Year: 1867

by the neck till they were dead. The law has
been avenged what is called "justico" is sat
islied and, doubtless, God has had mercy on
the souls of his offending children Their
| parts in life are played; parts dismal
enough, but not more so than thou
sand others that have been enacted
since Cain did the first murder; not
more terrible than thousands that must fol-
low these to the end of time. we are not
writing now of them. We have no wish to
make their guilt seem less than it is; no wish
to excite pity for their fate, nor to cOnfound
moral distinction with gloze of sentiment. Nor,
on the other hand, have we any purpose to make
their guilt seem greater than it Is; we would
not, if we could, rcawakcn the cries OF hatred
and revenge that we trust were stiled when
Christian Justice had wiped her bloody Ak.
These murderers are hung. One yesterday, one
the day bcforc-Of the long black line OF their
predecessors who keeps the count The world
forgcts them, and we would fain forget them
too Our errand is with the living,
and az we reflect on the evil influence
that thcse constantly recurring hangings
have upon the community, it is as If
every murderer in dying like fell. poisonous
plant, ripcning its seed, s0wcd broadcast
over the land tho quickened germs of crimes
on crimes. Suppose spirit fallen on the earth
from some distant planet and filled with
eager curiosity to know among what manner
of beings he had come, should have straycd
into New Brunswick yesterday early in the
dayi What spectacle would have met
bis eyes. This large, fair-seated city he
would have found busting and resounding
with the gay confusion of a gala day. The
streets were crowded with a multitude OF
strangers, thronging from far and wide, oil
eagerly pressing toward dark walled in
closure, as if longing for some great unaccus-
toned pleasure. Drums were beating, flags
waving men, women, and children in their
best attire, climbing


"To towers and windows, yea. TO chimney tops"


waiting patiently from earliest dawn if by
good chance they might catch glimpse of
some great scene that was to be acted within
thcse darklng walls Then if, rs spirits may,
he had passed through that surging crowd
that for hours dashed in angry billows against
the high, stone barrier that kept them at bay,
lac would have found within another
crowd of excited men swarming about
scaffold on which wretched
woman, 80 drunk with whisky that she mast
have been entirely oblivious OF what was going
on about her, stood uttering wandering cries,
and incOherent words, while the mob vented
its blind wrath and kate with vile epthets,
and wicked taunts and jeers. And as the
black cap drawn slowly over her vacant
eyes shut out tho light of heaven, and the
faces crowded at the windows, on the house
tops, on the trees, and all about her feet, and
the dull thud of the AK gave signal for
the woman TO leap into the air, there
TO struggle and wrthe till stiffness came and
she was removed from sight, he would have
turned away with a shuddering fear, and looked
eagerly about him for some way out of this
dreadful world.


Perhaps the execution of Bridget Degnan
was not more awful in its Accomplishments
than others have been before it. Perhaps
in other cases, wide region, thcky
peopled has crowded TO sec hui
man being hanged, moved by the same
ferocious instinct that draws foul birds
and beasts 10 carrion. Perhaps on other Occa-
sions the officers, civil and military, have been
utterly inefficient in maintaining order or dis
discipline; have shown no head In manag-
ing the details of their odious business; !;
have given brutal crowd full license
to do and say its worst. All this was
done at New-Brunswick yesterday, and may
| have been done before. That it need not so
have been, the hanging of the crazy spiritual
| ist Winnemore in MOyamensing Jail suli-
cicntly shows. But it would seem that it
can never be sure that such scenes as
yesterday disgraced not merely New Bruins
wick, but Christian civilization, will not
n,,I tIn hum of
murderers who are shut up in prison cells all
over our land how many will expiate their
crime in quiet and seclusion, in the presence
of no more witnesses than the law makes neces-
sary, and with no violent nor sickening accom-
panment7 If, indeed, it could be secured
that every murderer shall be hanged with the
same decency that was used in the case of
Wnnemore, something of the loathing and
hatred with which we look upon the gallows
might be softened, If not wholly done
away with. But, as it is, it is every
way an abominable, disgusting, cruel, and un-
reasonable mode of punishment. Nay, worse, it
| is, we do NEST sincerely believe q sharpener Of
the appetite for crime. 1t whets the thirst for
blood. The last words that Bridget Deignan
| heard were obscene epithets hurled at her
| by the drunken crowd and oaths, and
threats among the angry men who jostled and
| pushed for q nearer view Of her last agony.
For our part we cannot imagine greater re-


proach to the civilization we boast of so
much than a scene like that of yesterday.
But it needs such scenes, it would appear
to rouse the public mind to the results
of the system it 80 blindly cherishes. That
public execution prevents murders is fallacy
that win not stand a moments examination
| We do not say that they must necessarily