San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-03-16

dreadful tnlng can happen TO mau.
Remorse for killing Mr.. Hamwich of
course. But far more. far more, for
having got Delphine into this CHASTITY
ruin. l ragged about that. l couldn't
believe the stupidity of the jury. or
the unscrupulousness of the crown
counsel. / couldn't believe it was all
true. / had one thought in my head
all day. and nearly all night. linus
tice. Monstrous injustice to her!
And I'd done it. I'd brought it about !,
In two minutes-a minute And what
had made me do it l didn't know.
Sometimes l couldn't credit that 1
had done it. 1t was rather as if it
was something / had read about in a
newspaper.
well, it was the Governor himself
came to tell me my petition for re-
prieve was refused. l asked him about
the petition for Mrs. Hamwich. He
got stiff and awkward at once. He
said: L know nothing about Mrs.
Hamwich. She is not in my charge.
and I've no responsibility for her.
l said: "But she's bound to be re-
prieved!" He said: Yes
well then, made sure that she
was reprieveJ. They couldn't hang
her, couldn'ts A woman and limo
cent. ] went easier in my mind. /
wondered how 1. could ever have
doubted that she'd get off in the end. {"
But what next?" Philip demanded
now, impatient. excited, feverish.
I'm not telling this we'll" said
Mr.. Crazy. ave never told it before
TO soul, and I'm forgetting things.
I'm mixing things IN. I'd forgotten
about chapel on Execution Sunday
that's the last Sunday before the exc
cution. 1 was taken into chapel by
myself then, after the others, and /
sat in the red pew at the back, pew
with red curtains across it. The con-
demned pew. Nobody could see |
was there. But all the other prison
ers knew was there, and they knew
/ knew.
And once when l met convict in
a corridor-how he turned his head
away. l asked my warders why he
did that. They both blushed. One of
Them told me afterwards the reason.
1t isn't etiquette in q prison for con-
victs to look at a condemned man.
! Not nice. They think he won't like
! it, you see."
Another pause. Mr.. Crazy had not
faced Philip again. He was talking
quietly, but with slight emphasis row
and then, 10 the street, to the glitter
ing piers and the promenade, and the
motors gliding to and fro in the pleas
ure town. Philip sat up in his easy
chair and leaned forward and. glared
intently at Mr.. Crary's back.
"Well, all that's nothing after all.
After he'd been to see me in my cell,
the Governor sent for me to his Of
| flee. At night. So | was taken to his
office. Ny warders stayed outside.
| The Governor said 20 me: 'Crary.
he said, sit down and have a cigar.
So | did. l was as calm as calm.
Then he said: 'Crary, I'm not re-
ligious man. / don't know anything
about heaven, and ] don't know any
thing about hell. That's the chap
lain's business. not mine, and dare
say this last few days you've had to
listen to all You wanted in that line,
he said. But he said, you're 60
ing to die tomorrow morning. Before
you die he said, L should like to
know you're sorry for having killed
that man Sir said, I'm id
sorry And so was. So 1 am.
/ w utH l. SOb OdSh lily tNll INV
lighted the lamp outside that shines
through the little window into the cell.
No other light. l might have written
things on the slate that they give you.
! But | didn't. Didn't want to do any,
| thing. One of my warders asked me
to play draughts and l did, just TO
please him. Then l lay down on the
bed without taking off my clothes:
"The other warder came back. He
said: Aren't you going to undress,
| Craryy NO. l said. I'm not They
didn't say anything to that. L slept
all night. Next morning when woke
up l said: What time is itT They
said: You've got two hours yet. Try
to sleep a bit more But l didn't
try. One Of the warders went out and
came back in a minute or two with a
bundle. 1t was my clothes. my dark
gray suit. / was to be hung in my
own clothes. i liked that. But they
wouldn't let me put on my collar and
necktie. You see.
How do you feelT they asked me-
All right% Yes L said. All right.
Then they brought me my breakfast,
which I'd asked for, two poached eggs.
and the tea in a can, and the mug. |
ate it all. And a cigarette. is it
raining? I said. No. they said, but
it has BEEN l didn't feel as if any
! thing was real. l felt as If it was
tale-fairy tale, yes, fairy tale. Then
the prison clock struck. had an
other hour yet. Then it was the chap
lain in his surplice came in. The
warders went out. Don't l remember
the keys rattling!
when the chaplain had finished
the governor came in. ard the chief
warder and the assistant executioner
and the doctor. Cell was full of peo-
pie. They gave me some brandy. They
were all very nice. and j told 'em so.
| didn't ask about Delphine or any
thing. Then the assistant execution
er fastened my arms. / began to feel
queer. But that was nothing TO when
the chaplain started to say the burial
service at me as if / was dead.
Another thing i forgot to tell you.
There were two doors TO my cell. One
Of them had never been opened. 1t
was opened now. We went out in a
procession and the chaplain went on
with the burial service, and there was
the execution shed or whatever they
call il, just outside,
And the under-sheriff and one or
two others were waiting there. and the
executioner was waiting for me on
the scaffold-he had a red muStaehe,
and l thought he looked terribly i'll
and queer. So 1 went up on the scat
fold-I tell YOU l couldn't believe 1t
was true-and the executioner put a
bag over my head aud couldn't see.
of course. And then there was thud
and l couldn't make out what had
happened. l heard the Governors
voice, very excited and nervous. He
said Never mind him; never mind