Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1901-09-26
WANTED LITERARY FRILLs.
rhe Condemned Negro Was Not SAT-
fsaed with What the Iels-
graph Would Tell.

graph Would Tell.
Mature is very kind 70 US SAID the
DID reporter, relates the New Orleans
| Times-Democrat. "and makes it easy
for man to submit 10 the inevitable,
even II the inevitable IS death. This
submission is frequently COMPOUNDED
with courage by the historians Of exc
BUTTONS. With them the condemned
always die game. when, as matter
Of fact, most criminals are towards,
| and don't make a scene simply because
| .hey submit TO what they know they
cannot prevent. When l 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 ] did not devote
a considerable amount of space to de-
scrfption of the nerve of the principal
actor. The last execution / reported
was in one of the adjoining parishes.
At that time much space was devoted
to executions. The crime had to be
rehashed, the particulars of the trial
warmed over and served smoking hot,
and the last night of the condemned
done up in the most narrowing man
ner. This last night business afforded
opportunities for descriptive writing.
The reaches playing catch on the pris-
on floor, the crafty jail rat, gray and
rheumatic. eating lunch from the con-
vict's hand, and the iailer's rusty key
that always grated harshly in the pom
derous lock, were never overlooked
and the dawn. When / remember
those descriptions of the awakening
Of the felon on his last day on earth
can almost weep. The little rays Of
sunlight that chased each other
through the barred windows and over
the bare floor, lingering caressing'y
on the brow Of the man who was So
soon 70 die, and who slept 50 peaceful
~, were sure to be in the message.
was very fond Of those rays. and
worked them in whenever il did not
rain.
Well, on this particular occasion
devoted most Of the night to writing
the description, and must say / was
wen pleased with my work. According
to the death warrant, the execution
was TO take place between the hours
Of II a. m. and two p. m, and the sheriff.
a kind-hearted man, so as to let his
charge live as long as possible, had
fixed the hour for the actual hanging
at 1890 o'clock. This was unfortunate.
as the train for New Orleans passed at
one. and the carrying out Of his pro-
gramme meant my remaining another
night in the town and the cutting OF
my report so that could send il by
wire. tried to get the sheriff TO adj
vance the execution bit, but he would
not move an inch. and in a moment
of desperation ! appointed myself
committee Of one 10 discuss the propo-
sition with the condemned. We talked
the matter over very calmly. The man
who was so soon TO die was perfectly
reconciled TO his fate. He knew he had
no show OF a respite, was proud OF the
fact that | had been sent from the
great city to detail the particulars OF
his taking off, but for all that he could
not see why he should give up an hour
of his very valuable time. His argu-
ment was unanswerable, and | was
about to give up. when an idea occurred
to me. read him my report Of the ex-
ecution up to and including that de-
scription of the dawn of his last day.
He was IS proud as Punch, and his van
ity was tiekled TO the last degree to
think that he should be the central fig
ure in such big affair. Ithen proceed
ed TO explain that IL his execution took
place at the appointed hour il would
be necessary to telegraph the report.
and, in that eyenk, all the descriptive
part would have to be cut out and. the
bare facts only wired. whereas. II the
execution was advanced an hour !
could bring in my own copy and write
an additional column or two descrip-
tive of his death and the courage he
displayed at the crucial moment That
settled IL. The sheriff was called. and
at the urgent request of the con-
demned the execution was completed
in time to permit me to catch the train.
That negro went down in history sfhe