedly searched there and then
Upon his person was found awatch,
pistol, and certa tn papers of value, vel
known TO hP-y en- the property of the
Irrr- r. He seemed to give
answer to excited
questions sullen1y EesQonded: