The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1923-06-10

his condition indicates. On an i'm
pulse she gets him saws. He hides
them when a search IS made but he
and she are suspected He goes to
trial on April 4. 1904. and is con-
victed.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
When man hears a jury render
verdict that he knows will call
for the pronouncement of the death
sentence upon him, he Is not le-> In
a very serene state of mind. While
! was certain of conviction of muir
der In some degree, my hope was
that the jury might recommend me
to the mercy of the court or else
make a straight recommendation of
life Imprisonment. Some persons
would, no doubt, think at once that
that would be little or nothing worth
while to hope for; some might even
think that they would prefer death
to a sentence of life Imprisonment;
but no person knows what he or she
would or would not do, would or
would not hope for until he or she
had actually-if a slightly slangy
phrase is permissible-been put right
up against it. There was time
in my own life when 1 openly de-
clared, and really felt--or imagined
1 felt-that I would prefer death
rather than even a five or a ten
year sentence. That, however, was
before I ever stood in the place of
one condemned by the law to DEATH
or course all of US are in a sense
condemned to death. Perhaps it has
never yet occurred to the reader that
every person living on earth today is
under a death sentence: the only diff
ference is that some have a longer
teprieve from death than others.
Be that as it may. it is not so
much thought of death that a con-
victed man fears, but the manner of
The death. A man or a woman might
be lying on a sick bed. and when
told by physician that he or she
could not live more than forty-eight
hours, not one iota of fear or special
dread would be experienced. But let
such a person be informed that with
in that same length of time he or
she must march out and up the steps
OF scaffold to be hanged, and an
entirely different sensation would no
doubt be experienced.
The Chances OF A New Trial.
So, then. that entirely different
sensation"-which no mortal may
= fully describe to others-was mine
that day when I felt the handouts
snap securely around my wrists and,
in company with two deputy sher-
ifs, l began the journey from the
court room back to the county Jail.
We'll, cheer up, Jack, one of the
well-meaning officers said to me.
yet. Your attorney will make an
argument for a new trial, won't he?"
Il suppose he villas a matter of
red tape" l answered; but L won't
get it,
why not?" And 7 knew he was
merely curious to know my feelings.
Its too hard to convince court
that il is wrong l explained. "A
higher court might reverse the low
er, but you seldom if ever hear of a
mo
That's true" he agreed, but
you'll have an appeal coming-an
appeal to the supreme court
Yes" 1 answered-hopins that he
would say no more; 1 wanted to
think.
Even that early in my trouble ana
confinement l was beginning to find
out that to think-to be alone and
reason carefully over matters-was
to my wearied mind what sleep is to
a weary body. l had also discovered
that irrespective of how tagged |
might be mentally, to get by myself
where l might relax from kind of
eternal vigilance strain and think
calmly acted as reviving and
strengthening cordial; while on the
other hand physical WEAKNESS would
not be overcome at all times even by
sleep.
Ny wish to be alone was fulfilled
soon. On arriving at the Jail I found
that they had made special prepara-
tons for me. l was taken to an
other cell-one that had vacant
cell on each sde-and there l was
so much alone that it was much like
solitary confinement.
Difference To The Doomed.
Moreover, l noticed that the sher-
IF and the jailers were beginning to
treat me with that special kind of
Difference that is shown to con-
demned man. / did not know at that
time that such is the practice so far
as a condemned man is concerned
which might also properly carry the
added statement that at that time
did not know how sure the sheriff's
force and others felt that L would
be executed.
1 slept little that night. The fol-
lowing day, Sunday, l was not per-
mitted to see any of those who
getting glimpse of me.
| have often wondered what it is
in the construction of some persons
that make them so DESTROYS of
merely seeing one in such a situa-
ton as was mine. Occasionally
through life 1 have Met persons who
have a kind of monomania for at
tending funerals. 1t is possible that
such persons experience kind of
thrill of thankfulness at the thought
tudl IL Is uot luey 4yiHS III the pace
of the corpse. And I do believe
those who have the bug" on seeing
condemned murderers or even just
ordinary short time convicts also
get a thrill of thankful satisfaction.
But that curious and thrill-seeking
crowd was disappointed on that
bright Sabbath day so far as l
was concerned. For instead of my
being placed so they might pass by
and get good closeup view, 1
was even out of earshot Of them-a
part of the time sitting alone with
ny conscience" and part of the time
lone with my own helpful thoughts.
On Monday morning my former
artner was released from the jail.
had testified against me, col
tied his witness fees and two hun
I'd dollars of the reward money,
was ready to go. He had be-
action with a view to getting
reAsrd. but when informed that
vas not yet too late to put him
trial as an accomplish before the
g, he accepted the eleventh part
it, and the remaining two thou
I'd dollars was equally divided be-
zen the wives of the two men who
d lost their lives as a result of my
= Tense.
uryman Still Follows.
Tuesday morning I was again
taken into court, in order to allow
my attorneys to present an argu-
ment with view to securing a new
trial in that court. The proceedings
had little interest for me because l
felt that Irrespective of all the au-
thorities nay lawyers might cite in
support of contention that the
court had erred on various points,
the court would not reverse itself.
While in the court room that day
I saw one of the members of my
Jury He appeared to take great