The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1910-05-10
! My Pardon. !
By William Wendham. !
f1tk1k1k11k1k1k1tk1k1k1 k1k<k1kk8k&k1k41rnf
Copyright, 1901. by Authors syndioAtsh

TUESDAY, Feb. Sit is all over,
and have been found guilty and
sentenced to be hanged The curious
thing about it is that l do not feel so
very gloomy about it. The suspen se be-
fore the verdict was a great deal more
narrowing than the certainty of the
scaffold seems to be. Perhaps it is be-
cause am stunned by the hopelessness
of the situation and tired out by the
long weeks OF excitement and worry.
Anyway, know that tonight l do not
fear the Death that has been decreed.
Most certainly l do not regret the
act which has brought me to this cell.
glory in it, and would do it again to-
morrow under the same crcum-
stances. ] want to set that down here,
so that all of my friends and any 9th
ers who are curious enough to read
this diary may know after | am gone
that did not consider myself Grim
inal.
My lawyer tells me that my friends
are making strong efforts to have the
governor intercede, and that he has
promised to see me. But it will do no
good. killed Philip Sherry is
no question about that. They proved
it plainly enough at the trial, in spite
of my lawyers most skillful efforts
Even if they hadn't, it would have been
none the less true. But none of them
know why | did it-only one-and they
never will know, Torture could not
drag it from me. She knows, and am
content. No, will tell nobody. l will
not even tell the governor.
"Wednesday Esh s-ctrorre +h;rc.
hava h.nraroa +o-aav Tsa,v 40 ony-
amor hroLo NV nror,;se ~ NV
ssIf hot would nnt teu ybv T l;lled
phi,;,, charr, .nd mo ,roverror No
hardened me Thev told me that he
was chcan nolit;cian who could not
he reoched excent bv doodle. But 7
know he Is . most masterfu, man who
1xnovs All tbe fountains and ;mnu1sas
of b,,,ra, ootio, ana n,ssion and N, :
no has beort that understands and
boats in harmony with his fellow men
He vas not nj oil tho eort of 1ooL-
;nr ran exnected IN SEQ He face
impressed me as being a type of the
pioneers. the men who have felled the
forests and reclaimed the wilderness.
He dies not look the scholar nor the
orator. although he surely must he an
impressive speaker. Judging from his
logical habits of thought and his mas
terful use of the English language. I
think If was his eves which made the
greatest impression on me. They
were the most peculiar ewes I ever
saw. They seemed to turn inward and
be communing with his inner con-
seriousness most of the time. But every
now and then he would give me a
glance so sharp and penetrating that
| felt he wax looking into nv very soul.
entered the room sullsv and mn.
reconcilrd with nv fate. The Govern.
or. sitting SPRAYED out in his chair
loose-iointed. looking more the back
woodsman than the statesman. his
ewes dulled with that peculiar intro.
spection. He asked me a number OF
commonplace questions. which I m.
swered with a mixture of contempt
and doggeduess.
Suddenly straiohten;ng h;msa,f mr.
and flying on me,a GLANCE so sharn
napet,at;ny and ~ Tho sama t;,na sc
commanding as to make me ;nvolnn
tar;1v rise from NV chair no frad 81
me n vollev ~ questions so nointed &c
comprehensive. so searching. that il
seemed to me he was scanning nv in
nermost consciousness.
Refore r realized II was nonr;p Q
ontthe most sacred secrets ~ NV con
~ his ma, who hnt momart he for,
had been an utter stranger 70 me ani
whom / had been taught to regard
only in the light of coarse and self