Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1904-02-05

punish the offender, as to deter those
acho might offend You may be of
those who should be deferred. Your
children may also be, who knows? so
bring them too, let them look with
you upon the jibbet, feel of the rope.
see how the hangman's knot is made,
try on the black cap, walk up and
down the steps of the scaffold, see the
-artful trap door. look at the point
from W hich 1t is to be sprung, view the
Jail, the faces peering through the iron
bars, and then look on the boy who is
to be hanged. This is children's day.
So come right along and see it all.
Mark well the youth as he Is led
forth to be executed. see the beardless
face, pale. haggard. hopeless; see the
wild expression of his eye, glaring as
that of a hunted beast; notice that be
looks over the sea of upturned faces as
if seeking one friend, but there are
none, he never felt human sympathy,
be pever had a friend here nor else
where, not soul is there to bid him a
kind farewell. or speak word OF cheer.
Hear the rafting Of the chains upon
his legs, see the manacles on bis hands
which have held them for months. All
this will do you and your children good,
it Will make you all afraid to commit
crime. 1t will impress you with the
msjesry of the law and how faithfully
we execute it. Lend your ears then to
the reading of the warrant of death.
hear the kind clergyman who has come
to say a prayer, then see the black Cap
placed over the condemned boy 3 head,
the arms and legs further tied with
ropes, then see the officers step back,
observe the death like stiffness. see
the fatal signal, the trap door fall, the
black object plunge down beneath the
scaffold, the rope twang, then all stop
with jerk, then see the black object
turn round and round as the rope un-
uncoils, then a twltching of the vic
Tins body, then later all become mo-
tlonless and still. Observe the doctor
as be gues to make the legal examina-
ton. The crowd has now gotten Its
breath, few begin to whisper and
move about. then talk In more audible
tones. as they await the doctors YER
dict, then comes the word as the doc
tor walks away and looking at the
Sheriff says, He is Dead" Yes. we
know then that the law has been full.
filled, and that he is dead, DEAD,
DEAD" Your lesson is not yet fully
learned. You have come possibly
long ways to learn it, you must know
all, see all. When the word dead" is
pronounced you will see hat the Sher-
if cuts the rope, see the body fall into
limp heap, see the moose opened or
cut away from about the throat, the
black cap removed, and then gentle
reader look again at the friendless
boy.
He is changed. His eyes have leap
ed from their sockets, blood is oozing
from his nose, lips and ears, his ton
que hangs far out of his bloody mouth,
his head hangs limp on the broken
neck, and falls about on his breast and
shoulders, showing that 1t had been
well nigh cut from the body, as the
officers lift the corpse up and
straighten out the fast stiffenipg
limbs. The manacles which have so
long bound his hands, are knocked
loose. so too the chains from his legs,
the ropes are cut from his arms and
legs also, A pine box is at hand. the
yet limp trunk of the convict is thrown
into it, and messenger dispatched for
a cart. Whilst waiting his return a
deputy takes a shovel and with some
earth covers up the blood which
poured profusely from the boys mouth
when the rope had been loosed from
obout his neck. The deputy also
sprinkles earth to hide the trail OF
blood which dripped along rs the body
was being carried to the pine box. He,
you will notice, is kinder to the earth |
Than the boy, for nobody has washed
the bloody face, nor pushed back the
long unkempt hair from the forehead,
nor crossed the hands
You should notice that there are
some who seek souvenirs. They are
off pieces of the rope, they are
taking splinters from the scaffold.
The boy had few trinkets when he
came to jail, pocket knife, a pencil,
worn photograph of girl. These
are eagerly sought. By this time the
cart drawn by a timorous mule, the
'nly animal which looks as if it would
ike to have staid away, has come The
;ofin lid is nailed down and the coffin
hoved into the cart and the uncanny
DAD driven to the potter's field.
You have now seen all, or nearly all.
'ou neeo see. You are FULLY impressed
low that the wages of sin is death.
lou see how great is the law.
This poor, ignorant. misguided crea
ure needs no friends now. some negro
len will shovel dirt upon him and he
7ill be ARREST.
He bad hoped, and SO had some 9th.
re-, that some means might be found
o allow him to at least live. But the
DOR of sympathy was shut and barred,
nd naught would satisfy the laws
emands but cruelty him." and be
as been crucified. We can all now ex-
aim: 1T was good job of hanging,
ne of which we feel proud"
Friends, neigh bors, countrvmen,
0me to your public hanging on Fri