minal
exhausted all the oxygen available to him in three or four breaths, and
was forced to suffer the process of suffocation during that occupied
time. How near death he was when the drop fell, I can not say, but he
appeared to be suffering greatly before the binding was completed. That
could all be remedied by having an orifice in the cap opposite the mouth
for breathing.

Further, that sad mistake about the rope should never be allowed to
happen. He who permits himself to be appointed to such a duty, ought so
to understand his business that such an accident shall be impossible.

Some of the papers, especially in New York, roughly criticised our
efforts to prepare Pike for his end, said it was an outrage on society
to give a wretch like him so much attention; that, in it, we exhibited a
sickly sentimentalism, appeared as though we would raise crime to a
saintship, and more in the same line. A few words only on this must
suffice.

We supposed that the sentiment, "The criminal has a right to the benefit
of the clergy," really meant something; that, though this man had been
condemned to execution by his compeers for a most outrageous crime, he
yet had a right to means for preparing himself to pass the ordeal of the
scaffold with due composure, and for becoming reconciled to his God, if
that could be. We did not dream that anybody short of heathendom would
object to this. Supposing we were appointed to work for that end, we
went to the task with a sincerity of purpose. If we were not appointed
to do just the things we did, for what were we, pray?

We simply followed the usual course pursued at the bedside when one is
near death, had religious conversation, prayer, singing, parting with
friends; though, in this case, we had no extreme feebleness caused by
disease to meet, but rather crime, in one of its most revolting forms,
to recognize in bringing gospel appliances, concerning which crime we
endeavored to be duly faithful.

Hence, all that feverish editorial brain-work over this pretended wrong,
and that amount of printer's ink and paper thus used were simply wasted
upon, what never occurred, or that which was only a usual, honest effort
to do our duty with fidelity.

But this tirade, no doubt, came through the agency of some living not
far away, who designedly put a newsmonger on the wrong scent, for the
purpose of venting their own spleen at the idea of having those around
who would treat a helpless, fallen man