Page:Execution, or, The affecting history of Tom Bragwell.pdf/22

 of his son, as he was apparently sinking, with increasing celerity, under the load of his accumulated griefs, and it was in vain to hope, that any relief could be derived from medicine, to a mind diseased like his.

I could not help being greatly moved at this recital, and recollecting that I should be in Holdagain soon after the trial, I made up my mind to visit Tom Bragwell, in jail, and learn something more of the eventful history of this unhappy youth from himself.

The day of trial came; and, as might have been anticipated, the proofs of guilt were so clear, as to leave not a doubt on the minds of his judges, and the awful sentence of the law was pronounced upon him—that on that day fort’night, he should be hung up by the neck until he was dead, and his body given for dissection.

Two days previous to this event I got myself introduced to the unfortanate youth; whom I found seated in a distant; corner of his narrow abode, loaded with irons,—his head reclining upon one of his hands, while his elbow rested on his knee. At first, he seemed totally insensible of, or indifferent to my visit, and I had advanced almost close up to him, before he appeared to evince the smallest inclination to change his position; but when I addressed him in the following soothing strain—

"What crime, my poor young man, has brought you into such a pitiful situation?—he started up from his reverie, and, gazing in my face with the wildest confusion, exclaimed—Robbery and Murder