The Sun. — 1839-09-09 (London, England)

THE HANGMAN TO THE JUDGE.—Did your Lordship ever attend at killing time at Old Bailey ? If not, pray favour me with your company ; nut on the gallows, but staying in the street, amidst the crowd that always assembles when I am at work for you and the Sheriffs. Perhaps it. will .add to the zest if you cnme when I have a young woman to stiffen, supplied by yourself. Will the fluttering of her petticoats, as she swings in the wind, produce a pleasant sound in your ears, my learned master? Fail not to watch the people—the men, women, and children, good, bad, and indifferent, who have gathered to behold the sacred majesty of the law. You will see such flashing of eyes and grinding of teeth ; you will hear sighs and groans, and words of rage and hatred, and fierce curses on yourself and me; and then laughter,such as it is, of an unnatural kind, that will make you start; and jests on the dead that will make you sick. You will feel—no—why should you feel any more than your faithful journeyman ? We should go to our breakfasts with good appetites, and a firm conviction that every han,Ting-bout changes many sneaking pilferers into robbers, 'fit for murder. A few years ago I was called out of town to hang a little boy for killing, with malice aforethought. If guilty, he must have , been in the habit of going to executions. Ten thousand people came to dabble in the poor young creature's blood. That was the youngest fellow creature I ever handled in the way of our business; and a beautiful child he was too, as you may have seen by the papers, with a straight nose, large blue eyes, and golden hair. I have no heart—no feelings : who has, in our calling ? But those who came to see me strangle that tender youngster have hearts and feeling, as we once had. Have ? No—had I For what they saw was fit to make them as hard as your servant or his master. They saw that stripling lifted, fainting, on to the gallows ; his smooth cheeks of the colour of wood-ashes; his little limbs trembling ; and his bosom heaving sigh after sigh, as if body and soul were parting without my help. This was not a downright murder; for there was scarce any life to take out of him. When I began to pull the cap over his baby-face, he pressed his small hands together (his arms you know were corked fast to his body), and gave me a beseeching look, just as the calf will lick the butcher's hand. But cattle do not speak : this creature muttered,— " Pray, sir, don't hurt me." "My dear," answered I, " you should have spoken to my master ; I'm only the journeyman, and must do as I'm bid." This made him cry, which seemed a relief to him ; arid I do think I should have cried myself, if I had not heard shouts from the crowds :—" Poor lamb !--shame !--murder l" " Quick," said the Sheriff. " Ready," said I. The Reverend Gentleman gave me the wink, the drop fell, one kick, and he swayed to and fro, dead as the feeling of the Christian people of E cgland The crowd dispersed—some weeping with passionate while they cracked exclamationsblacksome swearing as if hell had broke me and the dangling corpse. lgouoas red— jaonkde s s oomn e y 0 u a n laughing, d They had come for the sight : they would -have come to see an angel murdered. They bad come to get drunk with strong excitement : they went back reeling and filthy with the hot • debauch. They had come to riot in the passion of tear and pity : they went back, some in a fever of rage, some burning with hate, some hardened in heart like me or you—all sunk down in their own respect, ready to make light of pain and blood, corrupted by the indecent show, and more fit than ever to make work for us.—the judge, and the hangman. 0 wise law-makers ! who think to soften the hearts of the people,—to mart gentle and good.—to give them a feeling of respect for themselves and others, by showing them sights like this ! Gateshead Observer.  [47, VEN IN G EDIT t: ON.