Year: 1879

Even to the Trap Of the Gellows.


A touching story is narrated in
connections with the execution of
Walter Watson, at Highland, Iirdi-
ana, on Friday lust for the murder
OF Ezra Compton. The parties had
quarrelled about the charge of a
quarter dollar for some soap made
by Compton, who was q storekeeper.
The wife of Watson, to whom he had
been but year married, ondeavored
to restrain him from the quarrel,
but her entreaties Jailed A week
before the execution Mrs. Watson
visited the Governor, with her babe
IN her arms, and nude strong per-
, sonal appeal for mercy, but the off
cIal declined to interfere because the
sentence had been confirmed by the
Supreme Court. The faithful wife
was daily visitor to her husbands
ceii, and joined him in fervent pray
ers for forgiveness. During the
last night must of the time she sat
on his knee breathing words of love
and encouragement, or at his feet
caress-ing his hands. He was truly
penitent and Expressed himselfas hay
ing made peace with God. AS the time
approached for the execution she
was for q moment overcome, and fell
on her husbands neck in uncon


trollable anguish, but suddenly she
raised her fiaxen head and assisted
in arraying him for his doom. She
had contributed a necktie and q pair
of slippecs, and put them on with q
fierce determination that overmas-
tered her agony. She combed his
hair, and seeing all was ready, said
she would go with him. All present
demonstrated with her, in which the
minister joined. Her reply was u
rebuke that few women would have
ventured. 81 should not. have ex-
pected this from q minister. Whom
l was married I promised to cleave
to my husband for better or for
worse. I promised this to minis
ter, and l am going to keep my
word as far as God will let me On
reaching the gallows the pair soon
to be sundered mounted the steps
hand in hand. They were seated
side by side over the fatal trap. She
again took his hand and sobbed with
her little head resting upon his
shoulder, while the minister made
the closing prayers. ~


Meanwhile the culprit sat in his
chair unmoved. A heart-broken
wife was sobbing on his bosom,
strong men sobbed, but the man to
be hanged seemed an uninterested
spectator of the absorbing scene of
which he was the central figure


For fully five minutes he sat there
without the least perceptible twitch
OF a muscle. There was no bravado
in this composure +; it was the calm
ness of resignation.> At the close of
the religious exercises the two stood
up. and for the last time she EN-,


braced her husband, kissed him
passionately, aud with "Good-bye,
Walter" stepped back and fell into
the arms Of the good Christian
ladies who were there to receive her.
The last words of the unhappy man
were fervent prayer for mercy and
for heavenly aid to his poor wife.
At the sheriff she saw the remains
! of her husband in his coffin, and
kissing his lips and arranging the
hair. turned away with look of woe
.and said, II can cry no more /; T
have no mole tears. Col have mercy


on me and my little baby"
An hour later the coffin was in M,
east. bourd train, accompanied by
the wife. At Ricbland, bleak
station seven miles from this point,
it was deposited on the barren
ground, and as the train moved on
only one other person besides the
widow was in charge The face that
broken hearted woman turned up to
the occupant Of the passing train,
most of whom had seen the hanging,
will haunt many in their dreamL


EX-SENATOR SAWYER LATEST VEN
ruRE.-The widow of Judge Pascal
is soon to be married, so say the
gossips, to ex-senator Sawyer, who
was at one time Mr.. Richardson's
assistant secretary of the treasury.
Judge Pascal was married three
times. His first wife was an Indian
Princess, and his last the handsome
Mrs. Harper. Ex-Secretary Sawyer
is o widower, and Mrs. Pascal twice
a widow, so oil three individuals
alluded to have ventured their
matrimonial crafts more than once..