The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1903-06-03
Tl,e Drea5 sf the Galroga


Gordon 81. Rameys says . news LEI
4 Ter, who isin jail il Lancaster. no.
aharged with The deliberate ansdds. {.
il bic tWenty-year.old wife, Norahs be
csnse Of Jealousy, said TO his attorney
4 when they asked him whether BIZ
would rather hang or 60 the peni1an'
tiary for life;
just as you people says to me iii
q atand-oE.n' g 3 q.
The district Judge, N. NJ. Shelton.
lives at Macon. It will be his duty
To- pass sentence upon Ramey. When
the remark quoted reached Judge
Shelton he said:
Thet's what he says now, but wait.
Men don'taant to die--exsept "a noy-
els. There the hero can afford 70 be
Indifferent to danger because he knows
shatif the right sort Of author has
hold Of him he will get through some
how and live happy ever after.
But ordinary humankind wants to
live as long es the blood Of life and
health flows. There are nc, two aides
to the subject. While O. spark Of in-
telligence exists in eaint or sinner life
is the dearest thing there is. It is
the law Of natures God.
II don't know this young man. but
I'll wager q lot he doesn't repeat that
remark to ne when the time comee.
I've seen too many sucb cases.
4 was q member Of thee Missouri
senate in 1889. The capitol buildings
and penitententiary arc at Jefferson
Ctsy. e Baptist preached, 4 Bald
Knobbler, named Simmons, had been
sentenced to death For murder. He
sgaBs regarded as courageous to the
point iof reoklessness.
81 At the last moment the govern
msnt commptsd the aentenoes Co i'm.
prisonment for life. / saw. the old
mansas be was dressed In the spani-5
tsatiary. HE face gloWed with pleas.
NE. .s.. "a ;F, s,si5 :.
ssSome one asked him how he felt.
he responded With q squotation he had.
doubtless used many q time 10 the.
days before he went Co the bad.
Gs.ery To Godl I feel just like
I'd been born againi' ,5
Life had come back to him aud il
was overpowingly sweet. he had
nothing to- LOOK forward TO but grim,s
incesant toll under s hard master,
through all the years TO come. But
he would live, and he was profoundly
grateful therefore.
I when Z was the repre- sentative Of
my county at Jefferson City, i saw.
two other men1sight after their death
sentences had been commnted TO olife
imprisonment By Gov. Marmaduke.
They had been convicted sc al afro
.cious murder in Henry county.
They came TO the penitentiary With
faces beaming like those of mon
going to The wedding altar. They
shook hands with everybody they met,
laughed, cried and acted deliriouslys
happy.
Recently i had the dieagreaAhla:
duty OF sentencing J. NJ. Robertson.
Of Adair county, TO the gallous. Be-
fore his conviction he boldly proclaim
ed his preference for death to . term
in the penitentiary. II II
aWaen the jury took him OF his
word and Fixed his punishment az
death, his nerve failed. He begged;
his iawyers 20 abandon the appeal
and to implore the governor for a com-1
mutation TO life IN the State peniten-
ytiary. 81 ,s;,
The man is, apparently, q physi-.
lcal wreck, and &c looks as If. life
would have little attraction for him,
even il he gained his liberty. Yet
with ell the strength OF his mind he
NaLss to live. i' Z
49, hese arc not peculiar instances,