Newspaper Page Text
e
THE AMERICPS DAILY TIMES-KECORDER: SUNDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1891.
THE RESULT,
U REMARKABLE EXPERIENCE
When it was recently annonnced
that Thornton Wheatley’s usual
pilgrimage had been made to. the
Eastern markets, the publio waited
to see in these columns, the report
of what had been done for their
benefit in the way of novelties in
goods and revelations in low prices.
AT tHngs being now Ready fob
THE *'L»8T,the people of Amerious
and the suriounding country are
invited to come. Thpy are not ex
pected to have on their Weddino
Garments, for Wheatley’s is the
Place where the people must go
to be properly decked out for an
appearance, either at a feast or at
business; and nobody can have
the trade mark that a Perfectly
Dressed Man always bears, until
after they have been to
rimim Wasatley’s
and havo been supplied with
1 tTiPCnc P\ TtVT no l't rr I vrc f I and the jury were against me.toaman
UiTbKS J AltM IT ... thAM t it 0o tbe 24lh of AllK „ sf of (he ymr<
0 N THE night of April 3, 1887, the
dead body of Willi* Thorpe,
wealthy citizen of West Haven,
wae found upon LI* own door-step with
a bullet holo through hie heart. At day
light on the following morning I was ar
rested on suspicion of having committed
the crime, and lodged In the town jail to
await the action of the grand jury. The
details of my trial are itlll fresh In tbe
publio memory. The evidence, though
wholly circumstantial, was overwhelm
ingly againat me. I was known to have
owed him a considerable sum of money;
high words bad passed between us, for
he had been crneily unjust to me; the
bullet found in his body tilted nu empty
and recently discharged chamber of my
revolver; and, to crown sit, I had been
seen by a dozen witnesses loitering in
tbe vicinity of the murdered man’s
dwelling less than an hour before his
lifeless body had been discovered,
tbe light of wbst followed, I need not
say that I was the innocent victim of
tbe darkest conspiracy of deceptive ap
pearances that ever Involved a human
life.
e Ih an a legal
d me guilty,
| The trial was hardly ne,
[ form. My council believ
Bv that establishment
I was sentenced to unde,go the extreme
I penalty of the law, and at 10 o’clock on
j the morning of February 3, 1888, I was
The TlMES-RecORDEI! isn’t HALF hanged III the jail yard at .Springfield.
BIO ENeUGH to hold even a eat- I Twenty minutes later I was pronounced
nlogue of the Elegant Goods, and j dead by the attending physicians, and
the Super-Elegantly Low Prices
lng for some strange, unknown thing to
happen.
Suddenly there was a sharp tremor
whloh seemed to ran through my whole
body and a noise in my ears like the ex
plosion of a thousand cannon, pealing
off into far distance with fainter and
fainter reverberations. For a moment
there was a feeling of rending, banting
suffocation and u mad agony of desire to
breathe, to draw only one full, sweet
breath.
To and fro, over my whole frame, ran
keen electric thrills and cold creeping*
of the skin, like that which le felt la a
benumbed limb when tbe circulation is
and such suffering os I expetienced was
ermost depth, In tbe sudden darkness
and utter extinction. I was dead I
How I regained, consciousness four
hours after having been pronoanced
dead—how renewed Interest and sym
pathy In my case were awakened in the
publio mind; and Anally, how I was
granted a new trial and proven innocent
of the crime for which I bad suffered, is
too welt remembered to need reiteration
here.
Whatever opinion may be held by
others of my remarkable experience. I
hold that I underwent all of the physi
cal and mental phenomenona of death by
hanging. How far that experience may
restored. Actual pain there was none, ( be valuable In the queitlon as to the jus
tice and humanity of capital pnnlsh-
almost purely mental, similar, though imentldonot know. It may at least
in a less degree, to the perturbations of “serve to throw a little more light Into
a delirium. Nor was I conscious of any
palpable fear of death. My b ain was
busy with a kind of anxious wonder at
my own sensations and a bewildered yet
persistent craving to understand them.
The feeling of suffocatiou was of brief
duration, sad after it passed away I ex
perienced uu clearly deliuea physical
sensibility. Up to this time all had been
blackness before my sight, but now,
slowly and by almost imperceptible de
grees, a pale, white glow made itself
manifest. It, was as if I were floating In
space, auJ the universal sky above,
around and below me, were being suf
fused with such a dawn as never ruse to
irtal eyes. Slowly it deepened from a
phantasmal, colorless gleam to a rich,
clear yellow, then to a ruddy orange,
and finally to a lurid crimson, like the
last of an Italiau sunset. This illumina
tion seemed to remain steadfast for a
that awful gulf whloh separates this
world from the next, through whose Im
penetrable gloom every human being
must journey utterly alone.
Mr. C. B. Jones, of Spring Hill, Iowa,
says: “I have used Chamberlain’s Pain
Balm for severe and painful burns with
better effect than anything else I have
ever tried. It relieves the pain instantly
and cures without leaving a scar.” Pain
Balm is one of the most useful medioines
that any family can be providod with,
especially for rheumatism, lame back,
sprains, bruises, tooth-ache, ear-ache
and like ailments. One application will
relieve the piiiu, and a fair lilii) insure a
cure 50 cent bottles for sale by W. C.
Russell.
Attached.
Only the general hsiids can here
be outlined ; the true inwardness
of the feast can’t be understood
until the gnests go through the
whole Bill of Fare in person at
Wheatley’s.
No su,ch complete and elegant
stock nu
Gentlemen's, Youths’ and
Boy*’
CLOTHING!
has ever been brought to Americas
and the MOST ASTONISHING
THING about them is the LOW
PRICES!
my body was cut down and conveyed to Breilt lungt i 1 uf tlinu . At lhu BUlgB ray
HATS!
Stiff and crushed, that CANNOT
FAIL TO SUIT.
A specialty in GENTLEMEN’S
UNDERWEAR: Scriven’sPatent
Elastic Seam Drawers, and the
Cosmopolitan Shirts in suits or in
separate garments, FROM THE
VERT CHEAPEST TO THE
VERT FINEST.
A handsomer line of DRE8S
SHIRTS, TIES, SCARFS AND
HANDKERCHIEFS was never
seen in Amerious.
Fact Blk. Hose, ABSOLUTELY STAIN.
LESS, ONLY 25a PER PAIR.
KID GLOVES,
Dressed and undreesod; all colors,
grades and prices.
ATTENTION MOTHERS!
Boys’ Shirt Waists, 86c to 11.26.
Boys’ Jeney Saits, 3 to 8 years.
Boys’ Clothing in ail-styles and
prices.
UMBRELLAS enough to stand
off a CLOUD-BURST!
Satchels and Bags enough to
hold all tbe elegant goods at
Wheatley’s that yon will need when
yon go abroad and want to present
a finst-closs and stylish appearance
Every Long, Lean, Fat, Short,
Big, Little Man in a dozen coun
ties can get JUST THE FIT in
the odd Bizes and lengths stock
that is earned at
Us Wheatley’s.
LIFE WILL BE A BURDEN
to all who spend their money else
where, and find when too late that
they missed getting the choicest
and best bargains in the neatest
and most stylish goods ever
brought to this market
DON’T MAKE SUCH A MIS
TAKE, but go to Wheatley’s and
get yourself made Bolid.
the warden’
From the fact that 1 am now alive and
with tbe exception of a cortain rigidity
of tile muscles of the neck and a partial
paralysis of the vocal cords, in my nor
mal physical condition, it will be inferred
that I wns never really dead at a’l, but
merely underwent a species of cataleptic
coma, superinduced by suffocation,
shall not discuss the point. Personally
I am convinced that I was actually dead,
The acrimonious warfare of scientific
authorities which my case ban occasioned
has proven that, of tbe great problems
of life and death, the Tyndalls and Spen-
cers of science know as little as tbe
veriest naked savage.
Of the events connected with my ar
rest for tbe murder, the trial and the
long period of Impriaonment wbleb fol
lowed I retain, fortunately, only the
vaguest recollection. My dreadfnl ex
perience upon the scaffold has, in some
mysterious way, softened tbe terrible
realities of tbst time into a wild and In
coherent dream, from whose shifting
phantasmagoria my own figure emerges
at Intervals as that of a stranger In whom
| have a deep Interest, yet in no way can
conneot with my own personality,
It la as the memory of one who died In
the mind of one who lives. I know that
his name was Wilfrid Lyon; I know that
my name la Wilfrid Lyon;, but I cannot
feci that the WUfrid Lyon who suffered
death on tbe scaffold la one with him
whose band now writes these lines,
dark gulf lies between us, and strive at
I may, I cannot cross It and blend my
Identity with ^lls.
My mind goes back clearly only to the
morning of the 3d of February, to tbe
moment.when, snmmoned to meet my
fate, I stepped out of my cell and
oorted by the sheriff, proceeded to the
Jail yard. Even now, sitting in my own
Thomloo Wheatley's Comer,
So-called because yon can get a
"comer” for the knuulest cash con
sideration, upon tbe largest, cheap
est and finest goods ever shown in
Americas.
Tonrs for business,
THORNTON WHEATLET.
borne! exonerated In tbe eyes of the
world, and with the shame and horror of
crime effaoed from my name forever,
mylbeart ceases beating and my blood
turns to toe, as I recall my emotions dur
ing that awful march to my doom. In.
nocent, yet hopelessly branded with the
blackest of crimes, condemned to be put
to death in the prime of my youth and
strength, and to bury love, hope and
ambition in a dishonored grave, the for
titude, which I am told I had maintain
ed up to that hour, forsook me. My
breast 'swelled with a single dry sob,
and la my soul arose a mad hatred of
mankind and a bitter despair of the jus.
tice of heaven.
But In another moment I had regained
my solf-control, and went steadily on.
ward. As the iron door of my cell
clashed behind me, the deep voice of
the prison bell swelled solemnly upon
tbe chill air of the winter morning. It
was tolling for my death, and to my tor-
tured ears it was the voice of mourning
and despair.
With a firm step I mounted the steps
of tbe scaffold and stood beneath the
dangling cord. As I glanced about me
I saw that the eyes of those present
shrank from meeting mine, and that a
sudden paleness overspread their faces.
More or less of terror surrounds all
forma of death, but there la something
fearful and awe-inspiring In the delib
erate slaying of a man In his full health
and strength, at whleh tbe heart of tbe
moat hardened quakes. And now I was
calmer than those who were there to
witness my death, a great quiet bad
coiue upon me, and I awaited the end
without dread, almost without interest.
In this state I remained while the nec
essary formalities were completed. I
submitted to being pinioned, and to the
drawing of tbe cap over my face with
the passivity of an insensible man. I
heard the deputies moving abontesn-
tionsly to and fro, their subdued whis
pers and the creaking of the ghastly
machinery of death. I did not enffar;
my whole nature seemed to be eooesa*
tasted into one absorbing sense of wait-
omiitlon was that of udmiration and
pleasure, though with the undercurrent
of doubt and anxiety which was present
during the whole experience.
Suddenly I became aware tbat a vbang,
was taking place. Tne atmosphere
thickened and darkened, until tbe red
glow was like that of a great eonflagra
tion upon tbe black clouds of a rainy
night. And now I was conscious of
some great disaster In the world, some
wide-spread, general ruin in which all
mankind bore a part. Funeral bells
answered each other from every spire
and tower, ringing out wild, tuneless
warnings of something far worse to
oome.
Tbe streets were thronged with weep
ing, despairing crowds, raising their
white faces and clasped bands in inef
fectual prayer. There was tbe sound of
many feet echoing from tbe pavement,
mounted messengers. galloped every
where, the iparks flashing beneath their
horses’ hoofs at they sped away. Ail
was tnad effort to escape. Women clung
to husbands and iovere; men clasped
hands for the last time with faces avert
ed, And atiU the funeral bells tolled
and there was no hope in any heart—
none.
This state, Inexpressibly mournful to
me, seemed prolonged to an eternity;
but it, too, passed at length. The lurid
glow slowly disintegrated Into countless
flashing, many colored gleams, revolving
before my eyes around points of Incon
celvable brightness, receding backward
into illimitable (pace, and growing faint
er and fainter, until they became like
pale atari; then they utterly disap
peared.
My sensation! at this stage are diffl
cult, nay, Impossible to describe. I bad
lost the Idea of personality. I was, If I
may use the prase, an entity without
Identity, a wandering, self-exlatent
thought. Cognition was reduced to the
merest dream-Uke self-knowledge, prob
ably not more than tbat possessed by the
lowest forma of existence. Reason,
memory, hope or fear, I had none.,Some
where In my brain a sentient fibre still
vibrated feebly; nothing more.
Suddenly, as if the glimmering spark
of life were blown Into momentary
blight ness before expiring finally, I be
came conscious of sound and motion
Some vast cavalcade was approaching,
with thunder of innumerable feat,march-
ing to the measure of some magnificent
harmony. On It enmo, splendid, awe-
inspiring, greater than all the armies of
the earth and tbe combined hosts of
heaven, victorious, irresistible, implaca
ble, clad In tbe majesty of kings, armed
with the power of gods. Invisible, yet
omnipresent, awful In Its carelessness of
human things, supreme above thought,
it moved keeping time throughout Its
endless length to tbe numbers of such
muslo ss might overthrow tbe walls of
city and stay tbe stars in their
courses.
I still remember and shall always re
member that head-tbaklng music.
Again and again I bear it In my dreams,
glorious, menacing, triumphant, filling
tbe wide space of earth and sky with
one tremendous volume of sound. I can
not describe It; were I Beethoven I
could not write down one bar of it ade
quately, for no mortal voices and no In
struments made by man could reproduce
it Its general effect upon me was that
of jubilee and victory, but through it all
ran a thread of indescribable melan
choly. Amid the clamor of drums and
clang of brass I could near a wall as of
the grief of angels over the souls of tbe
lost
Slowly and majestically the marvelous
procession passed on. The muslo died
away by degrees and ail was silent
again. Then earns a sensation of faffing
down, down, forever down, through In
finitudes of dream-like space and during
eternities of emotional quiet, till at last
of bar lag reached the low-
\ Notw of Warning
All those who .we indebted tv me are
urged to coinu forward nt onco and pay
up.
I have bought a heavy stock of good*,
paying ca*»h for »amo, and I cannot cany
any more on account for those who owe
oe until old bills are paid. Don’t a>dc
to increase your indebtedne8R, as I can
not do it. Mu*. M. T. Elam.
. WAKTDDI
999 Gentlemen. Ladies, Boys, Girls and Babies
of all ages. bl
To call at our elegant new store, 414 Jackson street, corner under new
Hotel, and take advantage of. tbe low prices we offer on reliable
Footwear for the next thirty days We extend a cordial welcome
to all whether yon buy or not.
Remember the Place:
414 JACKSON STREET,
WILliFORJ), MATTHEWS & CO
Our new goods are being opened up
as rapidly as ponsioie. Call and see the
new styles. Jamks Frickeu A lino.
lmllnn. Are Coining to Americas.
Mr. Howard Curtis, agont for the
Kirkapoo Indian Medicine Company, is
in the city making arrangements to
bring the Indian Village to Amerious.
"'ho company is now in Columbus
and is visited by the best people in the
eity. They give free entertainments
every night.
We cannot afford to deceive you. Con-
dunce Is begotten by honesty. De
Witt’s Little Early Risers are pills that
will cure constipation and sick headaohe.
For salo by the Davenport Drug Com
pany.
Notice to Stockholders.
The eighth call of ten per oent upon
the ca.dul stock of the Amoricus Manu
facturing A Improvement Co., has been
made, and will be payable at the office
of the treasurer, at the People's Nation
al Bank, November 1.
John Windsor, Treasurer.
octOtd
I have just returned from New York and other northern and east
ern points, where I purchased the largest and most varied stock in
our line ever!brought to Sonthwest Georgia, consisting in part of
Diamonds, Watches, Clocks,
Bronzes, Japanese G-oods,
Jewelry of all kinds. Solid silver and plated
ware. Latent style canes, and Novelties,
which we have not space to mention.
These goods are arriving daily, and are being opened as fast as
we can arrange space to display them. We cordially invite every one
to call and inspect our beuntifnl stock, and be sure to keep watch of
our show windows. Remember too that we carry the largest stock of
Pianos and Organs to be found in this part of the state.
C. A. PRICKER,
PRESIDENT OF
JAMES FRICKER & BRO.
409 Jackson St- amerious. ga.
OtMMUNUS HALLE.
The largest stock, the lowest prices,
the flrnst goods.
E. D. Aksley,
The Leading Grocer
Second-hand Furniture bought and
sold at 010 Cotton avenue.
Highest market prices paid fo
sound cotton seed delivered to the
sept25tf Amkkiccs Guano Company.
E. D. Ansley sella a dandy chocolate
drop for 25 cents a pound.
Indiana are coming Tuesday, Oetober
13th.
OAMBRINU8 HALLE.
For a pleasant shave go to Dr. El
dridge'i and buy one of those celebrrted
Tower Razors whloh are guaranteed to
please. '
If you want to be healthy and happy,
call on J. Henry Freeman and get him
to paint, paper and alabastihe yonr
bouse. seplOdtf
For Kent
Mr. Callaway Is uffering for rent a few
choice rooms and offices, and a store.
REAL ESTATE
Business Property,
Residence Property,
Vacant Property,
Suburban Property,
Small Farms,
Large Farms.
APPLY QUICK.
MERREL CALLAWAY,
On canned goods I am prepared to
discount any prices you may get.
E. D. Ansley, tne Grocei
Hawkes’ Crystaltzed Lenses in all
styles, specs and eye-glasses sold with
a guarantee to please or money refunded
by E. J. Eldbidoe.
GAHHIUNUS HALLE.
For Solo.
A valuable piece of truck farming
property can be had by applying to
sep23-tf The Bank of Sumter.
Latest designs in Watches. Large
stock, all kinds.
James Fiiickeu A Bno.
Indians are coming Tuesday, October
13th.
GAMBB1NU8 HALLE.
Highest market prices paid for
sound cotton teed delivered to the
tep25tf Americus Guano Company.
H. E. Pratt has removed from 505
Jaokson to 610 Cotton avenue, opposite
Harrold A Johnson’s, where he is better
prepared than ever to do all kinds of re
pairing of furniture. septl7-dtf
A nice line of extract, colognes, toil
et waters Ac., at Dr. Eldridge’t Drug
Store.
The pharmacy,
Cor. Cotton Ave. and Forsyth St.
I carry as fine and varied a stock of
Drugs, Chemicals,
Standard Patent Medicines,
and Imported Toilet Goods
aa can be found. I am not under enormous expenses and can sell you goodi and
fill your
PRESCRIPTIONS
at reasonable rates. Give me a call and save money.
W. C. RUSSELL, Proprietor.
H d. watts, *
■ Wholesale and Retail Groceries
Hus come to the front a
Watts Building,'
rain, and can be found on the corner,
Pith an elegant line of fresh
Groceries Confectioneries,
which he will sell at rock bottom prices. Country merchants
will find it to their interest to call and see him when
needing anything in his line.
WHISKIES BEANDIES
and plenty of Jngs in tbe rear, which will be shipped to any
part of the United States and Georgia.
SEND HIM YOUR ORDERS.
J. Henry Freeman will sell you best
coal for least money. seplddtl
Don’t stop, until you seejny stock and
prices.
OAMVUmjS HALLE.
. D. Ansley, The Grocer.
- —~ '-»ir
Our line of fine esadiee are a specialty
id a pet department.
I D. AxiLxr, The Confectioner.
T. M. Allen. K Taylor. T. E. Allei
BEAL ESTATE.
To Quick Purchasers, Two
In small farms Part Qa?h.* Good terms.
Several Cottagesto rent.
Allbk, Taylor & Co