San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1925-08-23

LONDON, August 16.
ut AN glad to see you'll" shouted young Eric
| Sedgwick, condemned murderer, as came face
to face with him on the gallows 81 have been
waiting anxiousy for several weeks to meet you"
was little startled at this rather unusual greet
ing from the doomed man, youth of twenty, who
had murdered his sweetheart then kissed her feess
body passionately and gave himself up to the police
and asked for speedy trial, conviction and swift
execution. As adjusted the white cap his face,
which is always done to hide the features of the con-
demned man and shield the executioner's movements
from his eyes, Sedgwick called to me and uttered
these last words MAY the Lord have mercy on my
soulI am going to join the girl Lowell"
Quite different was the attitude of William Henry
Palmer, powerful man of tremendous physique,
who declared that the law should not be carried out
in his case can see even now that writing mass
of men in fierce conflict within the narrow limits of
the death cell in the Leicester jail But it was
fight against hopeless Odds of course. And yet be-
fore this desperate giant could be overpowered and
his arms and legs pinioned he fought against ten
men with the fury of despair his natural strength
rebled for the moment by the knowledge that death
waited for him just around the corner.
Palmer had wantony taken the life of an aged
widow, who lived alone in cottage, which he en-
tered and robbed. All through his trial and after
his conviction he assumed the attitude of callous in
difference but the hour for the execution APP
preached the mask of bravado was torn away and
Palmer announced that neither God nor man would
lead him to the gallows
But my experience has taught me that the doomed
man seldom fights against his fate. Many realize
that it is protless to resist or complain, and some
approach the gallows with resignation which might
be mistaken for Indifference while others leave the
death cell white, trembling and with fear written
clearly on their features.
The last morning of condemned mans life
forms supreme test of his courage. Personally ]
cannot anything to wonder at if he breaks down.
for although know well that execution by hang
ing is probably the quickest and most painless death
anybody could die can at the same time appreciate
how strong healthy must look forward with
something akin to terror to that moment when he is
to stand the collapsibe trapdoors with the rope
tight around his neck.
Such prospect may well strike fear into mans
soul.
A curious thing that have noticed is that the
bigger and more powerful men frequently show
more cowardice at this point than some of their
smaller brother murderers. / do not lay it down as
rule that all big men afraid of death, but can
certainly remember more cases where exceptionally
large men showed the white feather than any other
type of condemned convict.
Two such cases spring into my mind as | write
and they occurred within few weeks of each other
in the year 1916. The first was Daniel Sullivan
whom executed at Swansea on September g. and
who was locally known big Dam; and the sec
ond was James Howarth Hargreaves, who paid the
penalty at Manchester on December 10, and who
was one of the very few persons ever hanged with
whom had been previously acquainted. Both these
men had their self-contro shattered at the last bv
their feelings of horror at the coseness of death
Both men were nerVeless and limp, and practi-
cally crawled TO the scafold Their great frames
were convulsed with sobs and tears coursed down
their heavy cheeks like plentiful rain shower
One unfortunate on the way to the scaffoId