Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1907-09-14
A Noxubee Dante.

81 Connor, the condemned murderer
who is to be hanged on the 9th was
visited in Jail today to be interviewed
as to how he felt about his approaching
end. 1t was intended to be serious
thing but there is nothing serious about
Conner in the way of a white man 8
seriousness. He still sticks to the tale
he told in court about man-Jake-
beng there with his wife that night,
says both Jake and his wife have been
with him since he has been in Jail and
admitted he did right, and she has for
given him. But he does not care much
to talk about earthly things, but all the
time wants to tell of his "sperrituaT"
adventures. He says:
Jesus have been here since | been
IN Jail and have taken me to hell and
showed me everything there, and what
sort OF place it is. Boss, it is show a
bad place, a mighty bad place down
there. There is big fire down there
burning all the time, and saw the
man totlng water to the folks in the
flre down there. | don't know who he
was cause left. When Jesus tuck me
there, we just passed thu the Jail bars
and things like they warnt nothin.
Hell is a right big place. Yassah, I
spec it is as big as Macon. maybe bio
ger The fire is in great big furnace
not like field burning, and people are
right in the fire calling for cool water
Yasssh, they is white and black both
down there, and | knowed some Of
them. passed by the well where they
got this water they were giving them
what they called water but it warnt
water; it looked like bluein to me. /
passed right by them and there was a
great big fat black man there drawn
the water and said Look out. Uncle
the dog will bite YOU" and he tool,
sumpin off his shoulder, it sorter mt
me IN mind of pitchfork, and said Il
got the dog right here" and he did like
ne was sticking sumpin. Jesus tuck
me out of hell down a right STRAIGHT
narrow road and l come to a great bio
ocean of water. And walked riobt
up on the bank and on across the wa
ter without touching it. Then we come
back across the ocean of water agiI.
and right back to jail, and here | is.
Now when you got that tell VOL
what He done then. The next thine
he done was he sont man here in the
shape of Mr.. Dantzler and he tuck m,
out and showed me the gallus right out
yonder in the court house yard. And
tuck me up on 'em and said Isl. YOU,
time have come, are you ready" AnC
said, 'yassah, l suttingly is, for Je.
sus have forgive NEAL my sins" An,
told every body that Jesus have save,
my soul. And then the man like Mr.
Dantzler begin to tie the rope around
my neck and when he got it tied two
angels come down from heaven. and
when he stopped to touch off the trip
ger after he had done drawed the blacl
cap | had on down over my ears down
to my Dress, they tuck and grabbed N,
away and said Isl, don't you,be skeere,
or shamed or nothin for you is a chile
of God.
The angels they tuck me to heaven
Yassah, at fust they tuck me on thew
own wings, but when We got A little
ways from the gallus they put me o,
my own wings. saw lots of peopl,
up there. saw my gramma and nv
sister and my little baby. | saw lot.
OF Noxubee county folks up there
fassah, white people too, they are ur
there too. Ny wife she warnt up there
nor in hell neither, but she have come
to me in here. Jesus Christ told m,
to tell all the people down here to he
lieve in him and He would save them
He would save them if they was in p
band of iron. He said all that belevef
IN Him is saved child. And then thev
brung me back in here. r"
The condemned man tells all this with
earnestness and sincerity, but with the
same silly smile he wore when on the
witness stand telling of killing his wife
with an ak. Edmond the :ailer saws
he always tells the same tale about
what he has seen and done since his in
generation. Edmond says he is "wel
posted" about it. He has no dread Of
death, saying he wants to stay here as
long as he can bat is ready to 90 am,
doubtless he Is. AS a horrible exam
pie to aportion of his race, he will prove
failure. On the contrary his,exit from
this life on September 9th, will be a
triumphal event for him and will show
what glorious and important thing
1t is to be the principal figure on so |
great an occasion.