New-York tribune., 1901-06-30
He WANTED LITERARY FRILLS.
THE CONDEMNED NEGRO WAS NOT SATISFIED
WITH WHAT THE TELEGRAPH
WOULD TELL

WOULD TELL.

From The New Orleans Time democrat
Nature is very kind TO us" said the old
porter. and makes it easy for man III submit 10
the inevitable II the inevitable is death This
by the historians Of executions With them the
condemned always die game. when As a matter
OF fact. criminals towards and don't
make a scene simply because they submit 10 what
they know they cannot prevent When | was
young In the business frequently fell into this
common error, and. now that come To think OF II:
cannot recall writing up an execution where iti
not devote consldcrAblc amount OF space 10 &c
scription Of the nerve OF the principal actor The
joining parishes. At that time much space was
devoted to executions. The crime had To be re-
and served smoking hot, and the last night OF the
condemned done up in the most harrowinE manner
M w'iS an The ai Pt ann
and the jailers rusty key that always grated
looked-and the dawn. When l remember those
descriptions Of the awakening OF the fcon on his
rays of sunlight that chased each other through
the barred windows and over the bare floor, linger
to die and who slept 50 peacefully, were
De in the message. was very fond of
those rays and worked them in whenever 1t did not
ram W.u on This particular occasion devoted most
Of the night to writing the description. and
say | well pleased with work. According
png m" sherifr a kind hearted man. So as To- let
his charge live as long as possible had fixed the
hour for the actual hanging at l:3o o'clock This
was unfortunate the train for Newt orleans
passed at l. aud the carrying out of his programme
meant my remaining another night in the town and
the cutting of my report that could send IL
by wire. ! tried to get the sheriff to advance the
execution bit but he would not move an inch,
and in moment of desperation appointed myself
a committee of to discuss the proposition with
the condemned. We talked the matter very
calmly. The man who soon To die was per
fectly reconciled To his fate; lie knew he had no
show of respite. was proud of the fact that | had
from the great city To detail the particu
lars taking off. but for all that he could not
why he should give up an hour of his very
valuable time His argument was u4answera6 , 6e
and was about TO give up. when an idea occurred
| read him my report of the execution up
to and including that description of the dawn of
his last day. He proud as Punch, and his
vanity was ickled to the last degree to think that
he should he the central figure in such big affair
then proceeded To explain that If his execution
took place the appointed hour ii would be neces
sary telegraph the report and, in that event. all
the descriptive part would have to be cut out and
the bare only wired. whereas, If the execution
was advanced hour | could bring in own
copy and write additional column or two de
scrptve of his death and the courage he displayed
al the crucial moment. That settled it. The sheriff
called. and at the urgent request OF the con
the execution completed In time 10
permit to catch the train. That negro went
down in history as the samest man who ever trod
"a