Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1901-04-25

Il
elbow, with the hands clenched; but
there was no writhing of the body-no
violent heaving of the chest. At each
feebler effort at respiration his arms
sank lower and his legs hung more re-
Taxed, until at last, straight and lank
by the wind.
Moment of Deep SoIemnty.
1t was moment OF deep soiemnity
he dangled, swayed slightly to and fro
and suggestive of thoughts that make
the bosom swell. The field of execu-
ton was rising ground that COM
manded the outstretching valley from
mountain to mountain, and their still
grandeur gave sublimity to the out
line, while it so CHANGED that white
clouds resting upon them gave them
the appearance that reminded more
than one of us of the snow peaks of
the Alps. Before us was the greatest
array of disciplined forces ever seen
in Virginia, infantry, cavalry and ar
tillery combined, composed of the old
commemorative choicest sons and
commanded by her best officers; and
the great canopy of the sky overarch-
ing all came to add it's sublimity,
ever present, but only realized when
other great things are occurring be-
meath it.
But the moral of the scene was its
grand point. A sovereign state had
been assailed and she had uttered but
a hint and her sons had fastened to
| hpu hax 30 IafA
her. Law had been violated by actual
murder and attempted treason, and
that gibbet was erected by law, and
to uphold law was this military force
assembled But, greater still, Gods
holy law and righteous providence was
indicated Thou shalt not kill.
Whose sheddeth mans blood by man
shall his blood be she'd" And here
the gray-haired man of violence meets
his fate after he has seen his two
sons cut down before him earlier in
the same career of violence into which
he had introduced them. So perish all
such enemies of Virginia, all such
enemies OF the union, all such foes of
the human race! SO | felt and so |
said with solemnity and without one
shade of luminosity as | turned to
break the silence to those around me.
Yet the mystery was awful-to see
the human form thus treated by men;
to see life suddenly stopped in its
current, and to ask oneself the ques-
tion without answer, And what
them"
No Sympathy for Offender.
In all that array there was not,
suppose, one throb of sympathy for
the offender. All felt in the depths of
their hearts that it was right. On
the other hand, there was not one
single word or gesture of exultation or
insult From the beginning to the
end all was marked by the most abso-
lutte decorum and solemnity. There
was no military music, no saluting of
troops as they passed one another. nor
anything done for show The crimi-
nal hung upon the gallows for nearly
40 minutes, and after being examined
by whole staff of surgeons the body
was deposited in a neat coffin, to be
delivered TO his friends and trans
ported to Harper's Ferry, where his
wife awaited IT, She came, in com
pany with two persons, to see her
husband last night, and returned to
Harpers Ferry this morning. She is
described by thobe who saw her as
very large, masculine woman, of abso
lutte composure of manner. The Of
flcers who witnessed their meeting in
the Jail said they met as IL nothing
unusual had taken place, and had a
comfortable supper together.
Brown would not have the assist
ance of any minister in Jail during his
last days, nor their presence with him
on the scaffold. In going from prison
to the place of execution he said very
little, only assuring those who were
with him that he had no fear, nor
had he at any time in his life known
what fear was. When he entered the
gate of the Enclosure he expressed his
admiration of the beauty of the sur.
rounding country. and pointing to diff
ferent residences asked who were the
owners of them.
Precautions Exercised.
There was q very smar crowd to