Wells High School - Crimson and Gray Yearbook (Southbridge, MA)

Page 17 text:

The Electrocution. he clear moonlight stremed b. the single barred window of ey prison cell and fell upon the cot in the corner. A man was upon the cot, garbed in the apparel that is characteristic state penitentiary. He had trained composure that a crim- s said to have in the last few before his death, for the next I the date set for this man ' s ocution. He moved restlessly esently closed his eyes and for sleep. As his thoughts to drift away, the panorama of ole life seemed to pass before Losed lids. He saw himself in esenafl of the court and the . He felt his heart leap to his again as the grim sentence was need. He saw himself in hes ,nd the silent Jailor coming to .im to the execution. Then he .at, for some reason or otho , by hanging had been prepare? for .stead of by electrocution, rlike, the unmoved attendants ed him up the scaffold. The rou h rope was placed about his . ,nd tightened. He cast one last i about him. The cold, dark f the executioner seemed as if . out of granite. Without a i in his oountenanoe, without a ir of an eyelash, he streched out ,nd to press the scaffold I Bang J The sleeper came to his i again with his heart widly .ng against his ribs and with cold ration standing out upon his It seemed as if he could not this torture. He strained his 50 keep himself from falling to again. The agony of suspense, . is worse than death itself, tore The grey, dismal walls seemed to mock him. With the curious in- terest a doomed man takes in the most trivial and unimportant things he watched the moon gradually sink below the edge of the window. A face was there, the face of the one he had murdered, and shuddering he turned his eyes away. The deep silence, the silence which seemed to burst his very ear-drums, appalled him. The night was slow- ly passing. Afrain, in spite of his efforts, he drifted off to sleep. Again the silent, ghostly attendant, hollow-eyed and em- aoiated, led him, this time to the block. The shining gleam of the axe seemed to fascinate the victim as he saw the red-faced executioner lift it from the around. Again came the roar in his ears and he awoke with a jump, hack in his prison-oot. The sun was just rising. He heard the step of the jailor along the hall. After what seemed an eternity, the door was opened and the attendant enter- ed. They entered a small room, where the chaplain was standing with a Bible under his arm. There was no glittering axe or fatal rope here, but a peculiar chair (on a platform) in which the prisoner was told to set. The chaplain started to read a verse; in the midst of it he raised the small wand in gis hand. A great, red light flashed before the eyes of the prisoner and the spirit of life was snapped asunder from its earthly dwelling, as the chaplain finished- Dust thou art; to dust returnest. 3. W. B. r 18